Robin Mason Exhibits Paintings at Melbourne Festival
Melbourne Festival celebrates the
creative and performing arts in Melbourne, South Derbyshire. With over 70 local
homes, businesses, halls and churches hosting over 140 artists for the weekend,
it’s all set to be an amazing event on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th
September.
Meanwhile, Robin Mason is a Quality
Control Technician in our Tamworth office, who joined us in January 2019. For
the last fifteen years he’s been a painter in his spare time, and this weekend
will see him take his work to the festival to exhibit alongside many other
talented artists.
“After art college I didn't do any
painting for a while and started working at a screen printers,” says Robin. “My
wife, Tegwyn, encouraged me to start painting again – probably wishes she
hadn't now! I used to love watching Alwyn Crawshaw on the television and
reading his books, which inspired me to spend more time painting.”
Having developed his technique over the
years, Robin describes his style as fairly realistic but not photographic.
Working in oils with either a brush or a palette knife, he uses a canvas for
larger works and MDF or hardboard for small to medium paintings.
“I started off working in pastels and charcoal
in a very structured way but oils allow you to be a bit looser. If it goes
wrong you can wipe it off and start again, which happens a lot!”
This is Robin’s sixth year taking part
in the Melbourne Festival: “It's always so well organised. The event is run by
a team of volunteers who live in the village and they always make you feel at
home and look after you throughout the weekend.”
Exhibiting on both days, Robin will have
around fifteen framed paintings on display, plus a selection of unframed
pieces. He’s also looking forward to seeing some fellow creatives at the event:
“You don't get much chance to meet other artists at the festival as you’re
always with your work, but you get to chat to the other person you're sharing
with and hear of their similar successes and frustrations.”
However, Robin didn’t always have this
confidence when it comes to sharing and selling his art: “I used to
dread meeting people and talking about my work, I always found it difficult but
now I really enjoy it. You get to meet the same people each year (and try to
remember their name), and it's nice to catch up to see what they've been up to.
It's also useful to get other artists’ opinions of art galleries you've been
approached by, as they'll give you their honest opinion, which is what you
need. Getting feedback is always good, even if you may not agree with it. It's
interesting to hear other people’s opinions.”
If you’re considering taking up art or
a form of craft, Robin has this advice: “Go to events like Melbourne Festival
to see what artists are doing in order to get ideas. A lot of people want to
paint and create but don't know where to start, so getting some advice
beforehand can save a lot of frustration and money. I do the occasional
workshop and demonstration too, where I offer guidance to people who are either
just starting to paint or struggling and want to know what they're doing wrong.
Art galleries are a good source of inspiration too, but some can be a bit
uninviting, which is a shame.”
As for his role at SGS, Robin says that
his favourite thing about the company is the team he works with: “Everyone has
been very welcoming, helpful and patient, as I have a lot to learn. I'm really
enjoying being at SGS and the days are never the same. I'm only a four-minute
drive from home too!”
Robin’s website is currently under
construction, but in the meantime you can find his work on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, where he shares
his “latest daubs and ramblings.”
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