Join the Bainbridge Public Library for the August 2022 First Friday Art Walk, featuring artist Robin Martin
The Bainbridge Public Library is dedicated to spreading the joy of reading and the discovery of ideas with not just our local community, but with visitors from near and afar. In addition, the library is fortunate to house beautiful local works of art both inside and outside the building. Each month the library celebrates a local artist (or artists) with an exhibit, which opens monthly on the Island’s First Friday Art Walk tour, and includes a reception hosted by the featured artist.
The Bainbridge Public Library is proud to present an exhibit by artist Robin Martin
Robin will host a “meet and greet” from 5pm-7pm on Friday, August 5th to open her new exhibit, “Joyous Expressions” for First Friday Art Walk
Robin Martin was born and raised in Cohasset, Massachusetts and spent a great deal of time during her childhood and teenage years drawing and painting. This early passion wove itself around her heart and motivated her to attend the Art Institute of Boston.
One summer break, she met and fell in love with a Spaniard and subsequently moved to Spain, where they married in 1974 in Valladolid. It was an entirely different lifestyle, and she happily absorbed the language and culture. They lived in Spain for another two years, while her husband, Alejandro completed his military service for the Spanish government under Francisco Franco. During that time, Robin continued to paint and draw, and today some of those pieces are still displayed in the homes of her in-laws.
They returned to the Boston area in 1976 and stayed for three years while Alejandro mastered the English language. While in Boston, Robin continued to paint and draw, and worked as a seamstress. In 1979, the family moved to Kent, Washington for professional reasons and raised their two children, Vanessa and Adrian. Today they divide their time between their home in Kent and their home in Lo Pagan, Spain in the region of Murcia on the Mediterranean Sea.
Working fulltime and raising a family sent her artistic endeavors into semi-hibernation for more than three decades until one Christmas, when her daughter gave her an easel and acrylic paints as a gift. Upon receipt of the marvelous present, Robin began to slowly recall all of her formal training and deep love of creating. She began to paint full-time in 2015 and has done over 100 paintings since then.
Robin draws her inspiration from her travels throughout Spain and the United States. “I paint my experiences of places I’ve been and express my feelings in my abstracts and my more traditional painting style,” she explained. “It’s a journey of my later life and with the help of my husband, Alejandro who, by the way, is my framer, I’m able to show my work and who I am as an artist.”
Robin is always exploring and learning new techniques, including the use of acrylics, watercolors and mixed media. “I am privileged to travel between the states and Spain with my husband at my side,
capturing beautiful scenery and small joyous moments,” she said. In her studio, she then takes those moments and shares them through her canvases.
Robin considers herself a “shy” artist, and this will be her first formal exhibit, however she hopes to show more of her work in the future. She’s also hoping to develop a website in the near future. As she put it, “Now it’s like catching up from my long hiatus.”
Robin’s exhibit is available for viewing and sale at the Bainbridge Public Library throughout the month of August in the meeting room during regular library hours and on the library website, www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org.
As always, thank you for supporting your Bainbridge Public Library and local artists. If you have interest in exhibiting your work, feel free to contact Linda Meier, art coordinator, at lindameier2000@gmail.com
***Content and images provided by Linda Meier, Bainbridge Public Library and Robin Martin
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