Artist Statement

My painting practice is an exploration of surface through pattern, color, and texture. I have a magpie-like attraction to bright, colorful, and decorated objects, along with an orderly mind that craves structure. My love for the grid and linear forms comes from my education in architectural design. Contradictory inclinations come together in my paintings; a push and pull between order and disorder reflect my mental state while creating.

I work in many layers of acrylic media, starting with a piece of patterned fabric as the base layer. The fixed elements of my work - geometric stenciled repeats and raised texture - offer a steady rhythm, while unstructured elements - drips, washes, swathes of paint, unplanned mark-making - offer spontaneity and interplay. I build up a rich surface over time with these contrasting components.

My paintings are about optimism in an increasingly chaotic and uncertain time. I paint to evoke positive emotions, even if I’m not always feeling them myself. The repeating textile patterns are meditative and soothing in their regularity, a reminder of threads winding through history and my tiny place in the world. I strive to create a harmonious whole and a balanced, beautifully finished object. I combine colors and patterns that interact and weave into each other in a satisfying way. This process affects me for the better, as I hope it affects the viewer.

—Heather Robinson, 2023