Thank you so much for stopping by my Etsy store! Here's a little bit of information about me, my work and my goals for the future.

I am an artist in the tiny town of Paonia, a charming little village in the lush North Fork Valley on the Western Slope of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. My artwork focuses on brightly colored animal portraits, and in recent years, I've also begun painting abstracts that have been well received by current and new collectors. I am surrounded by orchards, vineyards, organic farms, rivers, green fields and snow-capped mountains. The natural beauty of this valley is remarkably inspiring, as are its hard working population of eco-conscious farmers, ranchers, vintners, artists and many, many other creatives.

Before moving to Colorado, I spent my life in various parts of Texas until settling in Denton, a college town north of Dallas and the home of the University of North Texas. There, as a single mother, I raised a beautiful little girl named Elisa and earned my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drawing and painting. It took me 12 long years to earn that degree, and I did so while parenting alone and working dozens of unrelated jobs - anything that would keep a roof over our heads (shoe sales, fry cook, telemarketer, cocktail waitress, door-to-door vacuum sales, retail clerk, coffee shop barista, Psychic Hotline operator, marketing specialist, jewelry maker, caterer, substitute teacher, event planner, graphic designer, muralist, art program manager, advertising sales . . . to name a few). There were many tough times along the way, but also plenty of laughter, hugs and happy times, too. My little girl is now a kind and lovely young woman, and I am proud of her every minute of every day for all she has become. Swipe through my photos to see one of us in present day. :-)

After I made sure that my gal was all grown up and doing well in life, I began my long-dreamed-of art career. RobiniArt Custom Pet Portraits was born in the kitchen of my cousin's ranch house in La Grange, TX, and I’ve never looked back. I have since painted hundreds of custom pet portraits for happy collectors. Being an artist is a very tough living with an unpredictable income, but it's rewarding in that I can make so many people smile and give them fond memories of their cherished fur babies! A few testimonials from my portrait clients:

• "The artwork is everything and more that we had hoped for, and everytime I see it, I have a flood of great memories or our time with Scout."

• "Erin is missed dearly, but I can only hope she is somewhere as lovely and colorful as your paintings! "

• "I feel Sadie’s spirit every time I look at her portrait, and am forever grateful. Her legacy lives on."

In 2017, in an effort to increase sales and attract more customers, I started regularly offering high quality, signed reproductions of my portraits. I then diversified my animal portraits further by offering them on postcards and notecards. Doing this allows my work to reach all income levels so that everyone can afford to brighten their homes with my bold, happy artwork. I have visions of licensing it for use on various commercial products someday, too.

My immediate future goal for RobiniArt is to further build my brand and design a variety of products that will create jobs in my economy-stricken region. Doing so will help fill some of the employment gaps left by the closing of area coal mines in recent years. Jobs are hard to find on Colorado's Western Slope, and the cost of living is higher than in other parts of the country. If I can pump some money into the local economy in the form of new positions in shipping and fulfillment, production, administrative assistance and so on, I would be so fulfilled. I have the experience, the know-how, the work ethic and the talent. Now all I need to do is sell, sell, sell and build a great base for the future of RobiniArt. The sky's the limit! Wish me luck!

Thank you so much for stopping by my store and taking a peek at my artistic journey. Please let me know if you have any questions about custom pet portraits, printed products or licensing opportunities. I'm always available for a chat!

And for those of you who are curious, my shop name is a combination of the nickname my mother gave me, "The Great Robini", and the first three letters of my last name, "Arthur". You have . . . RobiniArt!

Stay safe and healthy,

Robin