Norma Nuyles Robinson was born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and settled in Hayward, California in 1992. Inspired by her surroundings and the different cultures she has experienced and embraced in her journey through life, Norma has been painting and drawing as a hobby for many years. She is self-taught and uses various media including watercolor, pastel, oil, colored pencil and acrylic. Her mission is to create awareness of the Philippine culture through her artworks.
Unlimited in her style, Norma paints everything from rustic sceneries to seascapes, from mundane objects to portraits and profiles. She experiments with traditional realism and modern impressionism. Her audiences declare her work to be ‘vibrant, vivid, colorful, nostalgic, rustic and inviting.’ W. Fred Crow, Arts Editor for the Milpitas Post, said ‘…She is an engaging and energetic personality who bubbles in life as well as on canvas. The vibrancy of color and simplicity of design of one piece is contrasted by the drama and complexity of another piece. She shares her passion with color and image.’
Norma has exhibited her works both in the Philippines and the United States. Her first US solo exhibit was held in Northern California at the Fremont Art Association (FAA) Gallery in August 2004. She has also exhibited at Stanford University’s Art Spaces, joining 13 other Philippine artists in 2005. She won Honorable Mention (watercolor category) at the 40th FAA Annual Juried Fine Art Show in 2006. In the same year, she was featured as a local artist in the August issue of the Filipinas Magazine (http://www.filipinasmag.com).
In addition to painting, Norma also explores photography. She is a member of the Fremont Art Digital Photography Group. She takes photos of scenes that catch her eyes – either transforming them into a painting or keeping them in their original form. Like her paintings, her photos are unique and bold.
In August 2016, Norma had joined VIDA as one of the many designers (from all over the world) — designing for wearable arts such as scarves and wraps. She enjoys the fusion of art and fashion as it allows exposure and appreciation of artworks to a bigger audience. Norma likes to create designs that cross cultural borders and at the same time has a little touch of her Filipino heritage.
For Norma, painting, designing and photography is her ‘happy place’ away from the busy world of Information Technology where she was once employed. She has now retired from work and is concentrating on her artworks. Norma’s works can be found in both public and private collections as well as on this website, and at http://www.shopvida.com/collections/norma-n-robinson.
For any comments and/or suggestions, please e-mail at norma_nrobinson@yahoo.com