Spotlight Series November 2026: Robyn Hutchinson - The Changing Face of Art

In a world increasingly digital, with things like Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), and a focus on sporting prowess or celebrity, the creative artist can feel a little unseen or pushed aside, especially when the art practice is centred on textiles and mixed media.

But Riverina artist Robyn Hutchinson defies this trend, reinventing her artist practice over and over, moving through painting, to silk printing, Bartok, textiles, lino prints and the backdrops of some of the district’s most iconic productions.

“Robyn is one of those rare types of people who not only wields incredible talent and skill, but also immense kindness and passion for her community. She has continued to nurture her seemingly endless well of talent across so many various creative disciplines, making her one of the most valuable and experienced creatives I know,”

commented Jake Speer, lead actor in the local production of Henry V and now lead for the musical, Mrs Doubtfire.

“Growing up in Leeton, Robyn has long been someone I have looked up to in the creative industry. And I have been blessed to work alongside of her on a number of occasions. All of those projects have been made better for having Robyn involved.”

Mrs Hutch, as she is affectionately known by so many of her ex-students, began her life of art in Sydney.

‘Wetlands’ - Robyn Hutchinson, acrylic on canvas

“I always drew. As a little kid I used to draw and always had my own paint set and stuff. I can remember being five and drawing, and I think the first time I really decided it was a thing I could do was when I won for a poster in the show [aged eight].”

This creative urge was guided by her art teacher at Ravenswood School for Girls in Sydney, where she completed her high school education and learnt the fine art of getting messy with her paints.

“In year 10, I did an oil painting, probably a metre by three quarters of a metre. I'd never used oils before. It was all so shiny and sticky and tricky and everything. And I thought, oh, this is it. Doing oil paintings, this is my thing. But they got more abstract after that, a little more abstract.”

Earning a scholarship to Wagga to become a teacher, Robyn used her experiences at school in other mediums to excel.

“I think I did a lino print in year nine or something and a bit of screen printing in year 10, but had never really considered printing. I actually ended up majoring at university in printed textiles. My sub major was painting and I was still using a lot of textual elements and stuff in my painting. I also did photography and graphic arts. We had to do a number of things.”

With that, she expanded her art practice and as the years went by, Robyn also expanded her family.

“Both my kids crawled around in my studio. Both of them were victims of my textile passions. I would make them little jumpers and sloppy joes, and I'd print on them. I was a wild one with a puff paint.”

By this stage the young family were in Leeton and Robyn settled into Leeton High School with her art practice at work and at home. The history of printing large screens worked well in this stage of her art practice, as she spent many days and nights creating backdrops for plays, Rock Eisteddfods and school musicals.

“I remember doing a Greek scene. I'd just do that in my lunch hour. They were fun because it was like doing a big painting, but I had a script to work from. Sometimes I'd use a, I suppose, a projector, a light projector to get things in place and then just paint. And sometimes I'd print things for fabric. So, there'd be a curtain and I would just print the curtain or spray paint it or dye it or something like that. A lot of tie-dyes happened as well. So that often went into costumes. There'd [also] be a T-shirt that needed something on it and I'd just screen print it. Last one I did was for the Wedding Singer.”

There were backdrops for productions of Oliver and Grease and one of the most memorable was using her versatile background to become the Costume Manager for Jake Speer’s Henry V at the Roxy Theatre in Leeton. With the help of a devoted team of artists and seamstresses, the costumes will be remembered by those lucky enough to attend.

‘Smoke (on the water)’ - Robyn Hutchinson, acrylic on canvas

Robyn stencils on cardboard and paper. She cuts lino stencils out and prints on textiles and canvas. She is constantly reinventing her works, re-textualizing and borrowing from previous art, appropriating what feels right for the next project. They evolve and change shape as her practice deepens and flows with her passions. The environment, women’s places, birds and a curious pattern of wavy lines stemming from an Egyptian art history project in school, all creep into much of Robyn’s work.

This all-encompassing method of creation led Robyn to the collaboration known as A Common Thread.

“On 4th March 2022 I had an exhibition at LMAG with Edie Rudd and Natalie Power which celebrated International Women's Day. It was called Places and Spaces. Like Nat, Edie was also a student of mine at LHS who went on to get a degree to teach Art. She is teaching Visual Arts at SFC now. The next year, March 2023, we added Cynthia, Hannah Blackburn and Zooey and Karen coined it A Common Thread.”

“Each year we invited more people, but there had to be a connection. The thread thing was attached to the fact that most of the practitioners use some kind of thread, pretty much all. If we invited someone who was purely doing pottery or something, we said, can you incorporate a little bit of string somewhere, just a little bit. And it worked.”

Zooey Korhonen who works with Robyn on A Common Thread spoke about the artist:

“Robyn is hard to sum up in just a few sentences, she is a woman of many skills and passions, but at the centre of it all is art, teaching and community. People gravitate to her, at all ages and from all walks of life.

“A Common Thread was born of many chats between Robyn and the creative people she is surrounded by, and has brought together a cohort of artists and creatives who are each in their own rights impressive. That cohort is now opening up to Make & Mingle meet ups, which is a perfect example of the ripples of inspiration and connection that expand around her. In her own practice Robyn is likewise diverse, you may see her stitching, printing, painting or costume making and beyond. If you can think it, you bet Robyn can make it or find a creative use for it. All the while being able to engage the most reluctant people in the discussion and appreciation of the beauty and creative spirit that can be found in people.”

A Common Thread can be seen in Leeton Art Gallery around February 2027.

‘Frost and drought’ - Robyn Hutchinson, acrylic on canvas

Robyn has never felt isolated in her art practice, even in regional areas, so her final words are on connection and advice for new artists.

“Something I'd say is, pick your people. Don't be upset when you pick the wrong person and nothing happens. There are always connections and networks to tap into and create. I don't think there's any reason to be discouraged. Just try a little bit of something you really enjoy. Don't give yourself a goal. Don't give yourself boundaries. And just see what happens.”

How fitting that the best kind of creative advice Robyn can give everyone for their own art practice is so warm and open: Pick your art of choice and ‘just see what happens’.

Article by Mel Ifield, 13.11.2026, Commissioned by Western Riverina Arts.

AI Declaration: No AI was used in the writing of this article.