NATURAL SCIENCE ILLUSTRATOR, ARTIST & PHOTOGRAPHER B.Sc. (Zoology) B.F.A. (Honours in Wildlife Illustration)
Rebecca Robinson has a creative eye with a passion for nature, art, photography and travel. Dedicated to pursuing her interests and determined to earn a living doing so, she has worked in a number of different fields: photography, natural science illustration and graphic design.
Rebecca has had the opportunity to live and travel extensively throughout the world. She was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1971 and grew up in Finland, Africa and America.
She later sought further education in Australia, graduating from the University of Melbourne in Australia with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology in 1998.
Although she always managed to do a sketch now and again, her main focus at that time was science. It was not until her final year of study that she was encouraged to take her artistic talent seriously with the aim one day, perhaps, of marrying the two disciplines. Once Rebecca made the decision to finally give art the attention it deserved, there was no turning back.
She then went on to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with Honours in Wildlife Illustration, at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia in 1999. Early in the year, she won first prize of the Black and White Illustration division Australian Entomological Society Insect Illustration Competition. Then in August 1999 she was awarded winner of the Margaret Senior National Parks and Wildlife Scholarship for Plant and Wildlife Illustration.
Shortly after leaving the course Rebecca was offered a part-time position in the U.S. at the art and graphics department of the Marine Science Institute, University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). In 2001 she left UCSB to become a professional freelance natural science illustrator and photographer.
In October 2003 she participated in a joint exhibition "The Art of Conservation", at the prestigious Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Santa Barbara CA, USA (www.rain.org/~karpeles/)
For the next three years she worked predominantly for one US client producing highly detailed watercolour paintings of flora and fauna. In September 2006, she exhibited this work as part of: "Artistry & Necessity: Remarkable Women Illustrators" at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara CA, USA.
Since then she has sold most of her work to private collectors, learning institutions, and has had her work published in books internationally.
She enjoys working in various mediums including watercolour, pen & ink, pencil, pastel, airbrush, digital, illustration and photography.
Natural Science Illustration is a meticulous process that involves research and observation as well as the artistic and creative challenges that are presented in any type of artwork. But for Rebecca these preliminary aspects are just as important for her motivation, inspiration and growth as an artist. Very often, for her, getting to know her subject, quietly, patiently, with sensitivity, respect and always with a questioning, open mind is just as enjoyable as applying that infamously tantalizing last stroke of the brush.
Art and photography is a means by which she can contribute to environmental conservation and education. She hopes that her work may spark curiosity and encourage a deeper understanding, and appreciation of nature. It allows Rebecca to work within her interests and to earn a living doing what she loves most.
Despite the persistent demand for illustration work and travel photography jobs, she maintains a strong desire for further creative expression, artistic growth and independence within her own art. This nomadic lifestyle has presented many unique and rare opportunities resulting in the accumulation of a large and highly collectable body of work, predominantly Australasian images.
With a particular interest in fine art photography and influence from her painting background she prefers to use the medium as a canvas - blurring the line between a journalistic, documentary style of photography and abstract, contemporary art.
Though the buzz of the ‘big smoke’ has become a great source for some of her best photographs. Rebecca has always been drawn to places of pure wilderness – the source of her greatest inspiration. She finds balance somewhere in between, living in the seaside village Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia. Though much of her time is still spent ‘walkabout’, a small village near the ocean is a pleasant base to return to.
In conjunction with a range of artistic projects she is currently working on a major pictorial book of Melbourne along with her partner and fellow photographer/artist Darroch Donald.
