We were lucky to catch up with Robin Reynolds recently and have shared our conversation below.
Robin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
As far back as high school I remember having to come to terms with the understanding that a career as an artist meant struggling to pay the bills. I still decided to pursue a double major at my liberal arts undergrad; I accepted that my economics degree would be the one to get me a “real job”, whereas my art major gave me the training and knowledge I really craved. After graduation I fell into an endless cycle of these “real jobs”: finance, furniture sales/designer, copy editing, marketing consultant, waitress. Playing into this traditional path gave me no creative satisfaction and very little free time to pursue my art.
The catalyst for ditching my menial and lucrative path came from a visit to South End Open Studios in Boston. I was browsing the different artists works when I smelled the familiar fumes of turpentine and burst into tears. The smell snagged at my suffocated longing to create, as I remembered using those chemicals to paint and the satisfaction that came from doing something you love everyday.
That next week I applied to Massachusetts College of Art to continue my journey as an artist and I never looked back.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Art school introduced a new kind of freedom that had me experimenting with all kinds of mediums; I gravitated towards anything textural, tactile, or nature inspired. Though I was considered a painting major, I was making “totems” using hay, reeds, rope, and dirt. These creations came to a standstill once I realized the hassle of storage as a transient 20 something. During art school I met my husband-to-be. One of our first dates actually consisted of collecting reeds for my “totems” off the side of the highway. When the two of us moved to Kauai, however, painting took precedence. Not only for the sake of storage, but it would have been criminal not to paint the breathtaking views.
Painting these vista views, attempting to capture that light and color before me was the start to my becoming a plein air painter.
I continued painting in graduate school at Savannah College of Art & Design. I thought my goal was to teach and share my love of painting and learning the craft with my students. However, after teaching for a short time at Clark University in Worcester, I became pregnant with my second daughter. Suddenly the reality of being a mom, a teacher, and a painter set in and had me recognizing that this formula meant something would always be pushed to the back burner. I gave up teaching to give myself over fully to my family and my art.
Fast forward 20 years and my three daughters are all grown up and I have continued to paint. Throughout all those years, I always found time to make my art a priority and have created a flourishing art career.
Presently my paintings are based in my garden, still in a plein air style, but with a more contemporary approach to the traditional lens. My approach is more intuitive, with energetic and playful mark-making. I use a process of looking, layering, wiping away and building up of a surface in order to celebrate the exuberance of color and line found in nature. My paintings do not depict a time anchored botanical or any sort of geographical exactitude, rather I allow weather and the passage of days to transform my viewpoint. My paintings are created in a series of three to seven sittings, always switching the work on the easel to allow another to dry.
Though for years painting has remained my medium, I have found my cyclical way of working left a huge hole during the winter months, when my garden is covered in snow. I have found my way back to my love of texture and materials through the creation of collages. My collages remain inspired by nature and gardens, pairing well with my paintings. The materials I use are all treasures hunted down at antique fairs and thrift stores, or handed down by friends. Lace, vintage, gardening books, old dresses and memorabilia, along with linocuts and other drawing materials; my collages get built up in the same way as my paintings: intuitive, reactive, and always a surprise at the end.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Being an artist takes a lot of courage, persistence, fortitude, self reliance and the ability to take a lot of criticism and turn it into something positive. Although through the years, there has been a lot of highs and lows dealing with many of these issues, I am so proud that I have given my daughters a role model to base their future endeavors on. Not that I want or need my children to be a creative, but that they should pursue something true to themselves, that they truly love without the societal demands of being rich or “successful” . I love that my oldest daughter, having just graduated college, relishes the fact that she can pursue anything she wants, knowing her mother did the same , albeit the long way around. Being an artist also is rewarding in that you never know who or what you may impact in someone else’s life. Many times people who have purchased a painting have told me how happy it makes them and sometimes how it reminds them of certain memories or places that were dear to them.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My main goal as an artist is quite simple and it is just to continue to have the ability to make art. Though it sounds so simple, the practice itself is much more difficult. When I was in school, creating art was my main focus, but out in the real world, life gets in the way. Family, self care, friends, making money, and other factors serve to take time and attention away from creation. I have learned over the years that part of being a self employed artist is learning how to maintain a balance. Some years turn out to be more prosperous than others, but the important part is always consistency and commitment. Now that my children are older and (slightly) more self-sufficient, my time has opened up significantly and I have been able to create more art and have even had time to experiment with new mediums. Though I am still waiting around for that glorious day when money is not a factor and I can retire from my “day job” as a waitress, and focus wholly on my art. Until then I will continue to maintain my balance and do what I love most.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.robinlreynolds.com
- Instagram: @robinreynolds7259
- Facebook: Robin Reynolds