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Lakeport artist carves out niche with paintings By MANDY MARTIN yes! That‘s how he is." It‘s & | Staff Writer interesting what people want ‘ Martha Robinson has a _ included." ralvur f a We _ ‘ "thing" for domestic animals. Pointing to a portrait of _ [# ce s j 6 i | So, too, do a lot of other peoâ€" _ two obviously muchâ€"adored _ [ i\“- Aark td i ple, based on the sales of her dogs, Martha points out the _ [ W i+ ols & i _ us domestic animals artwork. _ smaller "vignettes" included . |P e ‘& ( *« fi- She has few originals of her _ in the corners of the painting. . |, i % iÂ¥* nÂ¥ D own left. "See here the one dog is [ TK 1i * <gag C g "When I was at Ontario _ actually sitting on the head of 0 M iA .A ie e College of Art, people made the other. They wanted that 2. fi d °4 1 & fun of me because I did a lot _ included. 26 1 # * of domestic animals. It has For the past 10 years, she W U ; 44 t’/ 4 a i turned out to my advantage _ has made a point of attending _ |OBMLL} qs ‘:.‘z 1 'f' ) At because there are very few the annual Royal Winter Fair C3 o M cne /. D4 others who do them." in Toronto.. s AF w ,/ â€"* $8 A poster series for Purina "Now, it doesn‘t matter iExtisam h. v,.\ | N /‘» pet foods, horseback riding what my other projects are, I B ‘~~C~ & 'i{ iMustrations, and even her l}'{t:scr;r\:f those 10 days of 17 7*%~ 4 h first postâ€"graduate job conâ€" oyal for my painting. I â€" . e en ) Annesime \IgP tractp resulted from her won‘t miss it.y\{")hen I first y_?g‘“‘ M f 6i domestic animal penchant. â€" started, I‘m sure there were o. s9lrd \»{ The Irwin Toy company _ lots of people wondered what . ""ol + asked herto construct a lifeâ€" _ that woman was doing paintâ€" . [ VWX f + oggge _ ~ > | sized cow out of play blocks. _ ing cows and sheep. But, you * l ~"_~ e > c . a aust rfa_l]y enjoy paintâ€" . know, I‘ve sold almost everyâ€" _ [ akeport artist Martha Robinson has an affinity for ing them, she explains, a thing I‘ve ever produced _ domestic animals. "Almost every work I‘ve done at the lifeâ€"size portrait of a Simâ€" _ while there. People respond . Royal Winter Fair has sold," she notes, as she touches menthal cattle head in her _ to them for some reason. I _ up Simmenthal cattle studies in her Colborne studio. hands. "They seem to have . now regret not kéeping some J PHoto ay Mahoy MantiN diminished in importance in of those earlier pieces. everyday lives somewhat They‘re all gone. I have only _ out books of new borders and The large, complimentary over the years, and I see them _ a few left from last year for â€" wallpaper designs. Origiâ€" â€" design to accompany the borâ€" as still being there. myself. That‘s it. nally, they suggested 10 borâ€" der is done by her friend in "You look at old illustraâ€" "For 10 days, I paint the _ der ideas for children. I had Toronto. tions, like the ones in the hisâ€" â€" animals. I‘m there from nine to research them and then "It‘s a very technical and torical atlas, and many aniâ€" in the morning till nine at _ come up with designs." detailed process, but I enjoy mals are included with the _ night." Now, with a February getting into it, figuring it homes and farms. In fact, Balanced on a tiny stool, deadline looming, the comâ€" out," Martha explains. some of the animals seem to _ the pallet rests flat on her lap. _ pany has selected the seven Each border pattern repeat be even larger than the home. "I‘m used to working on a _ designs it plans to market. is only 20.5 inches long, a I think that‘s because domesâ€" flat surface, and in a small "One of the designs was design challenge that is not tic animals were very imporâ€" â€" space," she explains as she . based on fourâ€"wheel vehicles, _ new for Martha. .f_\lready, tant in the lives of people _ sits on the lone chair in front _ which I knew nothing about. several of her designs are then. Today, with our food . of the very small wooden â€" But, I picked up a magazine, being marketed worldâ€"wide. supplied from grocery stores table tucked into the corner . and several hours later I _ There‘s a sportsmen‘s border or other outlets, we seem to _ of a huge second floor room â€" couldn‘t believe _ how with sly fishing tackle and be removed from that signifiâ€" _ that serves as her studio in â€" involved it all was. It‘s a _ fish; poultry border featuring cance." Colborne. whole other world. rooster and hens; and a winâ€" Cattle and sheep are also The enormous expanse of "When my instructor at _ ter wild bird border, amongst \ gracious to the artist. batren 10â€"footâ€"high, eggshell _ the Ontario College of Art . others. "You could never get a _ white walls does not mute the _ sent us off to draw cars at the dog to sit like that for hours," prolific and prodigious activ= . car show, I used to wonder she laughs. She knows from . ty confined to two corners of _ what possible use could it be: I'ir‘sl-hund experience. Comâ€" . the room. : I would never be drawing . missions of cats and dogs are In the corner opposite the _ cars. Well, here I am, drawâ€" ‘ an entirely different research _ desk, chair, shelves and small _ ing vehicles. Nochese everyâ€" and execution process, often cupboard hang the prototypes _ thing comes together sooner requiring Martha taking a for 10 wallpaper border _ or later in your life," Martha _/ subject photos to capture designs. The work has been _ laughs. details available only in stillâ€" intense and evolutionary Another border features j ness. since last September. panda bears in striped diaâ€" "I had one woman whose "It‘s through a friend of pers. Yet another has cat had one ear that went up, _ mine in Toronto who has a . dinosaurs on roller blades. the other down. I asked if if contract with a wallpaper "I have to research these that‘s how she wanted the pet . company in New York," she things. You have to know painted and she said,"Oh, â€" explains. "Each year, they put _ what you‘re iNlustrating." Of 5