Ten years ago, Robbie discovered the creative outlet she'd been looking for all her life; she became a watercolor artist. She started classes in 2013 and has been learning ever since, initially studying with Keiko Yasuoka and Duncan Simmons. The fall of 2013, she earned her first higher-level award in the Watercolor Art Society-Houston Membership Exhibit. In 2014, she continued her successes, with acceptances and awards from the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, the Southwestern Watercolor Society, the New Mexico Watercolor Society, and the National Watercolor Society.
In 2015, the success increased. Robbie was accepted as an Associate Member of the Society of Animal Artists, and she had pictures accepted into national and international watercolor exhibits. Several won awards. She had a painting juried into the American Academy of Equine Art exhibition and another by the "Horse in Art" Exhibit at the Equine Jubilee in Delaware, Ohio.
In 2016, her success continued, with paintings accepted into additional regional watercolor societies. Her watercolor, "Foot of the Bed" was included in the North Light Books publication "Splash 18: Lights and Darks." Robbie was also accepted into the membership of the International Guild of Realism and Women Artists of the West, and was a Finalist in the 2016 ARC Salon and a Finalist in Southwest Art Magazine's Artist Excellence Competition with "Gentle Persuasion."
In 2017, she kept moving forward. Along with many exhibition acceptances, Robbie won an Honorable Mention in the Watercolor Art Society of Houston 40th Annual International Water Media Exhibition with "On Grandma's Blanket," a Fine Connoisseur Magazine Award in the Women Artists of the West 47th Annual Member Exhibition with "Gentle Persuasion," and had her work "Foot of the Bed" accepted into the Society of Animal Artists 57th Exhibition and selected for the SAA Art and the Animal 2017-18 Tour.
The year 2018 started with a Juror's Recognition Award for her piece "Waiting," in the 11th Biennial National Art Exhibition, "Gentle Persuasion" was selected for the publication "Splash 20: Creative Compositions, and two of her landscapes, "The Front Gate" and "Untroubled Waters," were Finalist and Meritorious selections, respectively in the Richeson75 Landscapes, Seascapes, and Architecture competition. "Foot of the Bed" was a Honorable Mention in the Artistic Excellence Competition, Southwest Arts Magazine. She also was awarded Signature Membership in Women Artists of the West and designated a Living Artist in the Art Renewal Center.
The year 2019 began with success. In the American Watercolor Society Exhibition, her piece "Aglow" was awarded the Diana Kan and Sing Si Schwartz Memorial Award. "The Front Gate" was chosen for the 10th Annual Signature American Watermedia International Exhibition, and "Herd of Horns" was juried into the Watercolor Artists Society-Houston 42nd Annual International Water Media Exhibition.
In 2020, Robbie entered fewer shows, choosing instead to work on furthering her art. Her drawing "A Pitt Bull's Hope won 2nd Place in the Women Artists of the West 2020 Online Members Exhibition. Later, her watercolor "Gentle Persuasion" was a Finalist in the Art Renewal Center 15th Salon.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
