Painting of the Week: African Meeting House (Nantucket)

“Painting this dwelling was a form of worship,” said Mario Robinson. “This building served free African Americans on the island of Nantucket in a variety of ways in the 19th century. The building was constructed by the free African American citizens and was used as a church, a school for African children and a meeting house. This site is the only public structure remaining on the island that is identifiably central to the history of the African American community of the 18th and 19th centuries.”

ABOUT MARIO ROBINSON

Mario Andres Robinson was born in Altus, Oklahoma, where he resided with his family before relocating to New Jersey at the age of 12. Robinson studied at the prestigious Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In 2014, Robinson was chosen to be a brand ambassador for Winsor and Newton art materials. He is the author of the soon-to-be-released book, Lessons in Realistic Watercolor, a comprehensive guide of the artist’s watercolor techniques.

Robinson’s work fits squarely within the tradition of American painting. His finished works bear a close affinity to the masters of the realist tradition, Andrew Wyeth and Thomas Eakins. Containing few references to modern life, Robinson’s work has a timeless and universal quality, and exhibits a distinct turn-of-the-20th-century stylistic aesthetic. The images he chooses, which refer to a bygone era where solitude and reflection were abundant, also provoke frequent allusions to the paintings of Winslow Homer and Edward Hopper.

Robinson is an Exhibiting Artist Member (EAM) of the National Arts Club, an Artist Member of the Salmagundi Club, and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. His work has been featured several times in The Artist’s Magazine, the Pastel Journal, Watercolor Magic, American Art Collector, and Fine Art Connoisseur and on the cover of American Artist magazine. In the February 2006 issue of The Artist’s Magazine, Robinson was selected as one of the top 20 realist artists under the age of 40.

He has two PaintTube.tv art video workshops, including Watercolor Portraits and Beginner Watercolor Portraits.

Learn more about Mario Robinson at: marioarobinson.com.

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