Opening on July 3 during the First Friday Hop is a new solo exhibition at Block Party showcasing the oil paintings of Christina Robinson. The show will be on display until July 27. The opening reception will run from 5-9PM. Come meet the artist and enjoy refreshments while supporting local art! 

In preparing to become a mother, Christina underestimated the identity-altering shift that would take place. The combination of contradictory child rearing materials along with an absentee mother only heightened the impact of raising her high-energy baby. Though Christina cherishes her son and all the experiences of motherhood, she was unprepared for the transitional trials that have reshaped all aspects of her life.

With the addition of a new human being to care for, Christina had to redesign her priorities and coping mechanisms. Constant exhaustion and anxiety surrounding the new responsibility of keeping a helpless new life alive was coupled with night terrors and sleepless nights. Ever present questioning and the guilt of letting her newborn down intensified along with emotional and hormonal changes. Like many new mothers Christina was forced to face the sharp difference between her previous existence and her current reality. Though this turmoil existed she knew that letting go of her past along with the previous roles she held was necessary to move forward to successfully embrace her new role of motherhood.

In order to work through these monumental changes in her life Christina sought a creative outlet, resulting in the creation of this series. Typically Christina's approach to painting is very slow and meditative with a focus on perfecting small details. However, the creation of this series embraces spontaneity and imperfection, and appreciates it in the same way that a mother works through each day with her child. Rather than aiming to create individual pieces that share a style rooted in perfection, Christina harnessed the spontaneity of the given moment that her life and time constraints allowed. Christina realizes that the only way to continue moving forward is to strive to have minimal expectations, put selfishness aside, and embrace life's imperfections.