Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin White.
Robin, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
My grandfather owned a small grocery store in Miami, and at the age of four, I started drawing the shoppers in the store on the small brown paper penny bags. Everyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I said “an artist.” I have no idea how I even knew what that was other than watching Pepe La Pew character in cartoons with a french beret slapping paint on a canvas, lol. But, that became my mantra, and even later in college I got very interested in psychology, but the art was always something I came back to, like my salvation. I graduated with a BFA from Ringling School of Art and worked for 30 years as an art director in advertising, but I always knew I had to one day come back to painting. In 1999, after a very inspiring trip to Europe, I made that leap, and I have been exhibiting and selling my art pretty steadily since that time.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
In the beginning, I found a lot of inspiration from the human figure, and I always loved painting and drawing faces. After that, I got into poetry and the desire to interpret certain verses, so I did a whimsical series on those. My first exhibition consisted of very large portraits of women’s faces. Following that, I did a psychological series which highlighted various states of mind and neuroses. My latest works are all about alienation –how we as humans can be alienated, even in a sea of people, we still feel a certain aloneness. I really relate to that on a personal level, so it was something I had to drag out and put on canvas. My inspiration is constantly changing and evolving. The one thing that remains constant is the desire to provoke emotion from whatever it is I am painting.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
I define success more as personal fulfillment. If I died tomorrow, I would be content knowing I did exactly what I wanted to do. I have much more I would love to do, but I have done much of what I came here to do, be happy and express myself through my art. I believe in the end, that’s what success means to me.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I will be exhibiting during Art Basel Weekend in Miami at Wynwood Walk, Art Basel 2018, December 6th-9th from 6pm-10pm Thur. & Fri., 11am-11pm Sat., and 11am-8pm Sun located at 2335 N. Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33127.
I will be exhibiting the month of February 2019 at Tedd’s Art Works, 2422 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305
Contact Info:
- Website: www.robinwhiteart.com
- Email: robin@robinwhiteart.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/robinwhiteartist
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/robinwhiteartpage, www.facebook.com/robinwhiteartist
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/robinleewhite
- Other: www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/233360
Image Credit:
(Personal shot “Robin-in-Studio”) photo by Kjersti Norell
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