Robert Gamblin, Colorman

by Sarah Judson January 06, 2014

Following graduate school at San Francisco Art Institute, Robert Gamblin, the creator of Gamblin Artist's Oil Colors, spent a year in Europe visiting the major art capitals, from London to Istanbul to Crete, to see the foundations of art in history. He subsequently studied with Wolf Kahn, where he learned how to take a leap from painting a landscape into painting a personal form of the landscape based on color and feelings.

The Gamblin website has many resources for artists, including a 3-D color wheel, shown in this video, an interview in which Robert explains his experiences, motives and knowledge regarding oil paints, their annual Torrit Grey competition and the reasons behind it, and much more information and advice. Here is an excellent article about Gamblin's thoughts about landscape painting written by M. Stephen Doherty for American Artist.

"I've chosen to paint the landscape because we have easy access to it. Not only in the sense that it is always there waiting to be painted, but also because we share an appreciation for the beauty of the light on the land. In addition, a landscape painting lends itself to exploring the undefined border between representation and abstraction."