Robin Maria Pedrero paints the spirit and energy of life in rhythmic layers of color. Her vibrant poetic work depicts a combination of natural and imaginary elements.  She responds to what catches her eyes and heart, personifying nature.  “I use a symbolic visual language exploring both the visible and invisible, creating a commentary on relationships and thoughts. As I work the images can be unexpected, flowing from gathered memories. Music plays a role in my process and seeps into my art.  I build layers making connections and a story comes forth and unfolds. The work evolves, and quite often by the time the painting is finished it has a history of stories interwoven in the layers.”

Born in Connecticut in 1964, Pedrero is an award winning artist with work in museum permanent collections, film, and collected worldwide. She is an elected signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the first winning California Artiste Winery Label artist.  Pedrero creates from her Florida studio and is awarded Best Artist in Florida 2012 by Baterbys Art Auction Gallery, listed in Florida International Magazine’s Florida Artists Hall of Fame and she has a solo exhibition in September 2015 at the Lake Eustis Museum of Art in Florida.

 

Carrie: Welcome to Artist Strong Robin! For those who don’t know, can you briefly describe the Twitter Art Exhibit? How did it get started?

Twitter Art Exhibit: Orlando is the fourth installment of this worldwide art experience, uniting artists who use Twitter from every part of the globe through creating original postcard sized art in support of a worthy cause.

David Sandum, a Swedish-born artist and social media influencer in the field of Fine Arts, first conceived of the open exhibition in 2011 as a way to raise funds for new children’s books for a struggling library in his town of Moss, Norway.

Carrie: How did you get involved in the Twitter Art Exhibit?

After participating in two of David Sandum’s #twitterartexhibit charity exhibits in Norway, I knew this exhibit  was something that just had to be in my town of Orlando Florida so I contacted David. Eventually David formed  the #twitterartexhibit board which now includes myself and Nat George.

Carrie: What assorted charities have you been able to support with the Twitter Art Exhibit?

2011 – Moss Norway, Library

2012 – Moss Norway, Women’s Shelter

2013 – Los Angeles, CA, USA, Art Division

2014 – Orlando, FL USA, Special Needs Students at Center for Contemporary Dance

Carrie: How has the exhibit evolved now that it has had several opportunities to show and sell artwork?

We have built awareness for the charities and the #twitterartexhibit. The exhibit continues to grow in numbers with 260 cards that were submitted from 24 countries in the first exhibit to 700 cards from artists in 40 countries. The participating artists look forward to making art for each exhibit. We have gained recognition in published magazines, newspapers and television news broadcasts. We are always learning better ways to collect the art, install the exhibit and interact with the artists and collectors. I developed a hanging system specifically for this exhibit, which is now being adopted by another organization for their photography exhibition. This year we had opening night sales, with a month long exhibit where people could come into the gallery and purchase along with online purchasing. We are producing a catalog of the 2014 Orlando exhibit.

Carrie: What has been one major challenge in the project and how have you overcome it?

Funding our activities can be difficult since all funds are run directly through the charity. We have to seek sponsors in the cities where we host the event. It is a work intensive project for the curator and team, so volunteers need to commit themselves to the project for at least six months working with the charity and sponsors. We have an application process now.

Carrie: Do you have any stories about one of the exhibits that are memorable or funny?

Can you believe this was the fourth installment and the first time the #twitterartexhibit  board met in person. I described our meeting on Twitter as almost surreal! We have produced all of these exhibits and worked together for years and finally met in person in Orlando, Florida. We had a great time visiting the charity, touring Orlando’s new Sculpture Walk, dining and working together.

Carrie: What has been most rewarding about helping to realize and run this project?

This project interestingly starts very globally in the call to artists where artists create their art from places around the world and ship the handmade postcards to a place where a marked difference is experienced in the community that receives the works. The entire project unites while making a difference.

Carrie: In addition to helping realize the Twitter Art Exhibit, you are also a practicing artist. Please tell us a bit about your work.

I create vibrant poetic works of art that focus on the spirit and energy of life. I typically begin my work emotively by directly applying color and continuing to layer colors depicting images and designs. Each piece is a journey that unfolds. I take joy in the response to my art, hearing that it makes a difference in people’s lives by brightening their day and touching their hearts.

Carrie: Your work has a lot of layers, some very resolved imagery mixed with other areas that have a blurry, more abstract quality to them. How did you discover your artistic style?

I like to incorporate both of those aspects, an abstract quality and more defined specifics, purely because it brings me pleasure. I discovered my own signature style by painting a lot and developing my personal symbolic visual language.

Carrie: What does your creative process look like?

I do not wait to be inspired. I just begin painting. Yet I often fall asleep and awaken with paintings streaming through my mind. My experiences and the stories of my art collectors pour forth from my brush. I paint several pieces at a time and I work in series.

Carrie: What is one creative resource you can’t live without?

Nature. Nature is my resource; always changing, reviving, renewing, colorful, magical, inspirational and nurturing.

Carrie: How do you define Creativity?

I define creativity to be the act of thinking and making in a variety of forms.

BE COURAGEOUSLY CREATIVE: As Robin says, “Don’t wait for inspiration.” Join the Twitter Art Exhibit and share your art with a good cause!

Additional contact details:

Do you wish to be involved in the next Twitter Art Exhibit? Details for interested artists:

http://twitterartexhibit.org/

Follow @twitrartexhibit on Twitter

Learn more about Robin’s work here:

http://robinmariapedrero.com/

https://www.etsy.com/shop/RobinMariaPedrero