Art biography
I am a self taught Oxfordshire artist who has been painting and drawing from an early age. I work in a studio at home in a village just outside Oxford and work to commission in mixed media, acrylic and oils. I exhibit locally during Artweeks and have been part of group exhibitions locally as well as further afield such as Broadway Arts Festival in Gloucestershire, the Strand Gallery in London and the Royal West Academy (RWA) in Bristol. I am a member of Oxfordshire Artweeks, West Ox Arts and the UK Coloured Pencil Society. Most recently I have been involved with South Oxford Community Arts (SOCA) and will be exhibiting there during Artweeks and doing a workshop on using watercolour pencils.
Garden watercolour pencil and ink on paper
Drawing forms that basis of my work. Life drawing and sketching outdoors often in my local village allotments is the best way of developing my practice in terms of composition and style. My inspiration comes from a diverse range of artists such as Kurt Jackson, David Hockney, Stanley Spencer, Ivon Hitchens and Howard Hodgkin. Increasingly I am drawn to figures in a setting whether urban or in the landscape. For example I have done a series of paintings with the theme of ‘ Oxford Unwrapped’ featuring the city as it undergoes transformation and rebuilding. I like figurative work but see no real difference with what is termed abstract art since both inform each other in my opinion. I believe that the creative process is best done alone and demands total concentration and absorption. However I also enjoy the process of working to commission as it draws another into choices and reflections on how a piece of work emerges so that it becomes a mutually created work that has meaning to both artist and patron. I believe art should be functional and exist in a lived environment so that it brings something special to daily life on a regular basis and is even passed on down the generations.
Exhibitions and workshops:
I will be exhibiting in a group exhibition at South Oxford Community Arts (SOCA), Lake Street, Oxford as part of Artweeks on the weekends of 20-21 and 27-28 May 2017 11-5pm daily. One painting on show will be Allotment First Frost done in coloured pencil and gouache. I will also be doing a workshop exploring the use of watercolour pencil on Friday 26th May 6-9pm at SOCA (now fully booked).
Commissions:
My work is in private collections worldwide. I use two well established framers and a packaging service that is used by professional artists delivering work safely door to door.
Sketch for portrait commission 2016
To commission a piece of artwork see the A Commission page for further details and get in touch at: robinson.916@btinternet.com
Web pages:
https://www.artweeks.org/galleries/2017/jim-robinson
http://www.oxonarts.info/directory/jim-robinson
https://www.facebook.com/jimdanterart
https://cp-society.uk/gallery/robinson/
https://www.instagram.com/jimdanter/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/144342254@N06/albums