the art studio of
home
Welcome to my website! My name is Jason Robichau and for the past seven years I have been pursuing a career that incorporates two of my passions: sports and art. I have always been fascinated with recreating athletes that have the ability to captivate and inspire millions of people on a daily basis. Over the years I have come up with a unique style of painting that truly captures the essence of these athletes. With each painting, there are hours upon hours of work breaking down the athlete to find out the intricacies that define that athlete. My paintings incorporate elements of mosaic and perspective to achieve a form of realism that I call illusionism. With tiny hand-painted squares, I fashion works that change from collage to image as one moves away from them. In addition to my illusionism style, I have also begun working in a style of using metallic gold and bronze paint that gives my artwork and modern yet timeless feel. I hope that you enjoy the tour of my website and I hope that you will email me your comments on my artwork.
Sincerely,
gallery
Illusionism
Gallery
Metallic
Portrait
Other Paintings
meet the artist
My name is Jason Robichau and I am a 29-year-old artist from Houston, Texas. All of my life I have had a fascination with recreating life on to a piece of paper. So, naturally, after college (I graduated with a degree in business) I decided to become an artist. However, the road to becoming a successful artist is not paved so I spent approximately one year struggling until I decided that I needed to get a job. I took a job with the Houston Rockets working in sales (the complete opposite lifestyle of an artist). After 8 months I decided that the working world was not for me so I decided to quit my job and pursue my passion and dream in life. Since quitting, over 4 years ago, God has blessed me with many open doors that have brought me around the nation, meeting incredible people. My credo in life is that God has blessed me with the gift of different talents and what I do with those talents is my gift to God. So in turn, I decided to use my talents to help those that are less fortunate. Over the past 4 years have been involved with many different charity events including the Jimmy V Foundation and Celebrity Fight Night (Muhammed Alis charity) in which my paintings have raised over $340,000. In the past few years I have also been commissioned to do paintings for the Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, Houston Comets, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, University of Texas, Duke University, and the Houston Texans.
I view myself as a self-taught artist. Even though I have taken many art classes in my life, I believe that creativity and the ability to create artwork is not something that can be taught. I contribute my progression as an artist to hard work and the simple technique of trial & error. Whenever I get a crazy idea into my head about a new technique or a new subject, I tend to try it out to see where it takes me. I have to be honest though and say that it doesnt always work out as pictured in my head but every once in a while I stumble across something great.
As you will see, a lot of the art that I do deals with the subject of sports. Two of my passions in life are sports and art so I combined the two in which my focus as an artist is sports. However, I do not limit the art that I create to only sports.
about illusionism
Illusionism consists of three-quarter inch squares. The squares are hand-painted with four to eight different colors encompassing each square. Each square has been described as a painting within itself. From up close the paintings are a collage of colors but as you move approximately three feet away, the paintings resemble a photograph. Depending on the size of the painting, there are anywhere from 70 to 100 different colors. In addition, there are 40 to 80 hours of painting involved in creating one of these truly unique paintings.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get started with an Illusionism painting?
I start by sketching out the image that I am painting on illustration board and then grid out the illustration board.
Where do you start the painting?
I generally start at the top left corner and work across like reading a book. So normally, I finish the painting in the bottom right corner. However, some painting require a different strategy.
How long does a painting usually take?
It depends on the size of the painting. To give you a point of reference, a row of 30 squares takes between an hour to an hour and a half. Rows consisting of difficult matters such as the face can take up to two hours.
Are the tiles glued on to the painting?
No, I paint each square onto one piece of board. I generally finish each square before I move on to the next.
Do you ever mess up a square?
All the time! I usually will notice towards the end of the painting problems that I see from the beginning of the painting. The beauty of paint is that you can easily fix your mistakes.
Are there any colors that you do not use in your Illusionism paintings?
My Illusionism paintings will have upwards of 100 different colors in a painting but there is one color that I refuse to use in these paintings: BLACK. I don't use black because it is a "dead" color and doesn't bring
much to the painting. Instead I use dark shades of green, blue, purple, and red to create the illusion of black.
news & appearances
And the Winner is...
After receiving over 1,000 votes, the race for the naming of my newest Duke painting came down to two names. With a mere 15 votes separating the two, the winning vote-getter and permanent name of my Duke Championship painting is Order Has Been Restored!!! Thanks to everyone who voted!
