Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 91

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: " Rolling Thunder "
White Robert Tino has undertaken more contemporary, creative
pieces in recent years, he " always circles back to the mountains. "
" Happy Trails "
outside, but produces his " major stuff " in the studio. In
the hallways of his frame shop hang numerous paintings
of pumpkins, one of his all-time favorite subjects.
He is also obsessed with bears. " Besides dogs, bears are
my favorite animal. They've just got so much personality
and, of course it doesn't hurt that they're kind of the
mascot of the Smoky Mountains. Everybody loves them. "
Twenty years ago, he was sketching one on canvas
when he picked up a painting trowel and, out of the blue,
his trademark realism gave way to abstraction.
" There's a lot of emotion in it and it was totally different
than anything that I have ever done as far as painting.
The following bears kind of went along with that, and
then they got more playful. "
For the past few years, Tino has painted cub portraits in
front of a live audience to raise funds for the Appalachian
Bear Rescue, which cares for abandoned black bears. He
also supports the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies and,
despite his introverted nature, in 2021 competed in a local
" Dancing With the Stars " event to benefit the United
Way of Sevier County. Mimicking Tom Cruise's iconic
scene in Risky Business, Tino slid across the floor in his
" tighty whities " to the music of " Old Time Rock & Roll "
before dancing to a medley of other songs. He and his
performance partner came in second.
Braving the choreographed steps and a roomful of 500
people was a " high point, " he recalls, adding, " That was
the hardest three-and-a-half minutes of my life. "
Despite the evergreen nature of his favorite subjects,
there are times when Tino finds himself focusing on one
thing: mountain vistas, rivers or a certain type of animal.
The same goes for colors. " I'll go months where I just basically
work in a certain palette, " he says, noting his passion
for sunsets, twilight and other " moody " backdrops.
He describes himself as an " evening person " who rises
early each day to start painting.
The past few years, he's been creating more contemporary
pieces, including female figures in vintage clothing
from the 1940s, '50s and '60s.
" But I always cycle back to the mountains and the
Tennessee landscapes that I'm known for, " he says.
In spite of his high-profile success and a customer base
that never seems to tire of his work, the best part about
being an artist, he says, is that " I do what I want to do.
When I get up in the morning, I want to paint. That's
what God put me on this earth to do.
" I've been in business a long time, but since the world
has changed with COVID, it's been two of the busiest
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 91

Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023

Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - 3
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Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2023 - Cover4
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