The South Bay is home to many creative people, who draw inspiration from the sights and sounds of things we experience daily. One of these talented people is local artist, Robin Jack Sarner, whose work has been featured at The Palos Verdes Art Center, the Malaga Cove Library, as well as The Brand Library Art Center in Glendale. We spoke about what inspires her, and how she’s been able to use her skills and college degree to not only fulfill her own creative passion, but also teach younger generations to appreciate abstract art.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Robin spent her weekends fishing and water skiing with her three sisters. “The ocean gave me space to think and feel connected to mother nature”. Robin knew she would be an artist as early as 12 years old, as she said it was the only subject she truly loved in grade school, and earned a degree in Art Education K-12 from Florida Southern College, where most of her coursework involved various art mediums, such as, painting, drawing, ceramics, print-making, art history and variations of each. “My art education ranged from still life and realism to abstract expressionism”. While at school, she became an “adventurer, loving the west and its mountains, rivers and shorelines”. Jackson Hole, Wyoming in particular, “holds my heart forever after spending my college summers working at a lodge”.

Unfortunately, jobs for art teachers were scarce when Robin graduated, so she decided to pivot, and began career in insurance. She settled in California where she met her now husband, Jason, and had 2 children. As busy as she was raising 2 children, her passion for art never went away. “Once my children were in grammar school, I became a volunteer, docent and then presenting artist in the Southbay's Art Alliance to bring abstract art lessons to the local school district art programs serving over 10,000 students annually. It was one way I could use my degree and fulfill my art teacher itch. I am still actively submitting lessons to the alliance today!”.

Robins artistic side was always present, and hereditary. Her grandmother was an artist and that influence inspired her to explore her own creativity, resulting in her entering and winning a coloring contest at a very early age. “That first validating experience set the stage for a lifetime of artistic endeavors across the last 4 decades so far”. She went on to submit her artwork to shows, with her first during her senior year of high school, where she drew upon the resources around her: shells. “It was a drawing of a Nautilus shell done in black ink in a pointillism style. At the time I was inspired by representational art, specifically shells”.

Her style has changed and evolved over the years, departing from a constrained style, full of structure, to more abstract. Her most influential artists are mostly mid-century, loving their ability to add everyday objects into their work, their masterful mark-making stills and their strong, large abstract compositions. “Cy Twombly, Jim Dine, Joan Mitchell, Rothko and Pollock were my muses then and still influence my work today”.
Also inspiring her is travel, with her favorite destination Italy. “The old world masters can inspire any type of artist. I am astounded by the appreciation for the arts and the value of art makers, I feel validated as a creative. I hope to visit France, the genesis of all the great renaissance masters and forefathers of abstract expression”.
Ending our conversation, I asked Robin when she is most happy. “I am most happy creating. I love creating in my studio space because anything can happen there without restriction. I can be free to make the messes I typically make with drips of paint and glue. I feel no mistakes can be made there, it's a place where only creativity prevails and the unleashing of my emotions happens. All my substrates are subject to the feelings of the moment and they gladly absorb what I am processing. My studio is truly a magical place of self-acceptance and exploration”.

Artist Statement:

The idea of painting a feeling or emotion and having a visual narrative is deeply interesting to me. My process is an intuitively layered approach. I use gesture, color, texture and mixed media materials to construct images of self discovery, narrative or message. The overarching message in my upcycled work explores the integration of historical and current materials. In a digitized generation, it’s important to preserve antiquated materials of communication and travel, memorialize expression through the continuity of paper, while honoring past ideals. I am drawn to found and ephemeral vintage materials like maps, newsprint, receipts, negatives, wallpaper, textiles, and even personal paper letters .

Color palette choices, size of substrate, and mixed media materials all have purpose in the construction of contemplative imagery. The goal is to assist the viewer in experiencing the emotional dimensions of abstraction, provide a message and encourage nostalgia. It’s important for me to create a strong body of work that exemplifies self discovery, honors my personal history, and represents deep connections to archival materials. I continue to educate and introduce the concept of abstract mixed media curriculum to school aged children in hopes to broaden the idea that self expression and artmaking can be purposeful and individualized.

You can learn more about Robin Jack Sarner and her artwork at www.robinjack.com and follow on Instagram @robinjackart, or on her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/robinjackart.

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Amy (Barber) Bergant grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes. She attended the University of Southern California, getting her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from The Annenberg School for Journalism, where she was also a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. She currently lives in South Redondo Beach with her husband of almost 25 years, twin 14 year old daughters, and their 2 cats, George and Henry. When not chauffering her kids around, she enjoys hanging out with friends, eating good food, listening to great music, watching ridiculous television shows and going to the beach.