Naming Rights
I need your help in naming my newest painting of the 2010 NCAA Champion Duke Blue Devils. I have narrowed down a list of suggestions to 5 and your vote could help decide the final name of the painting. The choices are:
Order Has Been Restored
One Golden Moment
Fourth
Championship 4.0
Un-FOUR-Gettable
If you would like to cast a vote, click here.
Go Daddy!
I recently completed a painting of Danica Patrick racing in her new GoDaddy sponsored IndyCar. The background features images of her racing career including her first career win, her debut in NASCAR, as well as other highlights. Bob Parson, CEO of GoDaddy, ended up purchasing the painting for his personal collection.
Duke Championship painting
As a huge Duke Basketball fan, as soon as Gordon Heyward's shot fell to the ground, I knew that I had to commemorate this wonderful team and their accomplishment. That night I began searching for pictures and working on a painting featuring the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils. The painting features the entire team along with Coach K as they celebrate with the trophy. The background of the painting features highlights from their run through the tournament. Coach K and his wife Mickie purchased the original painting for their personal collection. There are limited edition giclees and lithographs available so if you are interested, contact the studio. You can check out the painting here.
New Website!
As you can see, I redesigned my website from its original formatting to a new sleek and stylish site. For the most part, things are the same, however, I changed the Gallery section up a bit. Instead of having my artwork in sport categories, I have grouped them into my different styles of painting: Illusionism, Metallic, Portraits, and Other Paintings. I hope that you enjoy the new design!
Christian Art
I have been a Christian for most, if not all, of my life but it wasn't until recently that I felt led to do some Christian artwork. Some needs arose in my church group here in Phoenix that I feel God has led me to act upon through my artwork. I recently completed 10 scripture paintings with proceeds from print sales going into a fund for those members of my church who are struggling through these tough economic times. You can check out my Christian website here: www.jasonrobichauchristianart.com.
Representation
I recently signed on with Axiom Sports & Entertainment to represent me and my artwork. I feel that this is the next step in my career and I look forward to bigger and better things in the future.
Bringing Back the Gold
Once again I participated in Duke Basketball's annual event K Academy. For this years event, Coach Ks daughter, Debbie, and I came up with a great idea for honoring his commitment to the USA Mens National Basketball team. I did a painting of Coach K commemorating the moment in which the entire team put their gold medals around his neck. The background features images from this 4 year process including images of the qualifying teams, the Olympics, and the gold medal celebrations. The original painting was presented to Coach K at the event in appreciation for his service to the team. We sold limited edition giclees autographed by Coach K at the event for $2,000. So far, we have sold 14 prints. If you are interested in purchasing a print, contact the studio.
Fight Night XV
For the fifth year in a row, I took part in the premier charity event in the country, Celebrity Fight Night. For the event, I did a painting of their honoree and first-class gentleman Kurt Warner as well as two more Muhammad Ali paintings. Even with the current economic conditions, the event was a major success and the entertainment was unbelievable. How often can you say that you were in a room of 1,200 and witness Josh Groban and Jordin Sparks do a duet of "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", actor Forest Whitaker singing impromptu, and Jon Bon Jovi do an acoustic set. However, a 16-year-old girl from the Philippines named Sharice stole the show by singing three amazing songs. What a night!
Fiesta Bowl
With the Fiesta Bowl coming to town, I was approached by Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ about doing a sports themed show. It was my first solo show and the turnout was overwhelming. I did an original painting of the game featuring Colt McCoy and Brian Orakpo of the Texas Longhorns along with James Laurinaitis and Terrell Pryor of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Amazingly, most of the visitors of the gallery only like half of the painting. In the end though, my home-state team, the Texas Longhorns, prevailed!
17 and Counting
After winning their record 17th Championship, the Boston Celtics commissioned me to do three paintings for their charity gala. The first two paintings, which I did in my Illusionism style, featured Doc Rivers getting a gatorade bath titled, "Splash" and Kevin Garnett holding the Naismith Trophy titled, "Dreams Do Come True". The third painting featured the entire team along with head coach Doc Rivers hoisting the trophy. The background was littered with images of the NBA Finals. "Ubuntu", which was the team motto for the year, was ultimately purchased by Paul Pierce. However, after the event, the entire team ended up purchasing a canvas print.
