“ Fall in Story.” however, is time. Building a cabin for eventual full-time occupation takes a lot of it, not to mention energy, skill, and expense.
Originally constructing a 640-square-foot cabin in 2014, Robinson added a bedroom suite with full bathroom as well as a front porch and back deck in the following years. Currently, he is putting the finishing touches on a separate studio / garage next to the house.“ The Amish framed it up and the concrete was done by local guys,” he said.“ But all the rest of it has been done by me.” The 12’ X 28’ building accommodates two vehicles and work tools in the garage. A studio space with large north windows, 11-foot ceiling, and room for storage racks is in the lower level. Though not yet completed on the inside, the studio already houses stacks of finished and unfinished paintings.
With an artist’ s typical indifference for past works, he flips through the colorful canvases like a deck of cards.“ What I really like to do is paint outside in the snow,” he admits. Anymore, it seems as though he must go out west to find blankets of white under blue skies. He and Pat often travel to Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming to camp and snowshoe.
With good friend Ed West( now deceased), Robinson often talked about his passion for painting scenes out west at their weekly Artist Breakfasts, a tradition begun decades ago by the late Ron Elkins.“ Why don’ t you go out and paint at my place in Wyoming?” Ed asked.“ Bring lots of paint— there’ s 15,000 acres.” Robinson followed directions to a 40-mile off-road track into the alpine woods. Finally arriving at a rustic cabin, he wasn’ t sure he was at the correct place until he saw Ed driving away. The peace and beauty of the remote setting inspired many paintings.
Last early spring, Thom and Pat snow-shoed in Bryce Canyon, Utah, where the white-frosted orange rock formations contrast dramatically with deep blue skies.
“ He gets in the zone when painting outside,” Pat said.“ If I’ m not with him, I send him texts.‘ Drink water!’ or he forgets.”
As the years have melted away, Robinson continues to meet a group for the Sunday“ Artist Breakfast” but laments the loss of many artist friends: Dick Ferrer, Wayne Waldron, Von Williamson, and others.
And so, the artist colony of Nashville, Indiana, changes with the times as older artists disappear and new artists take their place. Thom Robinson is now one of the old timers, continuing to paint outside whenever possible and planning gatherings in his handbuilt cabin and studio.
His work can be found at the Brown County Art Guild < browncountyartguild. org > or on his website < tcrobinson. com >. •
“ Natural Bridge.”
Sept./ Oct. 2024 • Our Brown County 57