Conversations with Robert Bell

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Bell

Hi Robert, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Born in Japan and raised in Colorado, Rob grew up sketching and painting people in native
landscapes. His parents’ eastern influence fueled his passion for art and culture, a foundation
he continues to draw upon daily. Rob attended Colorado State University for a bachelor
degree in Graphic Design and then the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston for
graduate studies in studio arts. Upon returning to Denver in 2007 he promptly began
expressing himself through abstract painting. Around 2014 he started exhibiting his most
current figurative work using all of his past experience in drawing, painting, multimedia
and design to create the imagery you see today. I recently was commissioned for several commercial murals and I plan to be a full-time creative by the end of May 2024!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Art is not a predictable career path by any means. Fine Art is a luxury item, and while we value cultural products in our homes and environment, it’s not usually the highest priority for our dollars. Because of this, an artist’s financial situation can be unpredictable. I have had a part-time job at a video production studio for about 9 years and that has eased a lot of the financial rollercoaster for me and has allowed me to focus my creative energy in a more productive way. It has allowed me to take creative risks without the pressure of live-or-die marketability. Because of this, I have learned a lot in the way of how to sell my work. At this point in my life, art is a business and I feel comfortable approaching it that way as I move into it full time.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create figure drawings from life with chalk pastels and gold, silver and copper leaf on wood panels. Colorado themes fill many of mixed-media backgrounds and the figures are often depicted in two different poses that join at the hips or torso conveying movement from the first to the second post. Because the work includes tasteful nudity, some people call them edgy. I think I’m just trying to give a glimpse into the subject’s psyche and as it turns out, everyone has a body.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I was born in Japan and I often use Japanese illustration in a collage format at the bottom of my compositions to give the figures a base.

Pricing:

• Prints available on my etsy store for $35
• Originals start around $1,000 and I also offer completely custom commissions

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertbellfineart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertbellfineart/
• Other: https://robertbellfineart.etsy.com

Image Credits
Owen Braley