March 28, 2024

Robins' art on display

A farmer. A painter. A sculptor. A friend to the arts. Gary Robins, of Murray, will display his work in the Clarke Area Arts Council (CAAC) exhibit space at Lakeside Hotel and Casino from now until the end of July.

His small, country school didn’t have any art classes, but through practice and private lessons, he has honed his craft over time.

According to Robins, he draws whatever comes to mind, just as when he was a child.

“When I was a young boy out by the fields, I would always watch the clouds. I still do that,” he said, “and then I put them in my paintings. We didn’t have any painting or nothing, but every time I would take up a pencil I was drawing something. My mother and dad, I have things they gave me yet to help me along the way.”

Dubbed “the Museum” by their children, the Robins’ home has a gallery feel. It was an inspiring place to grow up, particularly for their daughter, local photographer Chris Robins of Chris’ Photography. Her parents not only fostered her love for photographs but helped fund her studio when she was first starting out. She said her dad is definitely one source of her talents.

“I’m not bragging on him,” said Chris. “He’s a pretty decent painter.”

Robins’ work vacillates between oil and acrylic paintings, many times of mountains and rural Iowa scenes to 3-D pieces embellished with clay.

“That clay, you just put it in the home over and bake it and you can paint it with acrylic paint,” said Robins, who made the switch to acrylic after taking lessons with a Shenandoah artist named Larry Greenwald. “I switched to acrylics because I could do it right here at the table. They don’t have a smell like oils do.”

One piece, an incredibly intricate painting of a barn on display at the casino puts an entirely new twist on the concept of a frame, utilizing clay, glass and canvas as part of the picture. It’s masterful, but it’s not his favorite in the collection.

“It’s one I painted for my wife,” said Robins. “It’s a mountain scene and right there by my signature it says ‘Delores, this one’s for you.’ I think that’s probably one of the better pictures I’ve ever painted.”

Though it’s unlikely he’ll ever take his artwork on the road, several trips have fueled Robins’ talents through the years.

“I really liked going out West,” he said. “I’ve been to France twice when the school went over. I seen art over there that’s unbelievable.”

Meeting with other artists, talking with them and learning from them has been an essential part of the process. He’s helped inspire a few students of his own , and of course, there are opportunities to exhibit his work that help Robins share his talents.

“I think you have to have someone show you the way,” he said. “I enjoy talking to people about art. I truly enjoy showing my stuff to different people. It’s like music, I think. You want to do it but don’t know where to start.”

One way people in Clarke County can get started is by joining CAAC and attending meetings to get introduced to fellow artists and the opportunities in and around Osceola.

“We do take a hiatus over the summer months,” said newly appointed CAAC President Kate Emanuel. “Our next meeting is in September.”

All interested in attending will find the group at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 7, at the Clarke County Development Corporation, 115 E. Washington St.

Until then, you can get to know more about Robins and his work by stopping by the Event Center lobby at Lakeside.