Today we’d like to introduce you to Calder Robinson.
Hi Calder, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always gotten a kick for art. My family instilled a passion for the arts in me from a young age, dragging me to museums and working on projects at home. In his free time, my dad would work on limestone sculptures and paintings. I was quick to follow suit, and I began to develop a love for drawing. Growing up I enjoyed drawing so much that I would get in trouble for it, vandalizing things like desks and walls.
Although I loved the creative process, I had never considered a career involving it. That was until a high school teacher pointed me toward the path to an artistic career. He helped me get involved in the community and competitions which let me see that drawing could be more than just a hobby. Soon after that, I undertook my first illustration job with an Indiana company, Pathbinder Publishing; painting images for Kimberly Hoffman’s, “The Red Coat, Giving and Gratitude During The Great Depression”
I started my formal art education out of high school, I studied at a local university in my hometown, the beautiful city of Indianapolis. There I studied for two years, learning the basics. In search of something more worthwhile, I left Indy, and I took off down south to continue the rest of my education at SCAD. Here in Savannah, I continue to work as an illustrator and artist. Currently, I have been developing my work into things like prints and stickers with the goal of setting up shop at Forsyth Farmers Market and other art shows.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, although it hasn’t been terrible by any means, a career in visual arts has its ups and downs. There are lots of people that tell you not to pursue the arts, and some people can be nasty about it too. But I’ve always been stubborn about it, comments that like make me work harder to prove them wrong. The only thing that ever stops me from making things would be self-doubt, I find myself feeling that way if don’t take the time to make art just for myself every once and a while.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I always try to involve myself in many different projects, but I work mainly as a freelance illustrator. Lately, my professional focus has been children’s books. I create watercolor or digital pages to go along with the author’s writing. In my personal work, I take a lot of inspiration from surrealists and American realists. Drawing from both movements, my favorite subjects are those based deeply on the reality that I can add extra meaning to through the addition of something unreal. While some of these pieces are in color I prefer to use color sparingly.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with semiotics and maximalism. I enjoy seeing how small changes to an image can drastically change what it communicates. One of my latest pieces, 169 Little Dudes, does this. Starting with the same blank figure, I tried to see how many different types of people I could depict.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think the characteristics most important to my success are persistence and the practice of keeping a sketchbook. Being able to continue practicing for years and always striving to do better has been critical to the development of my skills as an artist. Even while working on other projects I like to continue practicing new ideas and styles in a sketchbook.
I believe in that 10,000-hour rule, where it takes that many hours of practicing to become a master of any skill. Sketchbooks are a great way to get those hours up and develop a more personal style, the more I’ve filled up the easier drawing became. Sitting down drawing for hours and hours every day, whether it is in a sketchbook or for work, is the only way I’ve seen myself find any success in the field.
Pricing:
- 8.5″ x 11″ print: $15
- 11″ x 14″ print $30
- 17″ x 22″ print $60
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @calder.robinson
Image Credits
The Red Coat was written by Kimberly Hoffman, and published by PathBinder Publishing
