Posts by Robyne Robinson

Drive and Determination

Crouched behind a wooden fence, tail down, ears perked, heart racing, he watches. His auburn fur blends into the fall grass and vines, a perfect camouflage from the danger galloping across the field, as horses, dogs, and riders in red coats are leaping, yelping, scrambling—all searching for him. A seasoned adversary, he knows not to move a muscle. He stays perfectly still, his eyes watching for clues to his next move—his chance to change his fate. Outfoxed is a spellbinding story of being hunted told by Ezra Tucker with acrylics on a three-foot board. He paints animals with so much
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A Sense of Joy

Terry Cooke Hall is a bit of an enigma in that she doesn’t check any of the traditional art boxes you might have in mind for a master artist. For instance, she chose to study art at Palomar College in San Marcos, California, rather than at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. That decision had more to do with fear than fundamentals. “Not enough strength of character,” she says lightly. “If I think back to that time, it was fear of moving to the big city by myself.” Read the full article in the January/February 2022
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Discipline, Control, and Wisdom

If you log onto Rick McClure’s Facebook page, you might think for a minute that you’ve wandered into an online Buddhism class where the teacher has become the student, asking his former pupils to critique his teaching skills. “Generous and sincere,” offered one. Another responded, “Doesn’t hesitate to share all the tips and techniques he’s spent a long career learning.” And a third asked, “Is this a trick question?” Not necessarily. Art professionals will tell you that great art teachers share many characteristics, including passion, dedication, and perseverance. Being a great artist and a great teacher are not mutually exclusive;
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A World of Possibilities

Australians will tell you that stories about the Outback are more truth than fiction. Hardships come naturally in that part of the country; what you learn about life doesn’t always come from a book. “If you don’t put in the hard yards, you will not get results,” says Kathy Ellem, who grew up in Beechworth, a small town about 175 miles north of Melbourne in the state of North Victoria, where her family owned and operated a 100-acre apple farm. “Sometimes nature or the markets seem to be against us but without that effort in the first place we would
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Ranch Life Reality

By late fall, snow had already started falling in southwestern Wyoming. Even though she still had gardening to do, that snowfall was a joy to Amanda Cowan. “The elevation is about 7,500 feet, so it’s really hard,” she says. “The sun rays are high, and the wind never stops, but I do feel so blessed. I moved around before I got married; then I came to Wyoming. It gets 30 [degrees] below [zero], but this place is so amazing. I get to work on the ranch every day and paint. I’m so blessed.” The ranch is Myers Ranch, a sprawling
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