I think I’ve always made things in order to satisfy the urge to create, which has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember.

While I may spend time exploring in various mediums, I never stray far from painting, drawing, and ceramics; they are my home base. When I am painting, I tend to search for that balance between letting the paint be paint, and clearly conveying whatever I’m trying to depict. My goal is to do this with both an economy of stroke that speaks of the medium and the genuine desire I have to create an engaging representation of something. 

Being a middle school art teacher reminds me to keep my sense of wonder and humor alive. Kids are terrific coworkers and their constant experience of “the new” is a good reminder to see the world with beginner’s eyes; to see it as a beautiful, transient thing. I want to capture it, tweak it a little bit visually, and put it out there again for people to enjoy.

web: https://robertanke.com/

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.anke.art/