Meet the artist: Jen Robinson had given up on making art for about 18 years of her life. With dreams to go to art school out of high school, life had other plans for her.
In 2018 an invite to a drink and paint night helped her remember how much she loved painting.
“It had been years since I’d made any creative attempts, but since 2018 I’ve been practicing and trying to improve my skills,” Robinson shares.
She started working by painting with acrylic and adding drawing with graphite and even ventured into jewelry making.
Robinson entered her talents into the contest for the
Sandusky Public Arts & Culture Commission after several people reached out to her and suggested she apply.
“I even almost missed the deadline because I didn’t think I had a chance in getting picked,” she recounts.
Meet the art: The piece that was chosen from is entitled “Shrooms” and was originally drawn with Prismacolor pencils - a favorite of Robinson’s - on paper. It took her a few days to complete and then it was taken, enlarged and printed on vinyl.
“I absolutely love how it turned out,” Robinson says.
“Shrooms” is Robinson's favorite piece of artwork that she has ever created. She was inspired to draw mushrooms as subject matter in an attempt to draw the human figure.
“I drew and then painted Alice sitting on a mushroom when I first started painting,” Robinson says. “I was so pleased with the mushroom in that painting that I kept trying to recreate it and have made several mushroom-themed artworks since.”
Considering herself a spiritual person, Robinson explains that she often creates intuitively and tries to “infuse positive energy and blessings into everything” that she creates.
“I love creating whimsical and imaginative art that makes people feel good,” she says.
Luckily, not only does Robinson’s art make others feel good, but it’s critical to her mental health as well.
“I love to create because it’s so therapeutic for my mental health” she shares. “It’s been such a necessity for me because of how it keeps me grounded and sane.”
Robinson’s business: Robinson decided to turn her talents into a business to support the financial costs of supplies and to save space, but her joy of making artwork and the good energy it spreads is the real value.
Now that same good energy will be available for all of Sandusky to bask in with the latest installment.
Jen Robinson Art can be found on
Facebook,
Instagram,
TikTok,
Tumblr, and at her
website.