Robin Denevan

Robin’s process begins with drawings of the exotic landscapes he has visited which become the source material for his paintings once he returns home to his studio in San Francisco. This piece is based on sketches of the Amazon River. Robin’s work is about process with an emphasis on the organic properties of the materials he uses and how they mimic nature. He does not render a landscape but allows the materials to naturally create one. The process of decanting oil creates a beautiful gradation of color and texture. The paintings are on canvas stretched over a wood panel, which provides a rigid and porous surface. He melts resin and beeswax together and applies it with a brush. His paintings have many layers of wax, resin, shellac and oil paint. He continually adds materials and then removes them with a torch, solvent, sandpaper, and a variety of sharp tools. Using translucent layers allows the viewer into the history and process of the paintings. The finished work is both luminescent and beautifully textured.