Robbie Schafler

I was born in Brooklyn, New York, and I began to draw as soon as I could hold a pencil. In addition to graduating from the High School of Art and Design, I spent several summers at the Brooklyn Museum Studio Program. I went on to earn an MFA from Pratt Institute, graduating with honors in painting and drawing. 

After graduation, I worked as a textile designer for a time, until finally pursuing a career in art education. For the next 25 years, I was an art teacher in New York and New Jersey, teaching elementary through college-level classes. 

A lifelong learner, I’ve taken classes throughout New Jersey and spent time painting at the Art Students League in Manhattan. In the midst of all this, I raised a family. All the while I have yearned to pursue art on a full-time basis. 

When contemplating retirement, I began spending summers at museums, galleries, zoos, and equestrian facilities. I haunted the halls of the Museum of Natural History, sketching, photographing, and drawing the animals, frozen in time within the museums’ dioramas. I took the drawings back to my studio and began painting animal studies. Inspired by the artistry of Henri Rousseau, I found my direction.

Since then I have compiled a body of work comprised of animal-themed oil paintings. I have seen my painting progress from an impressionistic technique to one that leans more towards realism mixed with fantastical or surrealistic undertones. I am especially intrigued by the movement of patterns and textured fur that covers each species – I utilize a sensory process in which I imagine running my hands across the muscular animal forms and tactile details. By positioning oversized and often feared creatures in unexpected yet familiar interiors, my goal is to make them feel accessible and approachable to the viewer.

I prefer that my art not be classified. I don’t chase trends, but rather prefer to find an inner passion!