robert_sutherland_artist_painting
Robert Sutherland is a Fine Artist based out of Clearwater, Florida, whose expertise includes casein (a milk-based paint), oils, pastels, oil pastels, watercolor, pencil, and pen & ink.

He received his Art Education at Oklahoma State University.

Robert spent a number of years in Nashville, TN (actively involved in both the art world and the music industry as a recording artist) before moving to Florida.  He is currently an artist-in-residence at Soft Water Studios in St. Petersburg, FL.

His paintings have been shown in Tennessee State Museums, the Dixon Gallery in Memphis,Eaten Art Gallery Memphis,Bennett’s Nashville,Sun Tan Gallery Pass a Grille, Museum D Maillie Nashville, Safety Harbor Museum, Berk Fine Art Collective and are also included in the collections of many notable Nashville celebrities.

In 2007 many of Robert’s paintings burned in an arson fire at the IMAGO ART Group in Dunedin, Florida. Though the originals burned, thankfully giclee’s had been made of many of the pieces, so their beauty lives on.

Robert’s artistic journey has developed a new technique he calls ‘Spinning’ (with ‘spinning’, one may turn a painting around and see as many as four different subjects), which has resulted in a phenomenon described as THE QUAD … four separate paintings on one canvas.

He has been teaching this spinning technique at the Dunedin Fine Art Center in Dunedin, Florida for almost 15 years… from the spinning classes has emerged a dynamic new art group, SPIN D’ARTE, comprised of artists who are showing their work at major galleries and shows around the country.  One of a Kind classes on Spinning and Quads at Dunedin Fine Art Center go to http://www.dfac.org/adult-art-classes/ Spinning Monday Mornings and Tuesday afternoon. every week. all year.  Spin the Art’e Show’s at Local Galleries and events around Florida.  Quads are exciting, Seeing a Quad for the first time, people are amazed a Quad show is a demonstration People are fascinated when it is spun and they see the changes.  Yes they see the intended picture but then they see their own interpretations.  People become excited to experience art in this way because it’s new, invoking their ideas – mysterious and exciting. Spinning is an execution practice taught to create balance in composition and create new ideas.  You can spin anything – a portrait or a new creative idea –  when a piece of art is spun it is turned around again and again on the easel and painted each time.  It was constant spinning that led to Quads but most spins do not result in a Quad… Quads are a leap into the unknown.

ROBERT SUTHERLAND ON SPINNING:
“Colors are laid down using the basic principles of design, then the surface (canvas, wood, or metal) is turned, or spun, so that all four sides may be scrutinized for developing images…as one might look at cloud formations to discover recognizable forms. These cloud-like forms are then detailed and balanced into a finished piece.” — Robert Sutherland, describing his ‘spinning’ technique.