Tyler Keeton Robbins

Instagram: @tylerkeetonrobbins site: www.tylerkeetonrobbins

Tyler and I spoke this week about his art, inspirations, materials and processes. He credits the Pacific Northwest wilderness and First Nations artists as some of the most profound influences on his art. We discuss early childhood experiences that shaped his start and how finding the authentic gesture is like playing music. Tyler describes his work, "a softer side to abstract symbolism", explaining “the play between the figurative and the abstract is the place where he likes to live." This conversation was a joy for me, and I hope it is for you too. His assignment is all about the authentic gesture, of course.

Art Assignment: Tyler Keeton Robbins

Materials:

A pad of paper

Multiple brushes from around the shop. Use awkward brushes and brushes meant for different tasks.

Indian Ink or high-flow acrylics.

Practice many types of mark-making loading up the different brushes with paint or trying them with very little paint. Practice making all types of gestural marks with each brush.

Once you have a handle on the brushes, lay down shapes of colour and let dry on the paper. Then with black ink use your brushes to create the feeling of a leaf over the colour shapes. Use an authentic gestural stroke to feel what a leaf is like by using your mind’s eye or imagination to draw it.