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. The aluminum series developed from the same approach after he noticed the buildup of residue on the inside of the buckets he used to wash brushes. The patinas of paint created a beautiful gradation of color and texture. Concurrent with these observations were walks with his dog along the inlets of San Francisco Bay. His painting studio rests on the shores of India Basin. The low tides create patterns of kelp, and earth that blend into the tranquil waters. He uses aluminum and steel sheets so that he can work on a smooth and consistent surface. The sheets are sanded, sometimes primed, and submerged in several gallons of mineral spirits. He pours oil paint into the solution and mixes it until it is cloudy. Over the period of several days the particles of oil color precipitate and leave sediment on the aluminum. After the oil has completely separated from the mineral spirits, he repeats the process with another color. He will sometimes sand or manipulate the surface after the bath.