Affirmation art exhibition showing at Church of All Nations

Reservoir-based artist Robert Dickins has been drawing and painting since he was a little tacker.

He comes from an artistic family. His dad Len was a printer and a fine artist who encouraged Robert and his three brothers to find their form of expression.

“He relinquished being head of the table as all four sons would be painting and drawing until dinner time,” Mr Dickins said.

“I used to cop it for doing cartoons of my teachers and doodling on my test papers.”

Mr Dickins describes his painting as life-affirming, a very positive thing to do.

He sees painting as primarily a solitary pursuit and used the time during COVID to make a positive statement with his art.

Hence the name of the exhibition Affirmation, where there will be more than 40 canvases on display and for sale.

Two years ago, he held a solo exhibition of watercolours and gouache at The Victorian Artists Society, which was well received.

“Since then, I have been painting acrylic on canvas with themes on the ocean and bush landscape, trees, figures and flowers from the imagination,” he said.

“Indirectly, I am drawn to impressionism and expressionism, though the pictures come from experiment and play.”

Over the years, Mr Dickins has written and illustrated children’s books and contributed to magazines, theatre, and community radio.

“My new paintings are a departure from book illustration,” he said.

“Expressionist figures and flowers from myth and dream become real to me once transferred to paper or canvas.”

“They are often unplanned experiments like jazz improvisations; I am like a child lost for hours in a box of colours”.

Mr Dickins is donating 50 per cent of his sales to the Church of All Nations.

“I want to give back to the people; I want to encourage the locals to drop in and see what is possible.”

Reverend Ray Gorman said the Church would use any funds generated for the emergency relief service (food parcels and the like) it provides.

“That is where we are finding the greatest demand and financial drain at the moment in the agency,” he said.

Affirmation, recent paintings by Robert Dickins, at Church of All Nations, 180 Palmerston St, Carlton launches Wednesday, June 15 at 2pm with guest speakers Dr Albert Rostein, Barry Dickins and Rev Ray Gorman.

The exhibition is open from 11am to 4pm on Thursday, June 16, Friday, June 17 and Wednesday, June 22 to Friday, June 24.

For further information, contact Robert Dickins on 0405 485 555. •