Born in Newquay and studied at Falmouth School
of Art, Manchester School of Art, Brighton College of Art and
Bristol Polytechnic. He has taught at Summerhill School, Mullion
School, and both Falmouth College of Art and Penzance School
of Art. In the past he has exhibited at the Hayward Gallery:
Pont Aven, Brittany: The Oxford Gallery, Browse and Darby, London
and numerous Cornish Galleries. For the national Trust’s
Centenary year Robert produced two limited edition prints ‘Towards
Godrevy’ and ‘Near Hells Mouth’.
Robert says it was a dream that helped him finally find his
calling in life.
“When I left school there was no careers guidance or anything
like that, so I went to work in my uncle’s outfitters shop,” he
says. Robert laughingly admits that he was temperamentally unsuited
to the job and played truant whenever he could.
A friend persuaded him to go to evening classes and on his third
class Robert had a dream. In it his teacher asked if he was happy
in his work and whether he would like to go to art school. When
he experienced the same dream the following night Robert took
it as the guidance he needed. He went to Falmouth College of
Art at 18, and onto Manchester College of Art, where he met his
future wife.
“I taught myself for a while and then we returned to Cornwall.
I became a fisherman for seven years and then gave it up to draw
and paint full time.”
He started in black and white etchings and pencil drawing, then
moved into colour, painting still life. His interest recently
shifted to seascapes.
“I exhibited locally and at the Hayward Drawing Exhibition
in London, but it was a particular exhibition of my ‘North
Cliffs’ work at the Newlyn Gallery when we put 50 pictures
up on the wall and 50 pictures sold, that doors really opened
for me and I started to take myself seriously”.
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