Robert Treloar’s early work was shaped by the artistic influences he encountered as a child in Europe, which first sparked his interest in the process of making art.

This interest deepened during his second year of college after taking a course in color theory, which ignited a lasting fascination with color and its expressive possibilities.

During this time, he was also exposed to the work of contemporary artists in New York. By the time he graduated, Treloar had met Roy Lichtenstein, Mel Ramos—a California Realist—and Jack Beal. Ramos and Beal, both working in realist traditions, were particularly relatable influences. At the same time, the work of Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, and others opened new possibilities, prompting him to think about paintings not simply as images, but as objects in their own right.