Published on
May 24, 2023
By
Janina Amanaki

Father-daughter duo Rob & Georgie bond over hyperrealism art

A newfound passion for hyperrealism art and a desire to “pay it forward” bonds father-daughter artists Rob & Georgie.

For many people, the pandemic was a pivotal time for self-reflection and exploration. For father Rob Harris and daughter Georgie, it was the discovery of hyperrealist art and the beginning of their journey as artists.

It was Georgie’s involvement in a local art class that piqued her interest, later introducing it to her father Rob.

“I was in school and my teacher started saying I was really good (at art). I started really enjoying it, so I came home and talked to dad about it and we both wanted to do it together”, said Georgie.

The two decided to pursue art together as a hobby. They purchased a small drawing kit which included sandpaper, a few erasers and a couple of pencils. It was when trying to understand what these tools were and what they do, that they discovered hyperrealism, a genre of art that resembles high-resolution photographs.

Rob and Georgie were instantly captivated by hyperrealist art and were in awe of what could be done with just a pencil.

“At the start, it was really cool seeing all the amazing things other artists could do. It was kind of impossible that we could do these things but after learning loads of tips about it, it was really amazing seeing how a small thing like a pencil could make these amazing artworks,” said Georgie.
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The idea of having a photographic reference was also appealing to the father-daughter duo, giving them the ability to measure their progress and rewarding them with a sense of achievement upon completing a piece of artwork.

“You can often refer back to your reference and start to go actually that’s close or it’s a long way off, and you can see your journey from there on. And I think the other thing we’ve talked a lot about is that sense of achievement – there’s lots of different art forms but hyperrealism is often the one that takes one of the longest. It takes a huge amount of time, but that sense of achievement at the end of that journey, which is often months, is huge,” said Rob.

What initially started out as a hobby, naturally evolved into a serious venture, planting the foundation for Rob and Georgie’s growth as artists.

The father-daughter duo use hyperrealism in their drawings, while adding layers of creative surrealism to the mix.

“Surrealism gives you a creative outlet. It’s a totally different challenge – what is the concept, the idea you want to come up with, how you’re going to express that in composition… It’s much more of a mental process.”
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But that’s not all – the illustrations use the power of storytelling, seeding empowering messages through their art and using their art to “pay it forward” and give back to the communities that inspire them.

The first art series Rob and Georgie collaborated on together was “Paying it forward for Elephants”. The four-piece series promotes elephant conservation and encourages those who download their free prints online to donate to The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. The series has since seen success with over $100,000 dollars’ worth of artwork downloaded. Many have also paid it forward and donated.

“I was really shocked when we came across the stats… I think it was something like 40-50% of elephants have been wiped out over the last forty years. I was really concerned if we don’t get some messages out there, we’re going to miss something here… I think the really positive thing is that we’ve seen some amazing conservation bodies and that was really encouraging to see; What they actually do and how big an impact they have,” added Rob.

Each drawing was created together. While Rob was leading the charge, Georgie was integral to each piece in multiple ways. From being a model, to the videography and photography through to hand-drawing the elephants herself.

“We just wanted to use our art as just a little way. We’ve been able to see lots of people donate to The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and it’s been really quite rewarding for us both to feel like we’re doing something.”
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Since then, Rob and Georgie have evolved as artists both in their own right and together, learning each other’s styles and continuing to collaborate on artwork till this very day.

Rob describes their growth as artists as a “learning journey”, noting that hyperrealism is about due diligence and abiding by principles and process.

When it comes to hyperrealist art, Rob believes that patience is vital as well as knowing when and how to use the appropriate tools, and exploring contrast, shades and values through trial and error.

Since they began, they have explored different techniques and mediums, initially using graphite to now experimenting with other mediums like paint brushes, charcoal dust and linseed oil just to name a few.

This shared newfound passion has ultimately given both father and daughter an opportunity to reconnect in a unique way.

“It’s fun doing it with dad because (if we were) doing it by ourselves, I think we would’ve both not had the patience. When we’re together, it’s really helpful and fun to do,” said Georgie.

“Being able to share it with Georgie… she’s got her stamp on it, I’ve got my stamp and we’ve created it together, that’s just to me so special for us to be able to have,” said Rob.

The duo also believes that through creating art, they have learnt patience, boosted their confidence and aided their own mental health.

Rob, who has always enjoyed sport as an outlet for mental health, discovered the true value of art and creativity through this journey.

“I’m often thinking about different things, and I am an anxious person as well so having an outlet like this has just been so helpful to take my mind away from certain things and to give me something that will really keep me motivated, engaged and excited about,” said Rob.

“It’s really amazing how such a simple hobby can turn into something that you’re really passionate about and really helps you relax and feel really great about yourself,” adds Georgie.

The world of hyperrealism has not come with its challenges for both Rob and Georgie.


“The thing we often find ourselves is that (any mistake) can be rubbed out… so there’s this sort of underlying anxiety, it’s really the more drawings you get, the more all of that goes away… There is problem solving (involved) and often you will land the answer through trial and error,” said Rob.

Georgie, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, adds that the sheer amount of time required to commit to hyperrealist art can be also taxing.

“After staring at it for a while, you really do look at the flaws and you get so drawn and can’t really step back and look at how amazing it is. Sometimes, you just have to go and let dad do it for a bit and come back and go ‘Yes, it really is looking amazing so I just need to be happy with where it’s going.”


Despite these challenges, both dad and daughter know the importance of celebrating the small wins, embracing and enjoying the process altogether.

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Another element the two enjoy is the documentation process. Their videos, seen on their Youtube channel @RobHarrisArt, was a means to showcase their progress, bring their art stories to life and simply document memories as father and daughter.

“The videography is just as much apart as the artwork is and the videos really help us showcase a story and they’re both equally important to what we’re trying to show,” said Georgie.

Rob and Georgie have continued to enjoy collaborating with each other as artists, now working on a new series raising awareness of the importance of mental health.

Despite being early in its creation, the two have strong ideas about what messages they want to promote in relation to mental health.


The first being of art and creativity as a means to improve mental health, akin to the benefits of physical exercise. Other topics they’d love to explore are the issues surrounding technology and social media as well as transformation and resilience.

“We’re all going to have difficult obstacles that we face in life and being able to find a way to transform around those sorts of things is really important. I think resilience is important, these are traits as a parent you just want to instill in your kids, and this is just our way for us to put our stamp on that message out in the world,” said Rob.

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Rob and Georgie look forward to continuing to hone in on their craft both as individuals and together.

When it comes to being creative, Rob had one final message for parents and families looking to dabble in art.

“If you’ve got any kids in your family showing any signs of wanting to be creative, embrace it. I think most parents would do that naturally and bloody encourage yourself to do the same thing because I’ve really, personally, just fallen in love with this craft. It’s been amazing to see you fall in love with it too. To be able to share it (with my daughter) is really special as well,” said Rob.

“I’m so happy that we found art and that we’ve started doing it and it’s just been an incredible journey that we got to go on together,” said Georgie.

To find out more about Rob and Georgie, watch our Artstry feature now on [link] or visit www.robharrisart.com.

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