Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Maria Pedrero.
Hi Robin Maria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
While I’ve spoken before about my earliest realization of being an artist, the breezy days drawing on my giant childhood chalkboard and following along with Bob Ross using oil pastels, my next chapter as an artist was about the maturation of that initial spark. My professional start truly solidified when I persevered moving from that accessible joy to an invigorating world of formal study. Studying under established professional artists and particularly absorbing the masterclass influences of figures like Robert Brackman, fundamentally changed how I painted light and color. It was the moment of taking observation into fine art making.
Today, that training manifests in how I layer color, it’s not just a meadow of bluebonnets; it’s a study in impressionistic temperature, structured light, and the emotional color theory I spent years refining. I’m taking that structured foundation and applying it to the vibrant energy of my landscapes of Texas and my world travels.
Lately, I feel like my career has come full circle. I am using all that professional training, yet the spirit behind my newest pieces is trying to recapture that total, breezy-summer-day freedom of my nine-year-old self. That’s why you see techniques like sgraffito in my work now; I’m technically using academic structure, but emotionally, I’m still scratching into the surface, seeing what’s underneath, just like I did on that giant chalkboard. It’s a synthesis of serious techniques and unbridled joy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My mother’s multiyear battle with dementia and her eventual passing in 2025 was quite a profound period of struggle. During those long and challenging years, the vibrant sense of joy that usually fueled my art felt increasingly distant, sometimes impossible to access. The creative process frequently shifted from a place of professional practice to a mandatory sanctuary for my own well-being. Stepping into my studio became my only way to process the deep sadness and confusion of witnessing her decline; it was the space where I could channel emotions that were too heavy for words and simply focus on the rhythmic layer of paint. Art making wasn’t just my career during that time, it was the necessary lifeline.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create contemporary expressive landscapes and abstracts that explore both the visible and invisible energy of nature. My process involves building rhythmic layers of color and using techniques like sgraffito to reveal a hidden history within the paint. I like to think of my work as a bridge between a traditional appreciation for nature and a modern, symbolic exploration of memory and emotion. I am a multidisciplinary artist creating fine art in oil, acrylic, mixed media, collage and soft pastel. I am a signature member of the Pastel Society of America.
Honestly, the greatest honor is knowing my work will live on. Having my paintings included in museum permanent collections, both nationally and internationally in Greece, is incredibly humbling. Equally rewarding was seeing my work cross over into mainstream design through my features on HGTV and the Magnolia Network’s ‘Bargain Mansions.’ It’s that balance of museum validation and public love for my work that brings me the most joy.
Presently I’m spending my time in my studio at Millhouse in the McKinney Cotton Mill, translating the techniques that earned me solo shows at the Orlando Museum of Art into new, lyrical pieces that celebrate the Texas spirit. My focus is purely on continuing that legacy of award-winning contemporary art in a way that resonates with my local community and my expanding circle of collectors. It truly makes me smile to have my artwork with collectors in over 12 countries and in every state of the U.S.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is one that bridges my thirty-year career as a professional artist with my personal experience as a daughter and a caregiver. It is that authenticity is the only truly sustainable engine for professional success. For years, the goal was traditional validation: accolades, Signature Memberships, and museum permanent collections. All those honors were meaningful milestones, but my experience during my mother’s illness and passing fundamentally redefined my understanding of “artwork.” When my studio became a required sanctuary and a necessary lifeline, I recognized the difference of painting to meet market trends and painting purely from my emotional core. The significant business lesson I learned is that the market feels that truth. The moments when I was most vulnerable in the painting allowing the rhythmic layers to capture grief and healing were exactly the pieces that created the deepest, most commercial, and most profound connections with my collectors. I now understand that professional longevity isn’t about chasing the next big thing; it’s about protecting the emotional purpose and spirit that gives your work its life in the first place.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.robinmariapedrero.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robinpedrero
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobinMariaPedrero
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinmariapedrero
- Twitter: https://x.com/robinpedrero
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RobinPedrero
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/robin_pedrero/
