7 years ago, Nina & I walked into the Hudson Starbucks and were immediately enamored with a painting hanging on the wall.

I've always loved creating art of some kind, but this was the first time I really felt something when looking at someone else's work. Something about this specific painting really drew me in. Everything in the scene seemed to just flow, and the deep 3D texture of the brush strokes made it so organic. So much of what we consume these days is digital. When we actually see a physical work of art that someone crafted with paint and tools, it's so refreshingly-analog. 

Nina secretly wrote down the artist's name - Rob Crombie. At the time, Nina & I were planning our wedding, so her first thought was to try to surprise me with the painting as a wedding gift. How sweet that would have been, but pretty hard to conspicuously wrap.

We ended up buying our first home in Hudson, so naturally we're in that same Starbucks at least once a week now. Every time, I can't help but check out the new paintings on the wall. "I must have one in my home," I always think to myself. It's one thing to have a framed piece of art from Target on your wall, along with 100,000 other people. It's another to have something one of a kind, made by hand, from someone you've met in person who creates with a passion. 

About 2 years ago I was showing Crombie's website to a friend, telling him this exact story. I couldn't help but notice his headshot could use an update... or at least something more appropriate & similar to the vibe of his art. So I sent a quick email, and we made a rough plan. Then he got busy, then I got busy, then months went by.  Finally, last week, our schedules aligned and we knocked it out. The first photo you see below is actually the first photo I took - sometimes the "test shot" is a winner! 

If you'd like to view more of his amazing art - rhcrombie.com

Why do you paint?

"Because I have to"