b i o g r a p h y

 

I was born in Manhattan, in 1956, to parents that were both accomplished classical musicians. Surrounded by the arts, through my family, I thought that poetic and creative input was as much a nutrient of life, as food. My family soon moved upstate, where I immediately took to the streams, the lush woods, the farms, dairies, and orchards that were tucked in the folds of the Catskill Mountains.

Shortly before my teens, we left the mountains and moved to the heart of downtown Los Angeles. The culture shock formed a lasting nostalgia for nature that is in much my work.

It was in High School, in Northern California, that I took up photography, and spent a long time trying to decide what form of art to express myself with. My interests were in music (guitar and vocals), and I began to draw and paint. I continued in photography, then studied film, and took classes in creative writing. All of it seemed like the perfect expression. I finally settled into painting and drawing, graduating from the California College of the Arts, in 1980, with a major in both fields. But, each media I've ever attempted has influenced the others, and much of my painting centers around photographs that I’ve taken, or is related to the songs, stories, films, or actors, that have inspired me.

During college, I spent summers working in Yellowstone National Park. I fell in love with Wyoming, and have studied much of its history, and admired the people who live and work with horses on that rugged land. While doing beadwork, I feel a connection to that area, and to part of my cultural heritage.

Education

  • 1980 – B.F.A. – California College of the Arts – Oakland, California

Shows

  • 2003 - Independent Show - Contra Costa County Public Law Library, Martinez, California
  • 1993 - Independent Show - Viewpoints Gallery, Point Reyes Station, California
  • 1992 - Work included in the show of Top 100 - Arts for the Parks Exhibit, Jackson, Wyoming
  • 1985, '82, '79, '78 - California State Fair, - Fine Arts Exhibit, Sacramento, California
  • 1980 - Independent Show - Roy Jeans Gallery, Martinez, California
  • 1978, '77 - Las Juntas Artists Exhibit, Pleasant Hill, California
  • 1975 - Student League of San Francisco Gallery Exhibit - San Francisco, California

Awards

  • 2000 - six week Ucross Foundation Residency – Ucross, Wyoming
  • 1985 - Las Juntas Artists - First Place
  • 1982, ‘78 - California State Fair - First Place
  • 1976 - Agape Arts Contest - Second Place
  • 1977 - CCAC Student Show - Honorable Mention
  • 1975 - Student League of S.F. - First Place
  • 1974 - Senior Art Show - First Place

Published Works

  • 2000 – The Education of Mary, by Ann Rinaldi, Hyperion
  • 1999 – The Gate in the Wall, by Ellen Howard, Simon & Schuster
  • 1998 – Listening for Leroy, by Betsy Hearne, Simon & Schuster
  • 1997 – Real, by Felice Holman, Simon & Schuster
  • 1997 – Across the Lines, by Carolyn Reeder, Macmillan
  • 1996 – Rashee and the Seven Elephants, by Richard Vaughan, Harper Collins
  • 1994 – The Far Looker, by Mari Sandoz, Harper Collins
  • 1993 – Lift the Sky Up, by Richard Vaughan, Harper Collins
  • 1992 – Catalog of Top 100 Artists - Arts for the Parks
  • 1989 – Shades of Gray, by Carolyn Reeder, Macmillan

    •  

portrait photograph of the artist, Robin Moore.
Photograph by Terry Cox

A r t i s t ' s     S t a t e m e n t

I'm inspired by the way it feels to be an observer, more than by any vision behind why I paint. All I know is that I can’t paint unless I feel moved to make a deep connection to the subject. I often use photographs as a source, but not with the intent of doing photographic likeness, or realism, or for the ease of reducing objects into two-dimensional form. It's the way the camera captures movement and light, and preserves the spirit of an instant. When I paint, I establish a bond -- “become” my subject, like an actor approaches character. What I internalize gets moved back out of myself, onto the page. The sensual grace of a brush on canvas is a form of affection, a caress of another unique identity. Painting also feels deeply tied to nature -- playing with tools and elements that stem from the earth. I can't think of any other reason for painting than to seek all these subtle connections.

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