Robert Margetts

Bicycling Through Haight Ashbury In 1969

"I combine abstract imagery, cartoon drawing, and geometric shapes and patterns with a touch of cubism and stir it all together. I leave it up to the audience to tell me what they see in my paintings.”

"My name is Robert Owen Margetts and I enjoy dabbling in Cubism and abstract imagery. I’m just your typical Canadian boy living and working in Dallas, Texas, paying taxes and loving life."


Tell us about yourself and your background.
I was born and at times housed along the riverbanks of the great St. Lawrence River in Montreal until settling into the quiet sanctuaries of foster homes on Prince Edward Island, Canada. At age 9, I won the lottery and was adopted by a family from New Jersey. I attended boarding school in New Hampshire and graduated from Tulane University with a BA in History. After college I headed to Asia. For the next 30 years of my life, I lived the life of Riley bouncing all over the world opening various franchise brands. One day I picked up a paintbrush and started to paint. The rest is history.
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Tell us about your work and style, why it is unique?
I combine abstract imagery, cartoon drawing, and geometric shapes and patterns with a touch of cubism and stir it all together. I leave it up to the audience to tell me what they see in my paintings.

The Abstract Cow

"I love bold colors and shapes. Something inside my head tells me to paint until the canvas is completely covered in wild patterns. I guess you could say that I am inspired by cartoons and comic pop art."

Abstract Batman Art In Plastic

Marilyn In Full Color

​Tell us about your process and what do you feel when you are creating?
I typically start with shapes in mind and figure out how to drop hidden images into my paintings. Some of the imagery is obvious while others will take some time to understand the meaning of the painting. I often put down the canvas for days at a time and work on other projects until inspiration hits me.

What are your sources of inspiration?
I love bold colors and shapes. Something inside my head tells me to paint until the canvas is completely covered in wild patterns. I guess you could say that I am inspired by cartoons and comic pop art.

Texas Walking Boots

"I am passionate about abstract art with vibrant colors and bringing a smile to the average person on the street."

Two Hungry Sharks

Shark

Why are you attracted to your preferred mediums?
As stupid as it sounds, I couldn't afford the artwork that I saw in magazines and knew that I wanted to decorate my house in wild zany pop art. You might say that invention is the necessity of desire. In a perfect world, that statement makes perfect sense.
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Tell us about some of your achievements and notable artworks?
That is a hard question to answer. I never started out to become an artist or even famous. Consequently I really have no accolades or awards to boast about. I do have a few (105) websites and blogs and have sold hundreds of paintings around the world and have written and published a few books, but have never had a showing inside some gallery.

American Boy

"I have always loved art and was jealous of all those incredible artisans of the world that spewed talent without even trying... Art inspires everyone. To some, art is a movie or a poem and to other, art is life."
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Eating The World Four

The King of Rock and Roll

Tell us about some of the themes and concepts that you have explored.
I originally started working with wood carvings and that eventually led to dabbling with acrylic paint. I thought to myself, why can't painted wood carvings be considered artwork and hung on walls?

What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about abstract art with vibrant colors and bringing a smile to the average person on the street. Artwork doesn't have to be dominated by the experts and gifted artisans of the world. I think the average Joe with a little patience and some spare time can create thought-provoking imagery. And who knows, perhaps one day his artwork shows up in the Guggenheim Museum or in a landfill.
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John 316

"I don't know what direction I am going to take in the next 2-10 years. I paint and carve whatever inspires me at that time. Maybe I will go back to carving exotic pop art painted dinosaur fish."

Fishing Gear

Screaming Man

Tell us about some of the feedback you typically receive from people that discover your work.
Feedback. Most of the people that have bought my work really like the pop-art feel and the vibrant shapes, patterns and colors. It's art that almost any person on the planet could paint if given the time and the fortitude to accept failure from time to time.

What are you currently working on?
I am still working on developing newer and more interesting abstract paintings with hints of cartoon and comic book art.
I would like to continue with more superhero figures hidden inside some cubism paintings.

What can we look forward to in the future, what directions will you be exploring?
In the future, expect more abstract comic art and more hanging wood carvings. I don't know what direction I am going to take in the next 2-10 years. I paint and carve whatever inspires me at that time. Maybe I will go back to carving exotic pop-art painted dinosaur fish.

Pow 3

"Texas has a lot of cows, boots and sport teams so there is plenty of things to inspire a new artist."

Man In Purple

Installation

Tell us about your location and its influence on your work.
I live in Dallas, Texas and constantly travel to Austin to see my kids and check out the artwork. That city is full of fresh artists and great things to see, eat and drink. And yes, Texas has a lot of cows, boots and sport teams so there is plenty of things to inspire a new artist.

How do you feel about art and its role in the world today?
I have always loved art and was jealous of all those incredible artisans of the world that spewed talent without even trying. As I said before, since I couldn't afford to buy the things (paintings and sculptures) that I saw in store windows, art galleries, magazines and books; I decided to paint them myself. Art inspires everyone. To some, art is a movie or a poem and to others, art is life.

The Atomic Clock

"When people look at my artwork, I want them to be jettisoned back to their early years in life when everything they touched and painted was beautiful."

Robert Margetts

The Mechanical Planet

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How do you want your art to affect the viewer?
When people look at my artwork, I want them to be jettisoned back to their early years in life when everything they touched and painted was beautiful. I hope people smirk to themselves and say I remember painting something like that in elementary school. I hope it inspires new artists to try and put themselves out there. Everyone is an artist, don't be afraid to fail. Art should be something that you love to do and expresses how you feel inside.

​Biography
I was born and raised on Prince Edward Island until being adopted by a great family in 1972. My brother and sisters and I moved to New Jersey; attended schools and universities and then headed to Asia to start my own business. I lived in Taiwan for 6 years before coming back to the United States in 1994 and joined the workforce. Working for numerous internationally recognized franchise brands for the next 20 years, I had the opportunity to travel the world, meet new people and get exposed to a plethora of new traditions and cultures. One night I woke up in my bed in Charlotte, North Carolina, picked up a paint brush and started to paint.


www.robertmargetts.com  |  www.batkar.pixels.com  | www.rmargetts.blogspot.com
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