Rob Hartshorn

Portrait Artist and Painter of Fine Art

An Artist’s Path

As a fourth-generation artist, I have spent over five decades refining my craft as a portrait artist and a painter of fine art . While my artistic journey has explored many forms, I have found my true home in portraiture and the human figure. For more than 40 years, my work has been featured in galleries, private collections, and cultural events across Cleveland, Ohio and the U.S.

Inspiration

Light fascinates me—its ability to sculpt the body and reveal quiet emotion. My paintings embrace chiaroscuro, using restrained forms and negative space to create depth and atmosphere. Some describe my style as “academic with a modernist twist” or “minimalist”, but for me, painting is simply an expression of beauty.

Craft

I specialize in oil portraiture, working on linen and triple-primed canvas using Old Masters glazing techniques. A limited palette allows me to capture subtle nuances, gestures, and expressions, bringing each subject to life. These traditional methods for a portrait art ensure a compelling likeness in my commissioned portraits, which include:

• Executives, religious leaders, politicians, and judges

• Civic figures, family portraits, and legacy commissions

Creative Exploration

Beyond being a portrait artist and fine art painter, my work spans atmospheric realist landscapes, elegant figure studies, industrial abstracts, and panoramic photo etchings. I explore various media, including oils, acrylics, pastels, charcoal, watercolors, and photography.

When painting the human figure in the style of classical realism, I seek untrained models—individuals whose posture, gestures, and presence tell an authentic story; “Artists look for subjects who reveal their inner world through the quiet language of their body—a fleeting pose, a subtle shift of weight, the tension between stillness and motion.”

A Life in Art

Art is both my career and passion. In 2000, I founded Hartshorn Studios in Ohio, where I have operated galleries, studios, art classes, art walks, and cultural events. My first retail gallery opened in Tremont on Professor Avenue, followed by locations at 78th Street Studios and the Brownhoist Building.

Today, I paint from my home studio overlooking Doan Brook and Ambler Park in historic Belgian Village, near Cleveland, Ohio’s University Circle. On most 78th Street Third Fridays, you’ll find me at Bill Forester’s Facing Forward Gallery.

My award-winning paintings as portrait artist and painter of fine art are featured in museums, galleries, and private and corporate collections from Los Angeles to New York, London, Beijing, and Cleveland, Ohio.