21 Under 31: Young Artists to Watch in 2014

Virginia

Daniel Robbins, Alli in the Garden, oil, 20 x 20.

Art Education: Bachelor of fine arts in communication arts from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Style of Work: Contemporary realism.

Creative Spark: Often the quality of light is what captures my interest in a subject.

Second-Choice Career: Lead guitarist in a metal band.

Other Passions: Playing guitar, running, exploring nature, and sharing my life with my sassy wife.

Best Advice Received: I asked painter Robert Cottingham how he starts a painting. He paused and then said that he has no idea. He said he fumbles around for a while, and slowly his painting knowledge starts to come back to him. This let me know that painting is never fully understood and the learning process is ongoing.

Biggest Fear: Going into the basement at night. I never know what I’ll find down there.

Pet Peeves: When management at the gym turns off the music 30 minutes before closing time, and when fruits and vegetables aren’t put back in their respective refrigerator drawers.

Quirkiest Trait: I have lived with cats for a large part of my life. I unintentionally developed sounds I use to refer to them instead of using their names. The sounds morphed into a ridiculous made-up language that I also use to pseudo-communicate with my wife.

Favorite Work by Another Artist: VIEW OF MADRID FROM THE VALLECAS FIRE TOWER by Antonio López García provides me with endless inspiration.

Price Range: $200 to $6,000.

Representation: Murphy Montgomery Fine Art Gallery, Newport News, VA; Blue Spiral 1, Asheville, NC; Sloane Merrill Gallery, Boston, MA.

Featured in the September 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
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