American folk art can be traced to our country’s founding by the first settlers reflecting their traditions and experiences. Today, this art is alive and well as shown by a wonderful local Maine artist. (Story by Lucia Vigo Pigueiras.)
Robin Davis is a self-taught American folk artist from Madison, Maine. She creates unique pieces using acrylic paint on repurposed wood, often incorporating materials like barn board, furniture, barrel slats, and doors. Davis has completed over 1,000 artworks featuring natural subjects such as chickens, flowers, cats, and the ocean. While she has also done paintings on regular canvas and enjoyed them, she states that the wooden paintings have a great folk-art feel and she’s very comfortable dealing with the flaws of the wood and using them to her advantage in paintings.
Davis attributes her artistic talent to her family history, with her mother and both grandmothers being artists, her mother mainly focusing on pen and ink art and both of her grandmothers concentrated on painting. Davis also enjoys and finds inspiration in the following artists: Mau Lewis, Grandma Moses, and Warren Kible. She balances her work between creating art for personal enjoyment and meeting market demands to make a living.
Her artistic style is described as imperfect but relatable, coming from the heart. Davis’s friend, Wende Maniaci, characterizes folk art as talent derived from a love and understanding of people and the world, rather than formal training
Some of Davis’s notable works include:
“Wonder Bear” – A painting she particularly cherishes
“The Crop” – A piece featuring sunflowers in a bucket on an old wooden table
Various seasonal paintings inspired by the time of year
Children’s book-style character paintings, which bring her particular joy
Davis’s work has also been published in the book “Images of America Lakewood theater” by author Jenny Oby.
In relation to her goals for her work, Davis has done 12 unique paintings for businesses and storefronts of her hometown of Madison. She stated, “The joy I had in gifting not only the painting itself but the great advertisement each business received once I shared with my local Facebook page was great. It felt amazing to pat these great businesses on the back for making our town a home. Oftentimes the best reward with art is not of monetary value but of feeling the happiness of others get through one’s art.”
For the future she hopes to establish her own studio on her home’s property. Having to have sold the building she shared with other family members this year, having a space all her own would be an incredible achievement.
Davis finds solace in her art, especially during challenging times like the COVID-19 pandemic. She views painting as a way to escape worries and fully immerse herself in creativity.
Robin Davis has also kindly provided a poem of hers. Her wish is that when she one day grows old and passes she leaves her family reminders of her through her paintings.
You can find her on her Instagram and Facebook pages both linked below.
