nothing more can be expected from ourselves

I just do my best and paint

I am trying to make a living so that I have some place to live
I am doing my best

I am trying to get through a difficult time in my life without stepping on every toe within a 5 mile radius
hide sight is always 20/20
I am doing my best

I am trying to figure out where I fit when everything has been turned upside down
sincerely, I am doing my best

I am trying to be a good mother and grandmother in these times when time is so short
I wish I could do more, I feel guilty  that I cant do more
I can only do my best

I am trying to be true to myself, and loyal to myself and kind to myself

I

will do my best

memorial memory day

A Moment in Time
 
   Bubbles floating, iridescent
rainbow colors always present
light as air, drifting, drifting
all my burdens lifting, lifting

filtered sounds, muffled murmurs
        in protected perimeters
     definition shading, shading
    communication fading, fading

The further away, the clearer I see
shades, reasons,evidence, seasons
emotions surface, raging, raging
turning point, changing, changing

Robin Dodge
1990

Going with the Flow

People find their inspiration from as many places as there are people, our fingerprint, so to speak.

When I started the 'Inspire' Project, an independent art history study, it was with the soul purpose? ..
to inspire me to put one foot in front of the other. Something I have done in other seasons of my life.
Karl had died and I was past Black.
Just trying to hold on, it gave me a way to hold on and so much more, and I find myself continuing to discover.
The comfort of The Masters should not be underestimated.



A Purple Iris caught my eye,the spring rain stroking this lush of nature. Royal Purple Velvet, shot through with white.
But when I bent down, I saw the most beautiful shrub, burnt sienna and chartreuse emerging from a long winters' sleep.

I'm house sitting, who could have known I was about to enter a wildlife Sanctuary filled with Peace and tranquility.
I think God has heard my prayers.


The other day I was home for lunch and I heard someone on the roof, While investigating, I found two young artists photographing the mural I painted of Waves on the side of the building  Be Sweet Cupcake Shop because it related to a new business the young guys started,
"Waves Around the World." What a pleasure it was to briefly talk.

As I sit here breathing the fresh, post-rain air, I am looking around at the natural beauty.
It heals the soul.
The harmony is pulling me to it.
Since being here it has given me a new appreciation for landscapes and still life.

The last 13 years have been the hardest, most painful, most fearful,
yet the most rewarding, enlightening and heartbreaking of my life.

Through out this Trudgery, from beginning to present, God has given me strength when I had none,
told me the truth with compassion
and protected me through it all..

I am regaining my will to join the flow of life.

I am in a sort of serendipitous flow. Life is taking me right where I need to be.
Meeting all my needs
Body, mind, soul, spirit, heart and aesthetically
I am grateful for it all and my reaction is to paint and create.

"The Fruit of her labor"

50"x 42" oil
$3,150.00

My Inspiration was the fruit of the rose.
The rose is a generous flower. We enjoy her beauty and fragrance and her soft pedals are the carpets of brides. When other flowers are calling it a season, the rose gives forth her fruit. Nourishment for wildlife as well as to the most civilized tea party alike.

My design strategy was to paint the small, often overlooked fruit of the rose hip in a large context, while expressing the moment she is giving herself completely.

My work process was large in scale, 50"x 42". I sketched it, then an acrylics under painting followed by the oil painting. Completed 5/26/2013

Jagged Little Pill

Tonight I was painting and listening to Alanis Morrisette, the song came to "I recommend biting off more than you can chew. I was reminded of my thinking the week before the Sculpture in the Dark week event.

"Did I bite off more than I can chew????"

I was so anxious that I would not be able to deliver. My fear was palletable.

Like a dandelion fairy I was swept up by the warm winter wind into one of the most rewarding and learning events of my life so far. The first day my fear melted away into excitement. Which by the way was satisfied.

Throughout the week we experienced the most amazing feeling of comradery.

We, all three of us on my All Woman Team, had never sculpted snow before, at least not on this level anyway.

Most of the other participating Artist had been in competitions all over the world. It was quite intimidating

All  the other teams were so humble and generous with their knowledge, pointers and tips, and tools.. they were the most amazing group of people. I feel honored to have been one of the participating Artists. 

I started the week with this wild hare thought that I should stay on my exercise regiment for the week because I would be stronger and be able to increase my stamina. ha ha what a laugh. by Tuesday i was exhausted and we really hadn't even started sculpting. 

It is still worth a good laugh when I think about it.

Monday I helped pack the snow. Very hard work if done right. Met most of the other Artists and over the next week I was able to get to know many of them.

The gunshot rang out and we were off. Warm weather encouraged a slow start and led to a hard finish.

Many times throughout the week I commented that I felt like I was on Vacation. Good food, new friends, 

And

I was doing what I love most.

The week went great. We got our snow sculpture done and we had fun doing it, finishing in the characteristic way of working through the night Friday into Saturday, exhausted but so grateful I was a part of it all.

