BIO:
Robyn began her artistic journey in childhood, creating, drawing, painting, and building those things her active imagination found an interest in. Growing up in Northern Virginia her formal art education started at the age of 8 as the youngest student of a local National Watercolor Society Artist. Through high school and college, she actively drew and painted commissioned pet and horse portraits.
Robyn’s creative activities expanded through building series of water-media paintings and equine bronze sculptures, making original art to be used on wine labels, more commissions, joining the local cooperative gallery, taking workshops, and investing in studio space to focus on producing her paintings and sculptures. She continues to work with artists she admires to foster her artistic growth. Robyn enjoys teaching art workshops including her own “Acrylic Layers” technique with the focus of clear building blocks, instilling confidence, fostering creativity, and having fun!
Robyn is currently active with several local/regional art groups and venues, has artwork in numerous private collections and exhibits her work regularly in juried exhibitions and featured solo exhibits. Robyn’s work is also represented by Jenuinely Jeni Gallery at the esteemed Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia.
STATEMENT:
Robyn is inspired by living things; their mystery, complexity, shapes, movement, energy, personality, environment, and relationships with each other. Capturing candid moments and unexpected "glimpses" challenges Robyn to convey the essence of what caught her awareness.
Known for her animal and nature related subject matter, Robyn’s artwork is characterized by use of color, texture, and physical dimensionality. She uses water-based and mixed media in her paintings and works in oil-based clay for casting bronze editions of her equine sculptures. Robyn is drawn to the tactile aspects of the media, building layers and physical textures, marrying diverse materials, and creating three dimensional pieces.
Robyn is currently exploring manipulation of physical visual layers. She developed her personal “Acrylic Layer” process consisting of multiple applications of acrylic gel with paint, collage, and mixed media applied to or embedded between the multiple distinct layers. Each layer allows the viewer to “see through” to enjoy the “sparkle” of the deeper layers visible through the clear gel. The resulting organic effect is perfect for Robyn’s nature-based subjects.
Robyn continues to build on two major bodies of work. Her “Fleeting Glimpses” series captures precious momentary insights behind nature’s mysterious curtain. The compositions are often unexpected representing chance sightings and the wildness of the animals not constrained by our human rules or boundaries. She has also introduced surrealistic “portals” or “windows” into alternative environments, giving impressions of our encroachment on the habitats of our wild neighbors. Robyn’s “Equine Muse” series captures her love of horses and explores capturing their characteristics of mystery, power, and grace through both her paintings and bronze sculptures.
