Working with only a quill pen and india ink, Robert Sexton creates each of his drawings one
dot at a time. With this demanding technique, each work takes between two and five weeks
to complete. But the patience required is more than rewarded, for all the original drawings
are created as gifts for the special people in his life, for the important occasions in their lives.
Both the prose and the poetry that accompany the drawings are also Robert's creations.
They are written with the same painstaking intensity and precision his drawings require, for it
is his desire to describe, as exactly as possible, that which is both true and beautiful within
the world we share.
The technique Robert uses for all of his work is known as stippling, which is the composition
of a work one dot at a time. In Robert's pen and ink application, there is absolutely no margin
for error. The slightest slip of the hand or overflow of ink will ruin an entire work, as no
corrections are possible.
Due to the length of time and great accuracy required to complete a work using this method,
Robert must be completely and emotionally committed to each piece that he renders. The
writing always comes first. The time spent composing a poem is often as long as the time
taken to complete one of the drawings. Every word must precisely convey the intensity of
the feeling that Robert desires to communicate. Once the poem or prose is completed, he
begins the drawing with only a thin pencil outline to establish the balance and proportions of
the work. Robert will often work from several black and white photographs of the image he
wishes to capture. Finally, using the cherished quill pen given to him by his grandfather,
Robert begins the delicate and exhaustive process of applying the ink, one dot at a time..
Robert lives in a small town north of San Francisco for eight months each year; the rest of his
time is spent at his home outside Paris. He writes every day, and typically spends four
hours drawing, which he does only by natural daylight. He continues to cherish his
relationships with his family and friends and to believe in the importance of that place in the
heart we all call "home."