Robert Yaeger – Fine Art and Photography
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Instagram: @robyaeger1
Robert Yaeger is a visual artist and photographer whose work spans drawing, painting, digital art, and photography. Based in North Carolina, Robert creates evocative original artwork, offers commissions, and shares an ever-expanding collection of artistic photography. His practice is both thoughtful and playful, reflective of his diverse experiences, artistic training, and passion for creative storytelling.
Early Inspiration
Robert’s creative journey began in childhood, shaped deeply by his parents. His mother, an award-winning amateur painter, filled the home with abstract florals and portraiture in oil. His father ran a typesetting company, which immersed young Robert in the world of graphic design, printing, and photography. The sights and sounds of the darkroom and even the soda “pop” machine remain treasured memories.
A love for comic books and early access to cameras ignited Robert’s lifelong passion for drawing and photography. Receiving a Polaroid Instamatic as a child was pivotal. He began formal training early, attending the College of Art and Design as a child and later receiving drawing instruction from professional artists. This path eventually led to a Fine Art degree, where he studied painting, life drawing, sculpture, and ceramics.
The Artist’s Evolution
Although art took a temporary backseat to marriage, parenthood, work, and volunteering, Robert never lost his creative spark. In more recent years, he’s returned to his craft with focus and enthusiasm. His global travels have brought him face-to-face with masterworks from Da Vinci to Modigliani, which he often sketches in the moment, capturing their emotional essence on paper.
His wide-ranging style is as diverse as his influences. Robert’s art soundtrack? A blend of emotive R&B and a funky rhythm, mirroring his expressive lines and visual narratives. He thrives on artistic evolution, from detailed ink drawings to watercolours and macro photography, each medium presenting new creative challenges.
One major turning point came during a 100-day art challenge. Robert used this opportunity to dive deeply into the work of master artists, creating daily interpretations and reflecting on technique, message, and meaning. It was, he says, an extraordinary learning experience.
Medium and Message
While equally split between photography and drawing, Robert’s heart leans toward the pencil. Drawing is his “happy place,” and he’s rarely without a sketchbook or camera. He favours candid work over staged scenes, capturing the emotive spirit of his subjects.
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Robert’s creativity springs from a blend of dreams and lived experiences. One of his most meaningful pieces, Life and the Battle of Good vs Evil, reflects the choices and dualities we face in life. From the birth of a child to the inevitability of death, the piece incorporates symbolic elements of light, darkness, temptation, and hope.
Another impactful work, The Higher You Reach, was a collaboration to raise funds for the March of Dimes. Created with and for children, it remains a deeply meaningful highlight.
The Creative Process
Robert’s art process is thoughtful and iterative. He enjoys the early concept phase, often returning to unfinished works with fresh eyes. Music plays in his studio, which ranges from a bright glass table workspace to a vaulted-ceiling room for larger paintings. For photography, his studio is the world—from Rome and London to the Carolinas’ mountains and beaches.
He doesn’t drink coffee, preferring iced tea or water while working. When creative blocks arise, he turns to exercise, guitar, or steps away to reset. His philosophy: find your happy places and revisit them often.
Family, Community, and Life
Robert’s artistic life is supported by a creative family and a kind, patient wife who embraces his insatiable drive to create. He’s raised artistic children, who are also accomplished musicians, and their talents are clearly a great source of pride for him. Though he doesn’t speak in detail, it is evident that their creativity and achievements have deeply enriched his own artistic spirit and sense of fulfilment.
He’s served as a youth soccer coach (once named U-14 Coach of the Year), and even appeared as an extra in film and television. He once sold a motorcycle to buy the family’s first fridge—a story that reflects his grounded, humorous outlook.
In addition to traditional works, Robert has begun a unique photography project featuring black-and-white doll portraits, each with a humorous or poignant backstory. He hopes to publish them in a future book. Explore the collection
Looking Ahead
Robert’s goals are simple and powerful: keep travelling, keep creating, and make art that resonates. He accepts commissions, shares new work regularly online, and continues producing short, engaging videos to highlight his collections. See his latest pieces
His advice for budding artists? “Do your own thing. Be true to yourself. Study the masters. Create what you want to create—and don’t worry about what other people think.”
Robert Yaeger is proof that creativity can flourish at any age, through any medium, and with great heart.
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