Meet Robert Lafond

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Lafond a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Robert, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

I have always wanted to be an artist and painter. As a child, I received support from my mother, who took me to the local museum and purchased art materials and art books for me. Of course, I drew all the time. Later, after a couple years of art school and receiving an undergraduate degree in Art History, I painted abstract images heavily influenced by Diebenkorn. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to paint that was authentically me. That developed by drawing constantly what I saw around me and going from there.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

At this stage in my life, I paint and draw almost every day. I have been doing that for the last sixteen years. I paint what I know best, my environment, which is why I prefer landscapes. I paint in a representational style. I strongly feel that the world offers all that is required for making visual art. Since I paint almost every day, I make a lot of art. I have had some success selling my work, both online and locally, which is good, since I don’t want to keep it. I use social media to promote my painting.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three qualities that I would cite are persistence, drawing and compassion. By persistence, I mean work all the time, even if one feels uninspired. Ideas appear through effort. By drawing, I mean this is the fundamental skill that one must constantly develop for good painting. By compassion, I mean looking at the world with loving eyes.

The advice I give to artists starting out is essentially the same: keep drawing, painting, working. What you need to do will come. Secondly, drawing is crucial. Keep doing it. Thirdly, love what you do and what you see and find. It will appear in your work.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

When I reflect on the life of Vincent Van Gogh, I recognize that he only painted for the last ten years of his life. His most famous paintings come from the last two/three years of his life, though those would not have come without the previous years of artwork. I would like to spend at least the next decade making paintings that are the best that I can do, continuing to explore, not forcing it. I cannot control what will happen, or how people perceive my art. What I can control is the effort, the patience, and the attitude I bring to making art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://markandremark.blogspot.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roberthlafond/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RHLafondArtwork/
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@roberthlafond?xmt=AQGztSYq7x1v-Hh1QikDoYdnxkHGyUas3M9JsliM-HAx9HY