"Meet my Friend!!"

 

I am so excited to introduce you to my friend, Tricia Robinson!!  We met about 6 years ago and I was instantly drawn to her vibrant bright colors that she uses in her fun art. She loves color and whimsy. She loves the beach. She loves "bubblegum pink". She loves creating the “beautiful wonky!” To her, wonky stands for the beautifully imperfect..And she loves the beautifully imperfect! It gives her so. much. more. freedom! .She loves to draw girls and dresses and houses and flowers, just like she did when she was eight.She loves fashion design, wonky fashion design like Gucci… mismatched colors and fabrics... so beautifully imperfect.."Cheers to all the magic and all the wonky of life! And cheers to our God who believes in us."     Tricia RobinsonI hope you enjoy this little visit with Tricia. I know you will love her heart as I do!!

1. How old were you when you realized that you had a special love for art and creating?

I remember being in the first grade and I loved the illustrations of smiling children and flowers on the bulletin board. I would draw them as much as possible in my notebook. There was something inside of me that just had to draw all the time.

2. Did you inherit your love for art from anyone?                                                                                                            Yes, my mom was an artist and minored in art in college. She was an art teacher for a few years and also my art teacher in elementary school just for a year. I remember being so happy and proud that my mom was the art teacher. My grandmother was an artist as well.3. Did you have any professional training for your art?                                                                                                          I took some art classes in college,( because I loved drawing so much), but I was never really inspired in the classes. I think I was looking for more "sparkle" and joy in those classes. Plus, I didn't like to be told exactly how to draw. ( ha ha!)4. When did you start to feel like you were developing your own style? In my early 30's, I started painting and researching artists and found ones that had a free and loose style that I loved. I loved pouring over art books and reading about artist's lives. The "free" spirit artists who weren't afraid of color spoke to me the most. Plus, Van Gogh, Matisse and Chagall are favorites of mine because they broke the rules of their art society. Also, the artist, Nancy Swann Drew, had a big impact on my art. I discovered her art in Seaside, Florida and fell in love with her whimsical paintings. I wanted to be like her and she has been a great inspiration. All during this time of gathering my favorite artists, I started painting canvas after canvas after canvas. And through the painting and research and listening to my heart, my style and voice emerged.5. Where do you create at your home?                                                                                                                                               I create and paint in my studio that has windows on each side of the room so it's filled up with lots of light. Plus, during the fall, I can see little baby deer outside my windows. It's magical.6. Tell us about the online classes you are teaching and the Live appearances you are doing. Is it hard for you to be in front of the camera live instead of behind it taking pictures?                                                                     I didn't know if I'd like being in front of the camera or not. But surprisingly, I've had a lot of fun with filming and also doing Live appearances. When I'm painting in my studio, it's just me and it's more isolating. But with filming, I'm imagining I'm at art camp and talking and sharing painting techniques with everyone, which makes me so happy. Plus, with FB Live, it's a lot of fun to see people pop up and say hello and give feedback. It feels more like community and a gathering time.7. With more tutorials and online classes, do you worry about people copying your work and passing it off as their own?                                                                                                                                                                                          I think there is always going to be copying. It's just learning how to deal with certain situations that may arise with copying. But the best advice I've had is to keep growing in my art and moving forward and realizing there are always going to be copiers.8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  What direction would you like to see your art moving toward? Fun question! I'd love to put a book together and publish it! That is a dream of mine! Actually would love to have 2 books finished in 5 years. Also, I've had lots of fun making my first e-course this year and looking forward to making new ones in 2019. Going deeper into my what's on my heart and using my voice with illustrating and painting and writing is what I want to keep growing in. I have a special project I'm working on with my daughter's that I'm excited about too. And the project will be released in 2019. I can't wait!I loved having the opportunity to talk with Tricia and listening as she shared about herself.  I wanted to introduce you to her before Christmas so you can look up all of the fabulous things she has to offer for the season. Take a look at her art and do some Christmas shopping with her!!You can follow her on her website , facebook or  instagram   Thank you for visiting with us today. I look forward to sharing another blog of "Meet my friend" with you soon!!loveJane