I grew up on the
east coast living in Ohio, New York, North and South
Carolina. In my senior year at Duke I was recruited to
teach in Central California. Since1970 I have been living
and teaching art fulltime in California.
When I moved from the
Bay Area to the Mendocino Coast I was essentially a maker
of abstract modular prints: monotype, woodcuts, and
lithos. Once settled in the spectacularly beautiful north
coast I was seduced by the landscape. Watercolors,
pastels, and mixed media collages entered my exhibition
repertoire. Teaching and traveling have been the
strongest influences in my aesthetic development. In the
25 years that I have coordinated CRMC's Art program; I
have had the privilege of teaching many of the artists
whose work appears on this website. Their interests and
excitement with process and experimentation has pushed me
further into media than I would ever have ventured as an
individual artist. While drawing, painting, and
printmaking have been the primary areas I have pursued
since graduate school the skills of my talented
colleagues in textiles, ceramics and digital imaging have
enriched my knowledge and enthusiasm for mixed media and
3d work. Courses that I regularly teach at CR include
drawing, painting, life drawing, printmaking (monotype,
relief, intaglio and serigraphy), color and design,
sculpture, and papermaking.
The second major
influence in my work is travel. I cannot visit a major
city in the world without drinking in the treasures of
its museums. Visiting a museum is like sitting down for a
latte or a glass of wine with the most creative,
cultured, eccentric and witty minds of a place and a
time. All the information is there to take in, challenge,
laugh at, or puzzle over at your own pace. In the last 10
years I have been leading small groups of art and culture
interested travelers to Paris, London, Florence, Nice,
Vienna, Prague and Barcelona.
Artists of the world
are a close-knit family. I hope these words shed some
light on the eclectic range of images I am presenting.
Should you wish to see more or learn about current trips
that I have planned for the coming year please visit my
other website at creekwoodstudios.com
Robert Rhoades
Creekwood Studios
707.937.0965
Email: rhoades@creekwoodstudios.com
