In 1988, Robert received a Masters degree in Art and Consciousness Studies from John F. Kennedy University. Later, he received a Masters Degree in Divinity and a Ph.D. in Education. When he was in graduate school in Berkeley, he was able to study with well known, highly creative and active artists from around the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently, he is an Artist in Residence and Teacher in Madison, Wisconsin, and his art is in several Wisconsin galleries.

Robert uses the term Symbolic Narrative to describe his own art. It is a form of expression somewhere between realism and abstraction. As in realism, his work contains recognizable figures and objects. Yet, unlike historical narrative, the viewer is not being told a particular story of a past event, frozen in time. The viewer is assumed to be creating a personal story in dialog with the art form.

Robert's own artistic expression and experience with creativity, methods, and materials is the source and inspiration for the development of the art supplies found on the Art Treehouse web site. Of primary significance is the need to create art in a less toxic environment than what artists usually experience. The materials, such as Oil of Spike Lavender are premium quality, made for professionals, and they enhance the work of the discerning artist.