I learned so much about weather and snow and ice cubes and tools and design and myself of course.

A Special Thank You to Chelsea and Olivia

And Thank You Kristine Koschke for your tireless work putting it all together

Sculpture in the Dark 2013

February 5 - 10, 2013

 This year's winners are:

• First Place: Team Two Guys and a Block, “Ray the Manta Ray,” Garett Dreiling and Steve Carmer.
• Second Place: Team Blizzard Boys, “Serenity,” Jade Windell, Josh Wiener and Lou DeAngelis.
• Third Place: Team Breck, “The Mammouth,” Keith Martin and Margo Jerkovitz.
• People's Choice Snow Sculpture: Team Triple H, “Snow Swans,” Carey Hosterman, Eli Hopkins and Forrest Hoskins.
• Online Reporter-Herald People's Choice: “Snow Swans.”
• Sculpture Spirit of the Artist Award: The Sirens team, “Daphne the Artful Dodger,” Robin Dodge, Chelsea Schnellinger, Olivia Lowe.

"Girl Braiding Hair"
16"x 20"
by Robin Dodge
$480

Photograph by Mel Shockner








My inspiration was the way Pierre-Auguste Renior focused on people in intimate and candid compositions.
My design strategy was to paint such an intimate moment of a girl braiding her hair.
My work process was to bath the girl in a warm light, with loose brush strokes, to emulate the style of impressionism.

"Dressing Room"
20"x 16" oil
by Robin Dodge
$480

Photograph by Mel Shockner




My inspiration was the early work of Degas which bared the distinct influence of the dutch  painters. As he matured as a painter he found bolder brush strokes and the use of vivid colors, he blurred the line between portraiture and genre painting.
My design strategy was to create a snapshot of a single moment, a fly on the wall experience.
My work process was to companion up the dark of the old with the bold brush stroke and emerging brilliance of vivid color.

"Apples"

pastels on sandpaper
by Robin Dodge
$648

Photograph by Mel Shockner



My inspiration was the masterful pastel work of Edgar Degas. While studying Degas, I spent many hours just looking at his work. His classical training and accomplished skills shine in his work and I am encouraged to continue my  discipline of building and improving my skill set. I feel pleased with the influences that came through on this pastel painting.
My design strategy was to create a still life that in a small way conveyed the influence of Degas using the grey hound figurine's delicate form to emulate the ballet dancers and the horses.
My Work process was pastels on sandpaper.

"The Road"
16"x 20"                            
oil painting by Robin Dodge
$480

Photograph by Mel Shockner

My inspiration was the road on which we all find ourselves traveling, a strange combination of predestination and the power of choices that balance ever precariously on the horizon.

My design strategy was to use color to express the effect of sunlight on the landscape.

My work process was to create a painting using the practices and techniques of Claude Monet. 

"The Sugar Factory"
oil painting by Robin Dodge
sold

Photograph by Mel Shockner




My inspiration was the spontaneous response to  the sunlight and color one spring morning in my back yard looking out at the sugar factory. The same response to the outdoors and the science of light and color that was documented by Pissaro and other impressionist painters in the 1800s.
My design strategy was to create a plein air painting using the technique of the impressionist Camille Pissaro.
My work process was to attempt to portray an overall visual effect instead of details using short broken brush strokes of mixed and unmixed color to achieve an effect of intense color vibration.

"Self portrait in Mink Hat"
20"x 16"
oil painting by Robin Dodge
$480

Photograph by Mel Shockner





My inspiration was the way in which Manet's portrait subjects look out from the canvas engaging the viewer with the unspoken language found in eye contact.
My design strategy was to create a self portrait that had an undercurrent of influence which I expressed through the pose and the look out.
My work process was to use looser brush strokes and a simple color pallet.

"The Girl with the ruby necklace"
oil painting by Robin Dodge

Photograph by Mel Shockner










I was inspired by Jean-Francois Millet 's - Louise Antoinette Feuarden. A beautiful portrait of a young girl with milky white skin.
My design strategy was to create a portrait of my daughter Tiffany in the general style of Millet.
My work process was to use the muted and limited color pallet to capitalize on the Flemish painting style.

"Leda and the Swan"
oil painting by Robin Dodge

Photograph by Mel Shockner




I was inspired by two long held traditions of fine art. The first being the tradition of the narrative using mythology. Secondly, the nude.
My design strategy was to create a playful interpretation of the Greek Myth, "Leda and the Swan"
My work process was pretty straight forward, through my imagination I created a scenario of Leda bathing at the pool where Zeus comes to her disguised  as a swan.

