“I've seen a lot of portrait artists who can get the likeness of their subject but spiritually, the person is absent in the painting,” Robin said. “For me, a painting is not done until I'm spiritually connected to it. There's a little bit of magic that has to happen at some point in the creation of the painting. Until that happens, it's not done. That can be the most challenging thing––getting to a place where I can say, ‘Okay, now I recognize them. They're here with us. This makes sense to me.’” Creating magic through connection Part of that magic begins during the photo shoot, which is how Robin prefers to start every commission piece. This is her opportunity to establish a connection with the people behind the painting and tap into their spirit. I like to meet my people and photograph them because I get a feel for who
they are," she said. "The idea that I’m going for when I’m shooting is that they’re thinking about something as opposed to a forced look on their face.” Luckily, Robin is also skilled at getting them to relax and settle into themselves. Part of how she achieves that is by creating a genuine connection and treating each painting as a spiritual experience––something she carries through the entire process from the photo shoot to the unveiling. “I always do an unveiling ceremony because, for me, it’s a spiritual experience,” Robin said. “It’s all part of that tradition of mine of creating a meaningful connection with the subject and having them see it with me for the first time.” As a result, her portraits are rich with emotion, connection and spirit––and that’s something she takes very seriously. “Usually, people are not commissioning paintings of themselves,” Robin said. “Often it's of someone they love. And I hope that the painting gives them a moment in time that captures that person and delights them.”
Watch Robin's interview here.
"Birds of a Feather" by Robin Damore
"Driven to Know" by Robin Damore
Issue 3 | Winter 2023
Page 5
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