EDUCATION
1998-1999: Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours in Wildlife Illustration) University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
1996-1998: Bachelor of Science (Zoology) University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
1990-1996: Associates Diploma in Biology Santa Barbara City College, CA, USA
1986-1990: Santa Barbara High School, CA, USA
EXHIBITIONS & AWARDS
May 2009 - January 2010: GALLERY 131 131 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Melbourne, VIC 3016, Australia artwork & photography
24 April - 3 May 2009: 2009 GLENLYON ART SHOW Glenlyon Shire Hall Daylesford-Malmsbury Rd, Glenlyon, Australia artwork
16-19 April 2009: ART MELBOURNE 2009 Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Australia artwork & photography
9 June – 3 September 2006: "Artistry & Necessity: Remarkable Women Illustrators", joint exhibition Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Santa Barbara CA, USA (www.sbnature.org/index.php) (www.sbnature.org/collections/maximus/artistry.php)
1 - 31 December 2003: Montecito Bank and Trust, solo exhibition Santa Barbara California, USA
1 October – 31 December 2003: "The Art of Conservation", joint exhibition Karpeles Manuscript Museum, Santa Barbara CA, USA (www.karpeles.com)
5 - 19 May 2003: Montecito Bank and Trust, solo exhibition Santa Barbara, CA, USA
20 Nov - 3 Dec 1999: "Aerial, Terrestrial, Aquatic", joint exhibition Plant & Wildlife Illustration Honours Class University of Newcastle Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney, NSW, Australia
5 - 15 Nov 1999: 'Fusion', joint exhibition The Faculty of Architecture, Building & Design. University of Newcastle The Newcastle Regional Museum Newcastle, NSW, Australia
23 Sept 1999: Maitland City Art Gallery Plant and Wildlife Illustration Competition Newcastle, NSW, Australia Award: Highly Commended
2 Oct 1999: Australian Entomological Society Insect Illustration Competition Australia Award: First Prize - Black and White Illustration division
16 Aug 1999: The Margaret Senior/National Parks and Wildlife Scholarship for Plant and Wildlife Illustration University of Newcastle Newcastle, NSW, Australia Award: Winner
WORK EXPERIENCE
May 2009 - Jan 2010 Gallery 131 131 Nelson Place, Williamstown, Melbourne, VIC 3016, Australia co-manager
March - Oct 2009 Woodslane Pty Ltd Sydney, NSW, Australia www.woodslane.com.au 'Best of - the Mornington Peninsula - the full-colour guide' co-author, digital illustration (cartography), waterclour illustrations & photography
July 2005 - Feb 2009 Saturdaze Art Santa Barbara, California, USA Animal Diversity Project watercolour painting and illustration
Dec 2008 - Jan 2009 Footprint Travel Guides Bath, England Footprint New Zealand Handbook Book photography
Sept 2007 - Jan 2007 Thomas Cook Travel Guides PO Box 227, Peterborough, PE3 8SB, United Kingdom www.thomascookpublishing.com East Coast Australia and S-E Coast Australia Books photography
March - Aug 2007 Woodslane Pty Ltd Sydney, NSW, Australia www.woodslane.com.au Melbournes's Best Picnic Spots & Beaches Book author, digital illustration (cartography) and photography
Nov 2006 - Jan 2007 Woodslane Pty Ltd Sydney, NSW, Australia www.woodslane.com.au Sydney’s Best Bush, Park & City Walks Sydney’s Best Beaches & Rock Baths Sydney’s Best Picnic Spots, Parks & Reserves digital illustration (cartography) and photography
May - July 2006 Woodslane Pty Ltd Sydney, NSW, Australia www.woodslane.com.au Sydney's Best Harbour & Coastal Walks Book digital illustration (cartography) and photography
June 2005 Saturdaze Art Santa Barbara, California, USA Sea Center Project watercolour painting and illustration
June - July 2004 Community Environmental Center Marine Science Institute / Ocean O' Graphics University of California Santa Barbara, California, USA Graphic design and illustration watercolour painting illustration
Jan 2001 - Jan 2002 Museum of Natural History Santa Barbara, California, USA Los Marineros Project watercolour painting and illustration
Nov - Dec 2001 Footprint Travel Guides Bath, England Footprint New Zealand Handbook Book Pen and Ink and scratchboard Illustrations
Jan - June 2001 Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, California, USA Molecular Project watercolour painting and illustration
Dec 2000 - Present Larry Jon Friesen Chair, Biological Sciences Santa Barbara City College Santa Barbara, California, USA Saturdays Art Projects watercolour painting and illustration
Apr 2000 - Jun 2001 Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara, California, USA Graphic design and illustration
1998 David J. Young Associate Professor and Reader in Evolutionary Biology University of Melbourne Melbourne, VIC, Australia Vertebrate Zoology Practical manual plate pen and ink illustration
1998 David L. Macmillan Professor and Head of Department of Zoology University of Melbourne Melbourne, VIC, Australia Marine Invertebrate Zoology T - shirt design pen and ink illustration
