Eric in his Studio In Eric Robin’s poignant paintings, eyes are not windows to the soul. They’re something far deeper and more complicated. Robin uses paint in a hauntingly empathetic way, creating portraits that gaze probingly out into the world. At times, the women in Robin’s paintings seem to yearn for something far away; at other times, they simply seem to observe what surrounds them, internalizing life’s dual propensity for pain and elation.

Robin utilizes the full scope of his painterly aptitude—thick strokes, tapestry-like under painting, and imperceptibly controlled watery drips. Yet his paintings feel more ephemeral than painterly. The intimacy with which he renders emotions allows Robin to enter the world of fantasy while still broaching the actuality of life. When he begins to paint, he intuitively responds to images of women, searching facial expressions for hints of life stories. While he uses photographs as starting points, Robin does not try to accurately render features and values; he’s more interested in channeling the mood of a subject’s face.

Initial sketches and background painting are crucial to Robin’s process. In these beginning phases, he first considers the lightness and shadows that gives his figures their underlying spirituality. He works through multiple layers of color and value before the final image emerges; these layers suggest the complexity of his subjects’ emotional lives.

Nina in her Studio Pulsating with energy, Nina Ozbey’s paintings harness the emotions of life and explode upon the canvas in dazzling display of marks, strokes, and organic forms. Her nimble brushwork infuses a unique sense of urgency and vitality to her Abstract Expressionist aesthetic. Ozbey achieves this brilliant dynamism within her compositions through powerful brushstrokes and a vivid color palette. In concert they come together to speak without words or recognizable forms, and in this sense her paintings provide a direct experience for the viewer. Natural hues of ochre and burnt sienna display a connection to the earth, while other works employ cobalt, lavender, and fiery crimson to activate the audience’s imagination. Her artistic approach is decidedly open and free to inspiration as it comes, and she allows chance to play its part in the creative process. She will often allow the paint to drip and splatter as she etches and scrawls her marks onto the canvas.
“My work is intuitive; beginning with one stroke of the brush, leading to another and another and another,” Ozbey explains. “I want the opportunity to explore where the painting takes me rather than where I take the painting.”

In the past Ozbey worked with watercolors in a more traditional, figurative style. Eventually as her creative spirit bloomed, she decided to explore oil painting to exploit the medium’s expressive potential. Her mature body of work draws inspiration from life experiences and the natural world. Considering the breadth of these two concepts, her works reflect particular emotions; sometimes her paintings may appear bright and joyful while others suggest personal hardships or uncertainties.

Ozbey was born in Oklahoma City and she attended Oklahoma State University in the 1960s prior to becoming a teacher. While raising her family she continued to paint as often as her busy life allowed. She is currently engaged in her artistic career full-time and has exhibited her paintings in Virginia and New York. Ozbey lives and works in Earlysville, Virginia.

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