Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Crawford.
Hi Robyn, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, you could tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always been in love with creating art and the creative process. I took all the art classes my high school offered, including darkroom photography. I was hooked! I studied photography, film, and animation at the Rochester Institute of Technology. I took as many electives as possible in other media, including silversmithing and pottery. I discovered the term “mixed media” and couldn’t have been happier; I didn’t have to pick one! From middle school through college, I also participated in creative solving competitions through the programs Odyssey of the Mind and Destination ImagiNation. These programs taught me much about the creative process, teamwork, collaboration, time management, leadership, and more. After college, I began training team managers and tournament appraisers that would directly work with teams of kids. I sat on our state board and ran a region of the organization, including a tournament for over 100 teams. Later, when I moved to North Carolina, I started the program there and ran it statewide until my children came along.
At the same time, I was working in infrared black-and-white photography, showing my work in galleries and shows across North and South Carolina. Working a full-time job, running a statewide non-profit, and having two small kids eventually led me to put my art on the back burner for a while. I still created for myself but wasn’t “putting my art out there.” My day job was working for a nationwide honor society. I designed and facilitated trainings for high school and college students in the creative process and leadership. I discovered I love teaching and training during this decade. I also worked to attain my certificate in non-profit management from Duke University during this time.
Once I left this position as a stay-at-home mom, I ran my own business and started to create a little more. As the kids have gotten older, I have been able to dive back into my art and creative practice and help grow some other art-related non-profits I believe in.
For the last several years, I have been creating and teaching adult art classes full-time and taking commissions for pieces. I have gallery representation in Asheville and Hendersonville, North Carolina, and the Upstate of South Carolina. My last two solo shows have been at the Artists Collective of Spartanburg. I am currently seeking other galleries outside my area to work with. I manage a gallery for one of the nonprofits I work with and have started offering corporate training in creativity, problem-solving, group dynamics, and leadership. I continue working in various media, including acrylics, alcohol inks, epoxy resin, glass, fossils, and crystals. I have recently had a digital camera converted to infrared, which I have missed since they stopped making this film. Aside from the mixed media series I have been working on, that has been my source of fun experimentation.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Looking back now, I wish I had been more creative in integrating the raising of small kids and continuing to show my artwork. It’s easy to see how I could have fit it all together in hindsight, but it seemed so overwhelming at the time. Sleep deprivation will do that to a person. I am truly grateful I could work from home and be there for them in their younger years. Parts of my creative time just transitioned to kids’ art projects, running Destination Imagination at their schools, and sharing the creative problem-solving process with more kids for many years.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The artwork I have been creating in the most recent years has been largely mixed media pieces that combine fluid acrylics, mica powders, broken glass, fossils, and crystals, all encapsulated in layers of epoxy resin. They take a lot of time to complete layer by layer, but it is a joyful process! My work celebrates the unique beauty of color and combines the shimmer and sparkle of crystals for an unforgettable visual experience. I strive to create pieces that evoke emotion, beauty, and joy. My latest solo show was titled Goddesses: Sacred Stones, Sacred Stories. Each piece is an interpretation of a particular goddess from a different culture. I wanted to convey how the magic of the feminine divine resonates all over the world. From ancient cultures to present-day ones, goddesses are worshiped for everything from strength, devotion, motherhood, fertility, beauty, healing, forgiveness, love, success, creativity, marriage, wisdom, nourishment, and so much more. The exhibit was a celebration of feminine energy and was accompanied by the story of each goddess. I hope people enjoyed learning about these worshiped women and were drawn to each piece’s colors, sparkle, and stones. I am still going; so many other goddesses to honor and create pieces for!
Who else deserves credit for your story?
My family has been wonderfully supportive of my work. I am also blessed to have art families as well. The Artists Collective of Spartanburg and the Art League of Henderson County provide many opportunities to grow as an artist and connect and collaborate with peers.
Pricing:
- Crystal pieces range from $365 to $2500, depending on the size and materials used.
- Classes and lessons range from $60 to $250.
- Corporate and organizational training vary based on the needs of the client.
Contact Info:
- Website: robyncrawford.ck.page/art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robyncrawfordart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CentralArtery/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-crawford-7762b6188/
