with Dan Hickey ’04 | Director of Advancement

Images by Charles Krupa

At The Brook, Robert participated in football, wrestling, and track, was President of the senior class, and called Hopkins, Johnston, and Hegeman Halls home. After Stony Brook, he attended Williams College, where he studied art history before being drafted into the Korean War toward the end of the conflict. He served as a Company Commander in Fort Knox, KY. After the war, he spent time in the paper business and advertising before embarking on a 30-year career as a real estate broker. At 60 years old, he left the real estate business and decided to pursue his lifelong passion for art.

Where do you still see Stony Brook showing up in your life?

It’s always been there. I was close friends with Jim Marr ’50, and we’ve stayed in touch all these years. We talk once every two weeks. I’d be more involved with the school if I lived locally, but I’m in New Hampshire.

What drew you to drawing as a boy?

It was my first love. It’s in the genes. My mother went to art school. She never did it professionally, but she was a talented painter. My grandfather was a watercolorist. My daughter is a graphic artist, and my niece is a portrait artist. It’s always been a part of my nature.

As you grew, did drawing stay with you? Did you draw at Stony Brook?

I did it all my life. I took drawing classes at Stony Brook. They set up a separate class for me for one hour a day. That’s what gave me good grades! I was the only person in class with Mrs. James. That’s the total of my art training. It’s a gift you have to use.

What prompted you to leave your real estate career at 60 and pursue a career as an artist?

It was a combination of things. I always wanted to be a professional artist, but I had no training. I sold some things and illustrated a few books, but that was not enough to live on. But I grew tired of commercial real estate and wanted to be part of the art world. I dreaded getting up to go to work and wanted to fulfill a wish. I found someone who helped guide me into a new career. We sent out letters to illustrators. My first role was working for a greeting card company in Boston. I showed them my portfolio and got some work. Then, I did illustrations for a book, a fly fishing magazine, and a sporting journal. I then took a role as the Artist in Residence at a Vermont resort, and I’ve done a lot of teaching. Drawing has been a stepping stone to lots of opportunities.

What artists influenced or inspired your work?

As a young person, Albrecht Durer, Salvador Dali, and Norman Rockwell, particularly his work for the Saturday Evening Post. I am drawn to realistic painters. Picasso leaves me cold. Art history at Williams exposed me to so many great artists and so many wonderful works. It’s an inspiration.

What themes or subjects are you continually drawn to in your work?

Piper the Cat, my companion of 20 years, is a regular subject. My work often revolves around fantasy.

During the pandemic, you committed to “daily doodles”–one drawing a day. What prompted you to respond to the pandemic in this way?

Right when the pandemic started, I went into an assisted living facility. The sad thing is that most of the entertainment there is TV. But that time gave me the ability to do what I loved to do as a kid. I would paint and draw for hours as a boy, and I got to do that again. I needed to entertain myself and wanted to entertain others who were shut in.

Where did you share these daily drawings, and what was the response?

I began by emailing friends. Then it started to grow. It’s now been well over 1,000 days without missing a day. [Today marks doodle #1,244]. I’ve sold prints and originals, with half of all proceeds going to charity. Then, the local news picked it up, and orders skyrocketed. Every month, I support a different charity and have raised over $30,000.

The story of your daily doodles has been told through national and local media outlets. What does it mean to you that your faithful daily task made such an impact?

I appreciate that the most. It’s all for fun. I love doing it. What I get out of it isn’t the money but the response. Letters came in from all over the country and as far as London, England. The recognition and approval mean a lot to me. It gives me a sense that I’m doing something worthwhile. It keeps me going.

Postscript

• View Robert’s work at 368art.com.
• Visit his Etsy store here.
• Purchase his brand-new coloring book here!
• To get on his daily doodle mailing list, email rhseaman@gmail.com.

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