Rex was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana by loving parents and relatives, who instilled in him a great respect and appreciation for God, family, country and the arts. He was surrounded by friends and relatives as a youngster, who were creatively gifted toward music, art, gardening, restoring antiques, etc. Rex spent a great deal of time outdoors, especially in the country, where he was greatly influenced and inspired by the beauty of nature and it's awesome designs. He spent a lot of time as a young boy, drawing and making things from found objects, often getting in trouble in school for drawing in class when he "should have been listening". As Rex became more interested in art from an abstract point of view, he was admonished by one of his art teachers for designing geometric and abstract images instead of "following the assignment".

Attending Ball State University from 1969 through 1973, Rex majored in Art, specializing in ceramics and sculpture. He put his art endeavors on hold for several years in exchange for marriage to an artist "sweeetheart", restoring old houses, starting a business and raising two "creatively gifted" children.  All the while Rex had an itch to create but never seemed to have the time to get involved in art projects. As his children became older and life became a little less hectic, Rex found time in 2003 to slowly get back to his artwork. He eventually became interested in designs that he turns into paintings, prints and sculptures.

Rex still spends a great deal of time outdoors, studying nature and trying to figure out how to incorporate it's designs into his artwork. He has been blessed to live for the last 29 years in a very remote and beautiful area of the country-Brown County,Indiana, on Lake Monroe, where the natural surroundings never lack in portraying ideas and objects that he can use in creating a painting or sculpture.