Using Art To Tell Stories, with Rob Rey

When you approach the canvas do you find yourself trying to tell a story with your artwork? Do you think you are telling a story with your art whether you like it or not? Here to explore these questions and many more is my guest and fellow artist, Rob Rey.
Rob’s artwork is often inspired by his interests in both natural sciences like astronomy and physics as well as social sciences like psychology and sociology. These interests commonly influence his work, as do a multitude of inspiring artists from classical art to golden age illustration and contemporary representational art.
In our conversation, you’ll hear how Rob approaches his creative process, what he has learned from his career over the years, which artists have made the most impact on him, and so much more. I can’t wait for artists like you to learn from Rob’s fascinating journey!
Telling a story Have you ever watched a scene in a movie that said a thousand words without using a single line of dialogue? What about an instrumental song that evokes feelings of joy or dread without using any words? From paintings and sculptures to music and movies, artists have been using their medium to tell stories since the beginning of time. What are the resonant, positive, and awe-inspiring stories of today? How can our expanding scientific knowledge drive our enchantment with the natural world and grow our empathic interests toward our fellow humans? Exploring these questions visually, Rob Rey hopes to promote or create the stories that best help us to achieve these goals. Make sure to check out images of Rob’s artwork located at the end of this post.
Chaos vs. Order Do you ever find yourself struggling with the tension between chaos and order on your creative journey? What do you do to cut through all of the noise and focus on what really matters? According to Rob Rey, he found a good balance between chaos and order in his artwork through trial and error. After years of practice and persistence, Rob feels like he has a good handle on the balancing act required to navigate chaos and order. What do you think of Rob’s response? What has worked well for you on your creative journey?
Advice for fellow artists Listening to Rob describe his approach to the creative process and how stories have captured his imagination gets me thinking about what I love about my life as an artist. If you’ve been around the Savvy Painter community for very long, you know that I am always looking for ways to improve as an artist and I hope you never stop learning either. I wanted to get Rob’s take on what advice he would pass on to fellow artists. Rob is a huge fan of taking time to practice your craft - log in the hours! Let’s face it, the only way to learn how to avoid making the same mistakes is by practicing a new approach. What can you learn from Rob’s story?
Outline of This Episode [0:40] I introduce my guest, Rob Rey. [2:30] What led Rob to his career as an artist?  [6:15] Rob talks about his interest in stories and storytelling.  [13:15] Telling a story with an image.  [15:30] Resolving chaos vs. order.  [20:00] Rob talks about reactions to his artwork.  [31:15] Rob’s dream project.  [38:00] Relating science to our daily lives.  [40:00] Rob opens up about his creative process.  [49:00] Advice for fellow artists.  Other artists mentioned on this episode John William Waterhouse Alphonse Mucha J. C. Leyendecker Jeffery Catherine Jones  Frank Frazetta Resources Mentioned on this episode Rob Rey’s website Book: The Power of Myth Podcast: Radiolab Connect With Antrese On Facebook On Pinterest On Instagram On Twitter