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Entering his childhood memory lane, Robert
says, “Art doesn't have to be on the pricy side. Even if the art equipment is
expensive, there are always going to be alternatives. I used to use playing
cards, and cardboard stripes for giving different textures, and those give a
similar effect
to artworks, sometimes even better as
you modify them the way you want to
get the essential composition and the desired textures.”
Goa has been one of his go-to travel
destinations since childhood. He says, “I moved here to Goa five or six years
ago. I've been coming here for ages. If I could define Goa, it gives a feel of
love, home, and an oasis of peace.” During his stay in Mumbai, he recalls, “I
used to come to Goa by just packing my essentials. It was my get away from my
hectic schedule. I used to doodle and sketch while traveling to Goa. The
beaches, the sunset everything about them speaks a lot to me, which I used to
put in my doodles.”
The artist has his separate admiration for
the architecture of Goa. He elaborates on the structures of houses, “The
wonderful bright houses, the tilted roofs, the little roosters on the rooftops,
the details on the windowpanes, the tiny, little shells enhancing the windows”.
The child Rob would love to talk about it often to his friends, as he used to
sketch and doodle about it in his sketchbooks.
Expressing the colors
and textures of Goa’s beauty he adds, “The wonderful greenery surrounds me. The
foliage, the trees, the color palette of nature and the different textures, and
the wonderful sunsets by the beaches that come in multiple shades of yellow,
red, sometimes, purple, or pink, it's just dreamy!”
Opening up about his house and studio in
Goa, he says, “I love the Goan architecture with the Portuguese influence, but
I like to have my house on the minimalist side with modern elements.” Realizing
the vulnerability of the artisans who used to build the traditional Goan
houses, he says, “Considering that people do not have their houses built
traditionally anymore, I think the people who used to build these traditional
houses are rare to find. They were creative with the details!”
‘Stone Cards from Goa’ is one of his
ongoing series, which he started in November 2022. The artist doodles and
sketches illustrations of the palm trees, the coconut trees, the beaches, the
shacks, and anything that represents Goa, and its culture on the surface of
rocks. “I always carry around my sketchbook with me wherever I go. While
traveling, whenever I used to be jet lagged, I used to make those sketches and
doodles. Sometimes, even during the flight. I started tearing the page off and
leaving it in flights with some messages. I started seeing the happy smiles on
the faces of the people who found it. So I started doing it on the stones as
well,” says Rob. He usually will carry his black and white marker while
traveling, doodle it on a stone surface, and post about it later on his
Instagram. The artist has made three such doodles for his ‘Stone cards from
Goa’ series, and two of them have been discovered by his fans. Not only did he
start the series in Goa, but he also did a similar ‘Stone Card’ series in
Jaisalmer. Hence, Rob can turn stones into feelings of happiness as well!
Apart from art, Rob finds traveling as his
soul connection. “Finding different places where its water all around, and just
diving into it. I love exploring the marine life, the wonderful colors under
the sea, the fishes, and the coral reefs, I love every single bit of it. Also
the feeling you get after coming to the water's surface after seeing the sky,
and the water, it's a different palette.”
The current generation is living in the
digitized era, where digital art is sometimes preferred over old-school art
involving colors, papers, canvas, brushes, and art tools. Quoting Pablo
Picasso-, ‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist
once he grows up’, Rob adds, “Art brings happiness. The entire world is going
to be the canvas. I hear the elders saying, ‘Don’t paint on the walls’ or
‘We’ll have to repaint the walls’, let that be. There’s an artist in every
child. And even for the adults- think like a child, and expand your artistic
boundaries. Enjoy and trust the process.” Letting the art flow the way air
does, and paying attention to the minute details of any subject of art, or
interest gives a broader perspective towards doing art. Similarly, letting
creativity ooze out makes one realize that the sky is limitless.