"Still in Red"
pastel on sandpaper by Robin Dodge

Photograph by Mel Shockner





I was inspired by the traditional still life that was and is a common practices of fine art.  Referencing, Goya's "Still life with fruit-bottles-Bread"
My design strategy was to create a balanced still life composition utilizing the interest of fabric textures and folds.
The work process was primarily experimental, at the time. I bought a role sandpaper from a friend. Using spray adhesive, I attached it to foam board. The sandpaper really grabs the pastel and adds a depth and dimension to the work that I had not experienced previously with pastels.

"Sheena Lisa"
oil painting by Robin Dodge
sold


Photograph by Mel Shockner






I was inspired, needless to say, by the Mona Lisa. I was attracted to the formal pose of DaVinci's subject, the landscape of his imagination and the the fact that he worked on this painting for many years and it is rumored that he never considered it complete.

raise your hand if you can relate to that

My design strategy was to incorporate the background from the Mona Lisa with a contemporary portrait of my daughter Sheena.
My work process was to mute the colors of the borrowed landscape to represent the time that has passed and punched up the colors of my subject to bring it to Now...

"Portrait of Troy"
oil painting by Robin Dodge

Photograph by Mel Shockner







I was inspired by Rembrandt's masterful rendering of his subjects. He is regarded by many as the master of portrait painting, capturing their soulful essence.
My design strategy was to build on my existing skills as a portrait painter, pushing myself to transcend what I thought I knew and find  what Rembrandt has to teach me. I wanted to capture the real Troy, a spark of his soul caught on canvas.
My work process was to, using the colors I saw in Rembrandt's work and go for it. I am very happy with the outcome.

"Orange Peeling"
Oil painting by Robin Dodge

Photograph by Mel Shockner







My inspiration was first of all, the skill in which Caravaggio painted his still-life paintings and secondly, the drama he so masterfully injected into all of his work. His work as well as his life was filled with drama.
My design strategy was to create drama with light, color, and simplicity.
My work process. I started a number of paintings while reflecting on  Caravaggio. But the drama I was attempting, seemed too manufactured. So I went to the drama of simplicity.

King's Cloak
By Robin Dodge
sold

Photograph by Mel Shockner



My inspiration was the immense body of work that Donatello and Michelangelo created with stone and bronze in their lifetimes. I wanted to share the experience of touching stone and pulling out the creation that lives within the stone.
My design strategy was the body of the owl to have a gentle curve to create the sense of movement even though the owl is in a stationary pose. I used the mix of media to extend the drama and to convey the regal presence owls hold in nature.
My work process. Monty Taylor, sculptor and I had shared a really cool studio with three other artists and at that time we became friends. Then life took us in different directions. Recently we shared in a collaborative project, he with the stone, I with the copper. Originally intended to be a fund raiser for a Kenyan tribe trying to put together a water source for an endangered heard of giraffe, we were very happy with the outcome. At the time I was studying the Renaissance sculptors  who used stone. I wanted to try it. At his studio we were looking in his scap stone pile for a small stone I could work with to get my toes wet. The owl was blocked out but the wing had broken off so it ended up in the discard. It attracted me on a number of levels. Re-purposing is a favorite pass time of mine and my love for winged creatures. The stone is Colorado alabaster and I made the wings with copper to resemble a royal cloak.

Michelangelo's Sketch
Copper by Robin Dodge
sold

Photograph by Mel Shockner


My inspiration was the working sketches of Michelangelo. While searching for study materials, I came across a book at Anthology Book Store downtown titled "Michelangelo, The Pope's Ceiling" by Ross King. In his creative process, he created many sketches that eventually lead to some of his greatest works. I was also inspired in learning about his personal life. It is easy to put these Master on a pedestal and skip over the fact that they were human too, with insecurities and shortcomings and struggles.
Like his sketches, he evolved into one of the greatest artists that has ever lived with a Mount Everest of accomplishments to his credit.
My design strategy. My study strategy was chronological, so  Michelangelo was early in the study. I was extremely intimidated by his genius. I went directly over his sketch and added my impression of it in copper.
My work process. The sketch was a line drawing of Madonna and child. Only the baby was shaded. Using the point of reference of the baby, with sculpting tools, I raised the copper up as though the sketch was coming alive and falling into the 21st century.

"The Legend of the Unicorn" 
copper by Robin Dodge
sold

Photograph by Mel Shockner

My inspiration was a French Tapestry in an old art history text book I found at a garage sale. I essentially copied the tapestry, modifying the image content slightly. I was studying Donatello at the time and there was a common practice of taking a pilgrimage to see and copy the works of past masters and Donatello took such a sojourn. So when I came upon the text book photo I was initially attracted to its' mythical value, unicorns specifically.
My design strategy was to make the tapestry into a copper repousee' reflecting on Donatello's "Feast of Herod"
Work Process I used 8mil copper sheet. Drawing the design onto the copper and with sculpting tools, raising and recessing the image to tell the story. I used washes and patina to add to the drama.