Robert draws simple natural objects with no background. They float on the white page, shaded with tiny cross-hatched marks to bring out the beauty of their contour and internal design.  In a letter to friend and fellow artist Glenn MacKinnon, Robert writes: “I’ve been amusing myself by doing drawings and watercolours of natural objects, mainly things I collect on hikes: leaves, acorns, shells. Almost always the starting point in my art is something that disturbs me so it is quite a switch to start from something I feel positive about. I don’t know if it will be possible for me to work without the crutch of ready-made tension.” (Nov. 17, 1991)