Brushstrokes of Passion with Robin Easterby
Within the realm of artistic expression, the activity of painting possesses a captivating power that can bewitch the senses and ensnare the soul. It becomes an addictive pursuit for many, an insatiable craving to wield brushes and manipulate pigments upon a canvas. As the artist immerses themselves in the act of painting, a profound sense of focus and flow takes hold, transcending the boundaries of time and space. The tactile sensation of brush meeting surface, the rhythmic motion of strokes, and the interplay of colours create a symphony of sensory stimulation. Each stroke carries a sense of purpose, an unspoken dialogue between the artist’s vision and the medium. The process becomes an addiction, a relentless quest for the next brushstroke, the next layer of texture, and the next canvas to transform. The artist becomes consumed by the sheer joy of creating, forever chasing the elusive harmony that can only be found within the realm of paint.
We spoke with Robin Easterby this month with an interesting insight to his captivating story as to how he got into art and how he has dedicated his life to creating his own works of art and self-expression. Below we take some words from Robin himself.
Being a self-taught artist, I’ve never known what I should or shouldn’t do, this can be a freeing and adventurous endeavour.
My paint journey began one Saturday afternoon, brimming with possibilities and free from any obligations, a chance encounter led me down Hampstead high street. As I strolled along, a glimmer of curiosity piqued my interest, drawing my gaze towards a quaint shop window. There, like a beacon of inspiration, I spied a bundle of small canvases, an assortment of acrylics and brushes for £50. It felt like fate had intervened, presenting me with an opportunity to embark on a creative journey. With no one to tell me not to I went in, bought the pack and went home, sat on my flat roof in the sunshine with a glass of red and smoke in one hand, Radiohead serenading me, I started to play. I’d just been to exhibition by Cy Twombly, and I had found it liberating, he was the first person to draw with freedom and looseness in a childlike way and I thought that would be a good place to start not being hung up on composition tone from colour theory but just squirt the colour on to the damp canvas and see where it took me.
I found myself in rolling blue and black sea with cliché moon and rough rocks. No masterpiece but it was start.
I finally stopped when I realised, I was working in near darkness and Thom Yorke had stopped his angelic whaling. This was the first-time I’d ever been in a state of what I now know to be called the creative flow. I sat and looked at my first painting and immediately started to criticise it so I put it down walked back in to the flat and left it out on the roof until morning. I woke up feeling excited, strangely id been thinking about that picture as it swam in and out of my dreams, so I went downstairs and looked in the cool morning light at what id created. it had been liberating and fun and that was the begging of my addiction with paint.
To not over think it and not worry about the blank canvas staring back at me had given me freedom and I wanted more. It was no masterpiece, but it felt new and the beginning of something and it’s a million miles away from then my day job in advertising.
I’d been going to every major at exhibition in the proceeding 15 years while in London and was secretly proud to have seen extraordinary works and made the effort to be inspired and moved and sometime infuriated by what I saw, but I was living in one of the best cites in the world and I wanted to take it all in. Looking back, it was my foundation course. I‘d peer at paintings I liked and tried to work out how they had done. Now I had this all bubbling up from somewhere deep in my mind and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Losing weekends in my studio being reminded to eat and drink, forgotten parties, events and meetings lost in my latest swirling landscape moving though new liquid worlds as tussled with its nature of inks or paints, trying to pin down that certain something that in that moment was there then lost forever then as that changes there is another new solitary ambition.
Its has been said what makes an artist is you and your passion. You may not have thousands of followers or even show your work to anyone but if you wake up with an idea and it comes into being then you are an artist. For well over 20 years, I have always worked in this experimental way. I don’t really enjoy learning via you tube, I much prefer to make and mark, be it with pencil ink or paint and see where it takes me.
My only starting point when beginning to paint is from what I’ve just experienced, whether it’s a walk on the fire hills along the wooden paths and gorse covered hills looking out to the rolling sea in the pouring rain with the dogs racing ahead looking for creatures sheltering in the undergrowth or we take a wander on a spring day in to the nearest woodland retreat away from roasting heat and find coolness. It’s the experience- the sights, sounds, smell and feeling of a place I’m most interested in. My Inspiration comes from the irreverent ones, such as David Hockney, Gerhard Richter, Francis Bacon, Cy Twombly, and Anselm Kiefer, and most importantly Turner.
I hope to be part of this creative community for many years to come. Meeting new artists all the time I have been encouraged to put on our first Battle arts fair this year along with several other pop ups so keep your eyes open for more information and new projects.
In our latest venture we offer a truly immersive experience, guiding you to my cherished special places, where nature’s beauty will ignite your imagination. Once back in our studio I will help you to create your own unique piece of art that you can take home, it will be a testament to your time spent with us, a treasured piece of art that you can proudly display in your home, whether framed or printed. Our doors are open year-round, inviting adventurous souls to embrace the wonders of our diverse habitats and landscapes. Stormy weather is no deterrent, as it adds a captivating aura of atmosphere to the experience. Come, immerse yourself in the charm and allure of our retreat, where creativity thrives, and artistic dreams are realized.
