Do you know Mario Robinson?

Last week, we sat down with our fall instructor, Mario Robinson, and asked some questions about his studio practice...

  "One of my early attempts at watercolor.”

Watercolor seems to be an entry point for so many of us, but it can be “unforgiving” (as Jed Webster Smith puts it!) When did you feel confident with the medium? When do you think this turn happens?

The medium of watercolor is incredibly versatile. It can be used for sketching or finished works. The fact that it can be unforgiving prevents some artists from choosing it as a preferred option for their more serious paintings. I began to experiment with watercolor in 2003 and it took twosolid years of trial and error to experience a level of comfort with the medium. The learning process requires patience in the face of a lot of disappointment. I asked myself “why am I doing this” quite often. The possibilities are endless, once you get past the learning curve.

What’s the connection between the self and watercolor? You’ve said that “watercolor is a conduit to understanding the self” – can you explain that?

Using watercolor requires patience, as would be readily assumed. The higher your expectations are, you’ll need to couple your patience with self control. There will be moments where the level of execution isn’t lining up with what your expectations are. There were instances in the early days when I attempted to correct mistakes and realized that making edits are “fool's gold.” I learned how to work in concert with the medium, knowing it cannot be controlled. Once I allowed watercolor to flow freely, the less stress I experienced while painting. “...an abandonment of a watercolor.”

"This illustrates the light on the flesh.” Why watercolor for capturing human flesh?

Every painting medium offers a different aesthetic feeling. Watercolor offers the ability to capture the luminosity of light pouring over a human being. I paint a majority of my works outdoors. Working from the lightest light to the darkest dark allows me to push the extreme effects of the sun on the skin. I also enjoy the beauty of reflecting colors on flesh tones and the application of transparent glazes of color is the best way for me to drive my points home.

Do you have any rituals? Cleaning brushes, meditating, looking at older paintings before work?

I’m pretty set with repeating the same schedule for my work day. Each night, prior to going to bed I take a long look at my work in progress. I find that stamps the image on my brain, as it’s the last visual image I consume from the day. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same hours each day. This process has been in place for thirty years now. There’s obviously concessions made for the occasional Zoom call, workshop and other activities. My thinking is, “if

I don’t fill my schedule with something, then someone else will.” As an entrepreneur, you’re the master of your universe. It’s incumbent upon you to teach people how to treat you - which includes how you spend your time.

What art have you been looking at lately? Who’s got your eye?

I spent a lot of my spare time looking to various master artists for inspiration at the onset of my career. These days, I’m largely consumed with the idiosyncrasies of my own work. I’m

constantly refining my aesthetic choices. My source of inspiration is more geared toward

literature and historical events. Also, the general direction of our world and the impact on human beings. These elements color my concepts far greater than art.

Mario Robinson will teach The Figure in Watercolor in our Marsala studio from October 20th - 26th, 2024 - have you signed up yet?