We had the good fortune of connecting with Robyn Jorde and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robyn, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
I am never happier than when I am working. Producing my artwork involves both close observation and exploration, and each is rewarding in its own way. The act of observing is centering and meditative. It makes me feel connected to my surroundings, and that I’m giving them the attention they deserve. It’s fully absorbing, and that is a great way to be happy. The exploration part starts afterwards. It is playful, exciting, and intuitive – just plain fun. Together, these two phases result in a piece of art that is an original interpretation grounded in faithful representation.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I like to make a connection to particular places with my work – places that I’ve spent enough time in to get to know them well. The Big Bend region is one of my favorite places to be, so during this Covid isolation time I have been returning there in my mind to continue a series of paintings about places there where people used to live. I also paint my day-to-day surroundings and love to find subject matter right in my own neighborhood here in Dallas. It’s fascinating how painting the street scenes I see every day makes them feel full of significance and mystery. My first piece of public art, a mural, was installed in downtown Dallas recently. Public art gives you the ability to touch an incredible number of people, and I gave a lot of thought to the subject and the mood of the piece. As usual, I wanted it to be rooted in something characteristic of our location, so I took the prairie grasses of the Dallas area as my subject. There is a hopeful message in the resilience of the grasses that I wanted to share. The mural is at 2216 Flora Street, across from the Myerson Symphony Center.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
OK, let’s assume that we are again in a “go anywhere at any time” environment. I would start with the outstanding collection of Art Deco buildings at Fair Park, and include a stop at the Texas Discovery Gardens. In my art I am interested in making a connection with places. The local history embodied by Fair Park and the native plant collections at the Texas Discovery Gardens are things I would love to share with visitors. We would also need to hit all the many art museums in the area – the Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Contemporary for a start. While we were downtown we would also visit my mural at the Catholic Foundation Plaza, behind Guadalupe Cathedral. We would also head west to Fort Worth for their stars: the Kimbell, the Amon Carter, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. I’m going to pretend we have perfect weather for this visit and take my visitors on a little sketching expedition to Klyde Warren Park, where we’ll refresh ourselves with lunch and drinks from the food trucks.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Dallas is full of great organizations for the arts. There are two in particular that have been very encouraging to me. The first is my sketch group. We have been getting together weekly (until covid) for years to sharpen our observational skills, respond artistically to our surroundings, and nurture each other’s creativity. The other is the Southwestern Watercolor Society. I work primarily in mixtures of all types of watermedia, and the society has been a source of inspiration as well as camaraderie. The members are diverse and welcoming.

Website: https://www.robynjorde.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robynjorde/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobynJordeStudio/
Other: two interviews and one presentation with me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebu5-hH6pc8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oie8Zd_pqyE https://glasstire.com/2020/04/07/five-minute-tours-locally-sourced-at-goldmark-cultural-centers-milde-gallery-dallas/

Image Credits
not applicable

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