(Featured Image: Lunaria, 16 x 20, acrylic, aerosol & colored Pencil on paper)
OPENING RECEPTION — Sunday, Sept. 14th, 3 – 6 pm.
ARTIST TALK — Sunday, Oct. 5, 3:00 PM,
Gallery will open at 2:30 PM
SHOW RUNS — Sept 14 to Oct 18, 2025
Riverside Arts Center, 32 Quincy Street, Riverside, IL
GALLERY HOURS — TH, F, SA 1 pm – 5 pm
I have much to share about this new series EXPEDITION SPECTRUM that has never been shown. Let me outline the differences to my other works, series, and shows:
MEDIUM
Spray paint/aerosol on paper with acrylic & colored pencil
FORM
Single subject focus vs multiple
Minimal composition
COLOR
Each piece focus on a single color and as a series they construct a rainbow.
CONCEPT
Meditation of viewing art that is universal and personal.
Bring attention to awareness of the present experience of looking and being with artworks.
Series Statement
I reimagine subjects in the natural world ranging from subatomic to telescopic. Expedition Spectrum gives the viewer a visual opportunity to meditate on color; to connect their thoughts toward inner awareness and close observation of nature minutiae. The paintings journey into unknown spaces inspired by bird songs, forest canopies, and seafoam, much like an expedition. With these prompts from nature, the works focus on depicting simple pleasures and silver linings.
Viewing the paintings invites a chance to slow down and explore our surroundings. With this introspection comes resilience, no matter where we are. The painting process is the culmination of a personal quest to find joy in color and to radiate warmth and optimism. The works act like fantastical prisms of nature, reflecting the shifting magic of color, from red through purple, one color at a time. Expedition Spectrum renews the spirit with color and points the mindset towards hope. My paintings reflect the diverse world and the power of nature by creating awe and a sense of wonder.
-Renee Robbins
Exhibition Essay
Renee Robbins’ Expedition Spectrum paintings evoke film stills depicting a magical journey to another planet. There, we encounter underwater scenes of plantlike creatures, their tentacles flowing with the current. Using a soft spray of aerosol paint, Robbins allows us to swim through the washes of aquamarine and purple as we bump up against the hard edges of colorful acrylic brush strokes. In this world, the land is comprised of vibrant flora and fauna glowing in iridescent greens, pinks, and oranges, contrasted by an endless sky of thinly layered single-toned blues and violets.
As we wander the mysterious depths of each painting, the flat patterns and transparent colors pull us in, challenging our perception of scale. Are we viewing a cavernous space like a camera’s wide shot, an extreme close up, or are we exploring beyond our vision’s capabilities? Night Watching provides a sense of looking out into the darkness of the universe, while the cell-like forms in Lunaria shift one’s focus to a more intimate viewpoint.
Robbins’ vocabulary has included plants, particles, celestial bodies, and pattern, in paintings ranging from small canvases to building-sized murals. With the latter, she discovered the effects that aerosol paints provide – from light sprays to stencils of bold color. Incorporating this medium with precise brushwork, she creates joyous settings, reminiscent of classic movie animation. Each painting sets the scene to delight our imaginations through the use of a bright color palette, flowing line, and fanciful imagery.
Joanne Aono, Curator
Exhibition essay generously written by artist, farmer, and Riverside Arts curator Joanne Aono who I’ve known for over a decade. In addition to her own artistic practice, and working for Riverside Arts, she also runs an alternative exhibition space on Bray Grove Farm in Morris, Illinois called Cultivator Arts. Please take time to look at these three websites.
https://reneerobbins.com/works-on-paper?mc_cid=b91a95a066&mc_eid=0018e39b80#/expedition/
We will be making our own charcoal from branches we collect at the North Park Nature Center on Oct 3rd and then drawing on Oct 4th. No artistic experience necessary. I have not drawn with charcoal since 1998 in art school so this will be challenging for me. I’m a beginner when it comes to charcoal. It’s messy and black so it’s not my favorite 😬. Please join us for the joy of creating an experimental drawing in a new medium that we made ourselves in the Chicago Parks district. You are also welcome as an observer. Free.