About

After Graduating from the University of the Pacific as a Fine Arts Major in 1988 Robert Aitken took a job in the wine and spirits industry. He has successfully moved up the corporate ladder, but has always wanted to get back to his true passion, painting. Over the years he painted every now and then, but he was never able to devote enough time with his job and growing family. In 2005 his oldest daughter started at Campolindo High School as a freshman. Like her father, Hillary excelled in the arts, but as a singer not a painter. When Hillary tried out for the school musical her freshman year, her father volunteered to help with the sets. Immediately, Robert was asked to take on most of the realistic scenic painting. This was the first time since college that Robert had painted for an extended amount of time. Quickly, his love and passion for painting came back and he continued to volunteer over the next four years. After seeing the sets many friends, family and fellow painters encouraged Rob to get serious about painting again. On his 20th wedding anniversary his wife, Kris, gave him an easel that he had always had his eye on. She even cleared space in her living room, giving Rob the space to paint as much as possible. “I love all types of painting, and find myself experimenting, much like I did at school. My mentor Gil Dellinger always encouraged me to try different styles and mediums. I love realistic painting. I loose myself in each painting and it challenges me like nothing else. I have also done many abstracts. I remember seeing the movie 'Pollock' for the first time a few years ago, I immediately went out and painted 'Pollock Study #1'. To some this type of painting is misunderstood, but these are some of the most technical and powerful paintings I have done. Early on I was obsessed by Georgia O'Keeffe, and in many ways I still am. Her use of light and light and “dry” brush stroke can be seen in almost every painting I do. In fact, my current abstracts, feel very O’Keefe in a modern kind of way. “