In grade school, Harry took art lessons on Saturday mornings at the Toledo Museum of Art.  He did a lot of soap carvings at that time, but his first love became model airplanes.  He drifted away from art, but models gave him a good training in three dimensions, which was essential to his later sculpture career. He became a Navy blimp pilot and air navigator and then went on to become a Professional Engineer.  As a structural engineer, he got more good experience in three dimensional concepts.

After moving to New Jersey in 1955, he took lessons in clay, stone and ceramic sculpture at the Newark Museum.  Moving on to wood sculpture, Harry found the perfect medium. Carving a shape is much more satisfying and challenging than modeling.  Wood is the most interesting because it adds the play of the grain pattern to the two basics; the shape and curves of the log being carved often suggest an interesting rhythmical design.  So for over forty years, Robinson has worked in wood.

In 1975 He carved his first tree on site, a 14 ft. bear.  Then came the 24 ft. Good Shepherd on Route 202, a 16 ft. eagle in Long Valley, a Multitude of the Heavenly Host in Mendham and others. Saint Patrick Church in Chatham has near life size figures of the Holy Family, Saint Patrick and Saint Anthony.  The Presbyterian Church in Basking Ridge has Adam and Eve, the Prodigal Son and Abraham and Isaac. His work is mostly figurative and is noted for it’s sensitive use of grain patterns and natural configurations of trunks, branches and bark.  He also incorporates a sly sense of humor in his work.

He is a charter member of the Somerset Art Association and has taught at Maplewood, Bernardsville, Watchung Hills and Morristown Adult Schools.

In October, Harry and his wife of 59 years, Nancy, will be retiring to Pennsylvania.  Studio 7 is honored to host his last local shows in the Gallery and the Community Theatre in Morristown.

Please contact Kathleen Palmer at pskjpalmer@verizon.net or 908-963-0365 to purchase Harry's work.