Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/898390
Carmel Ar tist Unlocks the Door s to Painting B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D O ne day, avid photographer and painter Robin Winfield glued a photo onto a blank canvas and started painting out from the image, sort of creating a "frame." "It was a 'wow!' moment," she says. That was nearly 30 years ago, and Winfield has expanded her technique, sometimes blurring the line between reality and fantasy. She continues working in this hybrid medium in her tiny but light and airy Carmel studio/gallery behind the Carmel Coffee House on Ocean Avenue. Many of her mixed media works focus on doors and windows. "Entryways are so beautiful. I love their architectural aspects, symmetry and mystery," she explains. Some of the photos are of familiar subjects—a Seaside taqueria, a San Francisco café—but oth- ers are more exotic, gathered from trips to India, Japan, Barcelona, Venice, Istanbul and Prague. "When I photograph, I just wander in a city, tak- ing pictures of what fascinates me," Winfield says. The results are bold, haunting, ephemeral and engaging. "In my paintings, most of the doors are closed, allowing the viewer to imagine what's behind them," she explains. All her paintings are done right in her gallery, affording the unusual opportunity to watch an artist at work. The galler y is located off Ocean Avenue between San Carlos and Dolores. For more information, go to www.robinwinfield.com or call 831/601-0725. SHORTCUTS ART Robin Winfield's work combines architectural photography from her extensive travels with painting, creating a hybrid medium that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. 64 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 7 Photo: Kelli Uldall