Artworks by Robyn Smuin
Artworks by Robyn Smuin
Robyn was born and raised in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Growing up in the suburbs of Vancouver, Robyn was fortunate to be close by to the city, the country and everything in between nearby to fill her with inspiration.
Robyn was brought up in a very artistic family;
her mother had previously worked in oils, pastels and coloured pencils and had eventually settled on water colours. Throughout her childhood, her mother encouraged her to explore different mediums and was extremely patient with Robyn's many messy experiments. Having a Bachelor of Fine Arts herself, she was a fountain of knowledge for Robyn, and helped instill a true appreciation of the finer arts, as well as the history behind it all.
Robyn's father wasn't typically one for the fine arts (- he had his exceptions), but he loved a good Sunday funny.. and he could turn out a pretty good cartoon of his own if he so desired.. and Robyn credits him for her love of caricatures and her ability to capture emotion and expression in her work.
Robyn's maternal Uncle, whom she spent a great deal of time with as a youngster, was also an amateur artist; he encouraged Robyn to experiment with her art, which eventually fostered her love of abstract art. He also introduced her to photography, which Robyn credits as the foundation for what she does today.
Describing her style as "impressionistic expressionism", Robyn has no formal training in fine arts; rather she is a self-taught artist- her skills developed through experimentation, a bit of self-admitted stubborn perfectionism.. but also through keen observation of her surroundings and a love for all the hidden treasures in life.
Robyn jokes that her art's subject matter and style are somewhat eclectic because she "likes too many things to settle on just one". Although her paintings all differ, her works can still easily be recognized by their vivid colours and flowing brushstrokes.
It wasn't until she was expecting her first child that Robyn found her medium- she began working on pieces of art for the nursery, and chose acrylics. From that point on, acrylics were her go-to, although she does create works in many different medias from time to time.
Robyn took a break from art, but really dove back into it in early 2017. Since then, she has painted dozens of colourful works, several of which were featured at Felts Gallery (now Mondo Creation) in downtown Penticton in May of 2017, and now several more on display locally. She looks forward to continuing to put her work out there and becoming more recognized in her community.