Conversations with Rebecca Robb

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Rebecca Robb.

Hi Rebecca, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I painted my very first oil painting when I was fifteen. As a young child, I was always drawing, mostly animals. I couldn’t help it.

Drawing and coloring were my happy place. Then, I was gifted my first painting set. I still remember the beautiful wooden box with golden latches resting open, filled with colorful paint tubes and new brushes, along with a blank canvas. Little did I know this small gift would be the reason I am a professional artist today.

I was raised abroad in a missionary family. I was born in Brazil, and our family moved to a new city or country every few years. My six siblings and I were homeschooled to accommodate my parent’s missionary lifestyle. Naturally, my extracurricular development was limited, and I was unable to develop my artistic talents in any formal or academic way. But I had the “painting itch,” and I painted every spare moment I had.

After a few years of oil painting, I got pretty good at the medium. I began to understand how to achieve various impressions based on the techniques I was learning through trial and error.

A few years ago, I made a pivotal decision to embrace fine art as my full-time profession. I always understood I had a natural talent and I knew that I would continue painting for the rest of my life, but I never considered actually being a professional artist. I would contribute that subconscious avoidance to my never having formally studied art. Not having an official stamp of “yes, you may now be an artist” approval through education influenced my confidence in presenting myself to the world as a professional.

I remember it like an epiphany. Something just clicked one day, and I thought, why the heck am I not an artist? My whole life has been leading me to this, and I have been completely ignoring and denying myself what was probably obvious to everyone but me. That day I decided to intentionally pursue art and took key steps in that direction. I haven’t regretted or questioned that decision since. I wake up each day inspired and excited to contribute to the world of art.

Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Unlike most other professions, being an artist also includes being a photographer, marketer, writer, content creator, salesman, and the list goes on. I had many years of experience painting but didn’t know where to begin selling my art, especially since the art market has dramatically changed in the last decade.

It is more common, and in many cases more successful, to market one’s art on social media, for instance, than with a local gallery. These days, as a small business and an entrepreneur, mastering social media is an absolute must. Even though I have learned so much about marketing since I first started out, I still feel I suck at it. It’s a continuous journey of learning everything else that comes with being an artist.

The most important things I have learned about success are: 1) Success is not always a straight line. there are ups and downs in the trajectory of “making it.” 2) You cannot always measure the value of your efforts in immediate sales. It is so important to put yourself out there and embrace opportunity. Sales will eventually follow. 3) Do not compare yourself to other artists.

You do not know their journey or struggles in relationship to yours. The only person you should compare yourself to is you a year ago. If you are doing more today than you did a year ago, you have growth, and growth, even in small proportions, is the path to success.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am most known for my contemporary impressionistic seascapes, landscapes, and animal portraits. I am especially drawn to painting these subjects.

Due to not having a permanent place to call home as a child, I grew very fond of nature. With each move to a new country, I grounded myself in the local scenery. I found a sense of familiarity and belonging climbing trees or taking in fresh salty sea air as I bobbed along with the ocean waves. As long as I was in nature, I felt calm and comfortable. Nature is more nostalgic to me due to my alternative upbringing. To this day, no matter where in the world I am, nature is home.

I love to incorporate both defined details as well as textural brushwork in my art. I want the viewer to be able to fully admire the subject while also appreciating intentional painterly elements. The most common feedback from my collectors is that my art is very calming and peaceful. I was once asked if this was intentional. I never thought about it before, but I guess it makes sense that the peace and tranquility that I drew from nature now resonates throughout my paintings.

I recently had the opportunity to open a pop-up gallery located in the beautiful Otay Ranch Town Center outdoor mall in Eastlake, Chula Vista. My current exhibition features my original collection of diverse seascapes. Also on display is my large selection of paper prints, which look amazing in glass frames and make excellent gifts for all occasions.

In addition to my art, I also offer paint and sip as well as kids painting classes. I envisioned my gallery as an inclusive space for our community to learn and express their own individual creativity.

Rebecca Robb Fine Art is located at 2015 Birch Rd, Suite 510, Chula Vista, CA, 91915.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share?
To hustle. I recently had a conversation with someone who walked into my art gallery. We were discussing inflation and the market when he commented on one of the things they teach in business school, oh yeah, artists also need to master business and finances. The best time to start a business is during a recession because you learn to hustle.

I started my art career right when the world was just re-opening from isolation, and of course, inflation was the inevitable aftermath of the global crisis. These last few years I have learned to adjust my expectations, to reenforce my understanding that success does not occur in a straight line, and to apply my creativity in marking and generating more avenues of opportunity for myself.

My biggest lesson in life has been that growth is uncomfortable. Yet, every time I step out of my comfort zone, it has proven to be fruitful. Sometimes, it takes things like an unforeseeable crisis to force us creatives to take another big, uncomfortable step forward.

Pricing:

• 11 x 14 and 12 x 12 paper prints $54
• Original oil paintings range from $300 – 3,600

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rebeccarobbfineart.com
• Instagram: @rebeccarobbfineart
• Facebook: @rebeccarobbfineart