composition and mood, but always keeping the
essence of the place accurate.
My camera is still an essential tool in the challenge
to achieve the results I now desire, although there
are many pitfalls for the unwary. It is wonderful to
grasp those special fleeting moments now that only
a camera can capture as I become more adept at
translating them on to canvas. It is exciting to paint
the more difficult and intimate subjects I choose –
particularly within the element of water. I am always
mindful that it is a painting I am creating and rarely
rely on a photograph alone. A good photograph is a
wonderful aid but not the end result.
Having dabbled in various mediums in the past,
I now paint only in oils. I love the buttery texture
and the blending capacity of oil paints, but have
moved away from turps and dangerous solvents
which are now totally unnecessary. The luscious
smell of oil is still present in my studio but that isall. My painting technique is called Alla Prima – or
interpreted ‘first attempt’. It is also referred to as
wet-in-wet technique. If my board is too large, or
subject too complex to finish in one sitting, I will
work on a section of it while still wet, then continue
to the next section when I can resume. It is only at
the very end I will touch up a dry painting. I find
that working wet can lead to a softer, but more
professional look.
Many people ask me what it takes to become a
successful painter. It is a hard question to answer
because it all depends on how you qualify success.
But to earn a living from art means embracing a
certain degree of obsession, ‘brush miles’, and
grasping opportunities as they arise. It takes time
to develop a ‘style’, but with constant dedication to
your art that will come. I also feel that these days
it is important to produce a different angle to your
Robyn Collier painting – something that is easily recognised asPROFILE
36 artist