Venus May 2, Finalist at Ra Summer Show 2014, Smoke on Paper, Contemporary Frame, 2013

Venus May 2, Finalist at RA Summer Show 2014 smoke on paper, framed on a contemporary box frame - all archival materials. Artwork size: 30 x 22 inches Frame size: 35x27x2.5 inches Frame style: black wood box frame, UV glass, archival matboard The Smokes consist of images that are created by capturing smoke on paper as evidence of a transformation and preservation of the ephemeral. During the process, credit cards, gift cards, photos, and even slides of the artists’ artwork are burned to remove their growing presence in daily life, and explore the idea of transformation. In 2014, Rob was awarded the John Ringling Towers Visual Artist Grant by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota. In 2009, he was awarded a fellowship at the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. In 2007, he was awarded a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Professional Artist Fellowship, received an Honorable Mention from the Loyola Works on Paper Exhibition at Loyola University and was the recipient of a Purchase Award at the 31st Bradley International Print & Drawing Exhibition. In 2006, Rob was awarded the Drawing Award at the Peninsula Fine Art Center Biennial. Rob has been featured in more than 50 articles in publications, and blogs, including New American Paintings, the Huffington Post UK, Daily Mail UK, Installation Magazine, and Studio Visit (volumes 1, 4, 6 and 8). Lark Books featured a Smoke and a Struggle in the books: Skulls in 2008, 500 Ceramic Sculptures in 2009, and Ceramic Sculptures in 2011. His collections include: The Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia (December, 2013), Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Orlando, FL, St. Regis in Washington DC, and Four Seasons Hotel in Houston, Texas. In 2010, Rob was awarded four residencies, two from the Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Amherst, Virginia and Moulin à Nef in Auvillar, France and Ragdale Foundation. In 2015, Rob will be a resident at the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, Florida. Rob began his education at Auburn University receiving his BFA in Painting and Graphic Design. At the University of Tennessee, Rob earned an MFA in Painting and Drawing and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction.