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with Richard Robinson
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Richard is a talented full time artist, who loves painting and teaching.
Hi I’m Richard. I’ve been painting my whole life and back in 2001 I traded my graphic design career for the humble life of a full time artist. I love painting, and as it turns out, I love teaching too.
Nowadays I balance my life between parenting, painting, surfing, travelling and teaching. My work is regularly featured in international art magazines, in galleries in New Zealand and America, on TV and in my Mum’s house.
I give outdoor painting workshops in interesting spots around this beautiful planet of ours and love encouraging people to paint. Two of my favourite artists are John Singer Sargent and Joaquín Sorolla.
My painting website: www.nzpainter.com
I’d love to be your new teacher.
Weekly Class Recommendations- whiskey Slough 9 1/2”x12” Acrylic on canvas by Karen Woodhouse (South Australia)
Hi Karen, you’ve got a gorgeous glow running through this—love that sunlit flare on the left dissolving the edge of the boat. I'm impressed with the variety of colour you managed to squeeze into the painting by adding the warm greens and reds - a great addition. There's good contrast between the soft and hard edges creating a lot of interesting variety overall. For instance your soft aerial haze in the trees helps the boat sit forward as the star. Lovely atmosphere here—keep chasing that glow!
“Whiskey Slough” after Richard Robinson . 24x14oil on panel. Mark Price .
Hi Mark, you’ve created a beautiful, cohesive amber mood here—the warm, honeyed palette ties the shed, boat, and bank together wonderfully, and that soft atmospheric background sets the scene nicely. The boat’s form reads well, and I love extra detail you've added into the rusted roof, weathered hull and long grasses - the benefit of good observation and your larger canvas. Beautifully done! To push it further, consider deepening the darkest darks under the boat and along the shed’s underside to anchor the forms and punch the value range. You could also cool and gray the shadow planes just a touch (a whisper of blue-gray into those browns) to separate light from shadow and make the light feel brighter. Finally, vary the brushwork in the water and grassy bank—soften a few edges and introduce slightly larger, simpler shapes so the eye rests more on the boat and the shed’s doorway. Lovely work—this has heaps of atmosphere; a few tweaks and it will really sing!
Whiskey Slough
Lovely overall sense of warm, late-day light here, Nancy—the golden atmosphere knits the scene together beautifully. You've kept all the colours within that warm spectrum. The darks in the background could do with lightening a little. Currently they're so dark it doesn't allow for the warm light washing across the scene, so it brings the background forward, spoiling the sense of depth and also making it somewhat foreboding. The boat is well drawn with strong sharp edges, great for the centre of interest, while You've gone a bit too far with the glowing light off the stern. I'm loving the lively brushwork and good colour sense. Good job.
Whiskey Slough by Louise Villegas - 11 x 14 Oil
Hi Louise, I love the warm, sunlit atmosphere you’ve created here by using strong lights and crisp dark shadows. The burst of golden grasses really sings, and those crisp portholes pull the eye. I feel these should be a warm dark instead of a cool dark however, because all the arm light there would not allow a cool within it. Similarly the cool green foliage could be warmed to bring it into harmony with the warm light. The shed roof’s warm orange glow is a lovely echo to the grasses and adds to the vibrant palette. Try deepening the shadows in the woods behind the boat and shed and darkening the side of the shed and posts a little. Think about how their angle to the sun differs from the boat deck, and so they would be darker, allowing the lighter boat to take more of the attention, rather than fighting for attention with the shed. Beautiful energy and brushwork.
Whiskey Slough -10x14in Oil on Canvas, Tracy Randell
Lovely mood here, Tracy—the warm, hazy light wrapping around the shed and the golden grasses gives the whole scene a nostalgic glow, very atmospheric! Your drawing of the boat and shed is also spot on. I can't see anything to improve upon. Nicely done!
Boat repair Oil on canvas 50cm x 50 cm
Hi Anne-Dore, this is a dynamic piece with a graphic edge to it! You've captured the character of the boat beautifully, and I especially enjoy the contrast between the warm red hull and the cooler blue sky. The way you've handled the light and shadow on the boat feels natural and believable, giving the scene a grounded realism. One area to consider refining is the foreground. While it has a loose, painterly quality that works well, perhaps you could introduce a few larger areas of tonal variety to suggest texture or interest without overwhelming the composition. Overall, this is a wonderfully composed and executed painting—you’ve done a fantastic job conveying the mood and setting. Keep up the great work! Looking forward to seeing your next piece. Warm regards, Richard.
Boat repairs, acrylic
What a lovely soft sense of mood and atmosphere you’ve achieved here, Evelyn. The soft, diffused light and muted colours give a peaceful, almost nostalgic feel to the scene, while the movement in the brushstrokes adds energy and life to the foreground. The reflections and wet ground plane are beautifully painted, with those streaks of colour leading the eye naturally toward the boat. One area you could refine is the foreground, where the brushwork feels slightly hurried and could benefit from a touch more detail or texture for added interest. Additionally, consider darkening the shadows under the boat just a fraction to ground it more firmly and enhance the sense of depth. Overall, this is a charming piece with great storytelling, and I love how you’ve captured the character of the boat so well—keep up the fantastic work!
The OldTimer, 16 x 16, oils, by Marie-France L''Ecuyer, QC, Canada
You’ve captured such a wonderful sense of atmosphere here, Marie. The moody sky, the warm reflections in the wet ground, and the characterful old boat all work together beautifully to create a strong narrative. Your brushwork feels confident and expressive, especially in the sky and the foreground, and I love how you’ve created such a strong contrast between soft and sharp edges throughout the painting. You’ve really nailed the dramatic light and colour harmony here. Fantastic work—keep exploring this kind of drama!
On the Blocks
You've done a great job capturing the character of the boat and its surroundings, Leslie. I love the bold choice of the red hull—it immediately catches the eye and adds a wonderful pop of color against the softer background tones. The way you've suggested the reflections in the wet ground below the boat also creates a nice sense of connection between the vessel and its environment. One area to develop might be the values, particularly in the shadow areas of the boat and the darker elements in the background. These could be pushed a little darker to create more depth and contrast, helping the boat feel more three-dimensional. You might also soften the transition between the sky and treeline to make that edge sink behind, letting the boat take the spotlight with it's crisp edges. Great effort here—keep experimenting with these techniques, and I look forward to seeing where your painting journey takes you!
"San Francisco" 50x50cm Oil on Canvas by Elena Sokolova
Hi Elena, I ILIKE your take on this scene. Strong colour and a good range of values from dark to light. The Sky is a bit flat though - could do with more of a gradation in value and hue from right to left. Your drawing of the buildings and a few of the cars is really good (except that much of it seems to be leaning to the right a little) but the drawing of the cable car lets the painting down. Well, mine could have been better too. It just needs some panel beating to straighten it up and the figure needs some serious physical therapy. Your recession of colours is working beautifully up the street except for the trees which seem to have stayed the same green until right at the top. Some of the shadows on the street are a little too blue and because they've been drawn fairly wobbly it gives the appearance of being shadows of trees cast on a dirt track rather than straight edged shadows cast on a slightly curving but otherwise flat concrete road. Other than those few points though I think it's really good and I can tell you've knuckled down on this one and been quite studious with it. Good job.
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