Rising Stars: Meet Robin Ewers Carnes of Cincinnati

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robin Ewers Carnes.

Hi Robin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been fortunate to always know I’ve wanted to be an artist. After high school, I studied graphic design, got myself a degree and went on to work as a corporate graphic designer for 10 years. I did everything from outdoor garden decor and confectionary gifting, to video game cover design and packaging for pet products. All the while, I always was working on personal projects. I picked up a little freelance work on the side, became sought after for portrait work and starting working with ArtWorks Cincinnati, a non-profit organization that helps people get involved in public art. In 2012, I painted two beloved 6-foot pig statues. One named Herbert, or the “Over-the-Swine” pig and I was the co-artist for Frederick, the Christian Moerlein Brewing Heritage pig. In 2013, I even opened an art studio and held private wine and painting parties, and taught art classes. It was fun, but grueling when still working a full time job.

After 10 years of various corporate design work, I was given the opportunity to spread my wings, aka my company was relocating. I was exhausted by the thought of finding another “desk job” so I tried to stay busy with freelance work but it was hard. In 2016, I became a teaching artist on the Ezzard Charles mural on Liberty and Republic Streets in Over-the-Rhine. For the past 9 years, I’ve been a regular vendor at the OFF Market where I sell prints of my personal work, greeting cards and other various paper goods. I’ve always been hustlin’ around trying to find “my thing”. One thing was constant and still is today – I always carry a sketchbook with me.

Today, in my free time, I am one of four admins for Urban Sketchers Cincinnati, a local sketching group that is an official Chapter of the global non-profit organization Urban Sketchers. We do up to 4 outings a month where we invite anyone to come sketch with us on location, regardless of skill level, to show the world how beautiful Cincinnati is, one sketch at a time. We show up at a designated place, sketch on location from our surroundings and enjoy slowing down a bit to just draw. This was “my thing”!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish I could say that it was all sunshine and rainbows but I definitely struggled for a bit. The graphic design field can be pretty rough, not to mention not long after my first corporate job in the field, the recession hit and I was laid off. I actually dealt with a total of 3 lay offs during my 10 years as a corporate designer. It always felt like a scramble to find the next thing. And to be honest, I’m not sure I even was really happy doing what I was doing.

I had always said that if I got laid off 3 times, it was a sign to try something new. So I did – I got involved in the beverage spirits industry and haven’t looked back. I love being able to keep my creative side separate from my day job. I love my day job; I get to talk to people a lot, go to different places and every day is different. So when I get to sit down to draw, it’s my relaxation time. It’s a healthy balance.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have dabbled in a lot of different mediums, but my absolute favorite and what I specialize in is watercolor. I’m still sought after for portrait work, mostly of houses for right now, but my favorite thing to do is urban architecture sketching, local landmarks and zoo animals. They tend to lean a little more towards the illustrative side, versus realistic in my opinion.

I think how I see the world and translate it to paper is what sets me a part from others. The colors I choose to use, the things I choose to include (or don’t include) in a sketch; these are things that give me my edge when drawing. We all have our own artistic styles, but it’s learning to embrace it and not compare yourself to anyone else is what’s important.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I never thought myself to be a risk-tasker, but these last few years have proven me wrong. Choosing to abandon my college degree related profession was a huge risk for me. I had always thought it was the safe and steady option, but looking back, it really wasn’t. So choosing to enter a completely new field in my 30’s was scary, exciting and nerve-wracking all at the same time. Thankfully I had a supportive husband and family that understood that it was something I needed to do.

Turns out, it was the best decision I’ve ever made. It wasn’t easy, it took a lot of hard work, and learning a lot of new things, but I highly recommend jumping out of your comfort zone. We were not put on this earth to be spend so much time doing something that doesn’t bring us joy. I know it’s cliche, but life really is too darn short.

Contact Info:

• Email: robin@rewersdesigns.com
• Website: www.rewersdesigns.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/rewers
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rewersdesigns
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/rewersdesigns
• Other: www.etsy.com/shop/rewersdesigns

Image Credits
Scott Ledyard