Art

Statement

If you wanted to categorize my artistic style, you’d call me a neo-expressionist-abstract figurative painter. I don’t feel the need to categorize myself, though. I just want to entertain my viewers and inspire them with a sense of freedom. For me, it’s not what you paint, but how you paint it. I try super-hard to make art that’s immediate and relatable, modern and energetic. I want to give my viewers permission to be less perfectionistic. Enjoy the feeling of not having to know everything. In a word, my paintings are “fun.”

“Maintain the Energy!” is my mantra while tweaking the image. Make it simple, but make it more complicated. Life lies in between the opposites. Between the head and the heart. Between heaven and earth. Tension!
I hope you’re entertained by my work. I love it when people feel “I could do that.” I hope you do. Self expression is a difficult and wonderful thing.

When I was a young graduate student in psychology, it suddenly dawned on me that, secretly, I had always wished to be an artist. In high school, I denied my intuitive self, diligently avoiding every art class, and always being curious about art. Then, at age 25, I finally had to reckon with my true self. What kind of therapist denies his feelings while helping others to find theirs? I vowed at that moment to teach myself to paint and I haven’t stopped painting since.

My art practice and my therapy practice have become one. My office is an art studio and my art studio has a consultation area. What a career!

I love expressionist painting because its goal is to show the mind of the maker. Expressionist artists seek to express meaning or emotional experience rather than physical reality. We rely on imagination, rather than seeking to accurately render an image. Expressionist art is about the human need to mark one’s presence on earth. “I am here and this is my experience.” Seeing expressionist works helps the viewer to see existential possibilities.

Robin Walker