After working on the St. Therese sculpture for a year, it was time to start thinking about painting again.
I realized, however, that my enthusiasm for Realism was gone. I thought that maybe I would try painting what I saw with my eyes closed, rather than open. After 30 years of painting what I saw, I couldn’t put down what I was imagining. I finally decided that I needed something to look at to break the ice.

I created a small sculpture from wire, lights, shear metallic fabric, and projections, and then photographed it from various angles. I chose one image and made a painting of it, the first here. I liked it, but I was still painting what I was seeing. I then started manipulating a few of the images on a computer and made a small series based on those manipulations. I was still in the rut of painting what I was looking at. So, most of those paintings ended up in the dumpster or as base layers for the next group.

I saved a few paintings from steps along the way, but kept trying to achieve my original vision. A breakthrough occurred when I painted out everything in a painting that I felt was not necessary. Now, the paintings changed as I worked on them. I went back and reworked a group of them.

Finally I was doing what I had thought about for a long time. I was working on the paintings as I painted. I was painting out areas, adding new things, changing colors countless times. Every painting was a real ‘work in progress’, something I had never really done before. Now planning was a starting point, and the real ‘art making’ occurred while working.

The last handful of paintings went further than my original idea, and are to me, my best work yet. They contain everything I have ever learned about painting throughout my career.

Because of some serious health battles, I stopped painting for a couple of years. I am now ready to work again, so check back for updates.

After a few years of being unable to paint, I returned to two unfinished paintings from the last Series. The second to last painting shown, is one. It took five months, partially because I kept changing it. For that reason it is much “tighter” than the others, and almost stands alone as a Unique Piece. The last, larger painting I took to the level of finish you see, and realized it was finished.

I am now working on a new project, which will be a new category when finished.-

Aside from wanting to hear from anyone about the stolen work, we would also love to hear from any Owner of a Robert Treloar painting or drawing, for archival purposes.

Images are great, but seeing actual Art in person can be a transformative experience. I have always tried to make Art with a powerful presence, which many could enjoy.

For that reason, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to those who have passed on my work to
Museum Collections and those who plan to.