Robin Wood (fanartist)

Fan
Name:	Robin Wood
Alias(es):	Jane Clinkenbeard
Type:
Fandoms:	Pern. Star Trek, Blake's 7
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Robin Wood was a fan artist whose fan art appeared in numerous zines. She also sold original fantasy art at conventions like ConFusion. She passed away from cancer on April 19, 2021.

From Michael Short: I have sad news.

My lovely wife Robin Wood lost her battle with cancer this morning just after 3AM. There will be no in person visitation or memorial. At Robin’s request there will be a Zoom meeting (or two or three).

Thank you all for your friendship and support over the last couple years. Mike

Her Art

back cover Menagerie #12. So nice to get two MENAGERIES at once. I usually don't pay much attention to the artwork in a zine, but Robin Wood's back cover was beautiful. The winged man looks to be reaching up to the stars even more than he is looking at them.

ConFusion 22 - Jan 12-14. The con was small and intimate this year, and there were people at the show who came with money to buy things. Heather Bruton sold one of her litho originals, and Robin Wood was making good money on the prototypes she did up for TSR...

cover of Dragonfall, a Pern fanzine

I didn't care for Robin Wood's illos — especially Chewie seemed out of perspective or something. Her Jess looks like a real grouch, tho!

Robin Wood's illos are always pleasant. I am in awe as much as possible over the woman's outstretched hand on p 41 — it looks like an outstretched hand pointed at the reader, and not four small balloons on one large balloon. That takes skill.

Robin Woods’ illos are exquisite -- but a bit too delicate for the general tone of the story [Bad Break].

There is simply too much here to talk about and exclaim over? Robin Wood's delicate faerie child and Suzanne Kirway's incredible Vulcan and the the poetry of Charles Finegan and Beth Bowles and Sarah Leibold.

1991 Interview

In 1991 Robin was interviewed in the Pern fanzine Out of the Blue #8. Excerpts appear below:

Vikki: How /when did you first start drawing? How about painting?

Robin: I've done it my whole life. But the first professional work was done in 1983. I'm self taught and can't remember a time that I wasn't drawing. About the painting, I did stuff for fanzines in college. I was told in college that I could not even draw or read because I was diagnosed as malignant myopic. I have myopia but turned out to be a misdiagnosis. Thank goodness.

Vikki: What is your favorite medium?

Robin: I have several favorites. I like pencil (color and black and white). The sketches in PoP on the grey paper were done with color pencil. I also like oils.

Vikki: Do you have a favorite subject (dragons, people, etc.)?

Robin: I think people are the easiest. They just seem to happen for me.

Vikki: What is your favorite piece of everything you've done? Least favorite?

Robin: Normally the one I have just finished is my favorite. Or the one that brings in the most money. The least favorite ones are the ones I have signed BAMBI. They were too good to just throw away, but I didn't want to put my name on them, and I did need the money.

Vikki: What has been your most challenging piece of art do date?

Robin: I think what makes it challenging is not the piece itself it's the length of time involved. I did a job for TRS of 10 pictures in as many days. Another challenge is trying to do portraits with BAD pictures. This one I am working on now is very hard to see. It's a small picture and I am doing a large portrait. I can't even tell what color the eyes are.

Vikki: Do you do your artwork on a full-time basis now?

Robin: Yes. And I have since 1980. I used to teach for the visually impaired up until then.

Vikki: About how many hours a day do you spend on a painting?

Robin: As many as it takes.

Vikki: Do you work on more than one piece at a time?

Robin: If I have to. I prefer not to but depending on deadlines and drying time sometimes you have to. Although I have been know to put my oil paintings in the oven to dry them. But I have to be careful or the whites will tum yellow.

Vikki: Is there any particular artist's style that influenced you most?

Robin: Oh boy. Here we go with a list. Carrivago was a big influence. El Greco was another one. I used to sit in the Cleveland Art Museum where my mother enrolled me in classes. We used to sit there and do sketches of the famous masters. So, yes, I was influenced a lot by the masters. I still am.

Vikki: Do you have any advice for an aspiring artist?

Robin: Draw, draw, draw. And then draw some more. And do not hesitate to ask questions.

Vikki: Are you a Pem fan? What got you hooked?

Robin: Yes. As I said in PoP I used to draw the people of Pern in my notebooks which used to get me in trouble. I can still remember being caught drawing in class and my teacher told me that I would never be needed to draw the people from Pern, but I would need to know the principal imports of Nicaragua. I really felt good when my book was published! I was 16 when I got hooked on Pern. What can I say. I was 16 and Pern was wonderful. I think I'm more hooked on Anne now that I have met her. She's a neat lady.

Vikki: Did you correspond with Anne to get the characters right?

Robin: Yes. Not only corresponded but sat and talked with her on several occasions.

Vikki: Where did you come up with the ideas for the various characters?

Robin: Anne. The only one I came up with was Robin ton. Anne wanted F'nor to be a certain way and it was hard to get him exactly the way she wanted, but I had a friend who was close so I had him pose. I even had a little model firelizard for him to hold. He was 6'11". And when he held the model it really was dwarfed in his huge

hands. It took me 10 months. and I was exhausted by the end.