Over 300,000 and Still Going...
One of my goals as an artist is to use my God-given talent to help others. With that said, many of my paintings and prints have been used for charity auctions around the country benefitting all different charities from ALS research to cancer research to child mentoring programs. In the four years that I have been painting full time, my paintings have raised over $341,000 for charities around the country. I would like to thank those charities for taking a chance on this starving artist and allowing me to participate in their events. God willing, that number will continue to grow over the years!
Hello Mr. President
Over the years I have been blessed to meet and associate with some of the biggest stars of sport and entertainment. At the Houston Rockets charity event, "Tux & Tennies", I had the immense pleasure of meeting former president George Bush. It was a true honor and I was amazed at what a down-to-earth person he is. I was amazed to see the awe and admiration the Rockets players had towards Mr. Bush. It was the same reaction that kids have towards them.
Not in My House
The Houston Rockets commissioned me to do a painting of their center and revered humanitarian, Mr. Dikembe Mutombo. They wanted me to create a piece that captured the essence of his career. I did a painting of Dikembe doing his signature move after a block: his finger wag. The background was filled with canvas prints of some of the many highlights of his career. On March 26th, the Rockets presented the painting to Dikembe at halftime of the Rockets game versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Stewart Boys
Former NBA center Michael Stewart commissioned me to do a painting of his two young boys as a Christmas gift for his wife. The paint might have still been wet when he presented it to his wife as I finished it just in the nick of time. Due to the time restraints, I wasn't able to get a high resolution picture of the painting but you can view a digital picture of it here.
Free Golf, Count Me In!
As a starving artist, you jump at the chance for free golf, food, & drinks. So when the people at the Tom Lehman Golf Invitational asked me to be apart of their charity tournament and play at the exclusive Troon Golf Course in Phoenix, I accepted. I donated three prints of my latest Tiger Woods painting and with the help of Tom Lehman, they sold for a total of $16,500. It was a great day for this artist although my teammates in the tournament realized that I am better with a brush then I am with a golf club. Sorry guys!
Game Time!
I recently did a painting of five of the main cogs of the Arizona Cardinals offense (Edgerrain James, Larry Fitzgerald, Matt Leinart, Kurt Warner, & Anquan Boldin) for the Arizona Cardinals Charity Gala. The painting titled "Game Time!" depicts the players as they run out to the field. The event was a success and Matt Leinart walked away with the painting. You can check out the painting here.
Boston Three Party
Just after the Boston Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett from the Timberwolves, I received a call from the Celtics asking me if I could do a painting of the Celtics' big three: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett. A couple of months later, I finished the piece titled "Boston Three Party" It was auctioned off at their gala on the 5th of November. Check out the painting here.
Phoenix, Here We Come
My wife and I recently left Texas for the heat of Phoenix, Arizona. My wife is pursuing a doctoral degree at Arizona State University. Imagine that, a starving artist and professional student. How did that happen!
Under Pressure
I have been wanting to do a painting on different thicknesses of canvas for a while now and thanks to the New England Patriots, I was able to fulfill this desire. I did a painting of Tom Brady throwing a pass. The premise of the painting was to create a pocket-like feeling. The painting was done on 4 different canvases. The background canvas was ¾ deep, the Tom Brady canvas was 1 ¾ deep, and the two front canvases were 2 ¾ deep. The painting titled, "Under Pressure" turned out great and was auctioned off at the Patriots Annual Kick-off Gala. Check it out here.
K Academy
As a huge Duke basketball fan, I always look forward to their annual K Academy. For this year's event I did a painting of JJ Redick as well as a painting of Coach K. The JJ Redick painting depicts him shooting his picture perfect jump shot with many of his numerous accomplishments in the background. The Coach K painting depicts him instructing his players as he has done for over 20 years.
Honoring CD
The Houston Rockets contacted me about doing a painting of longtime Rocket Carroll Dawson for his 27 year service to the organization. Dawson started out with the Rockets as an assistant coach and has spent the last 11 years as the General Manager. The painting features Dawson behind his desk with newspaper articles of his major triumphs with the Rockets including the back-to-back championships, trading for Clyde Drexler, drafting Yao Ming, and trading for Tracy McGrady. The painting was given to Dawson at halftime of his retirement day as the Rockets took on the Phoenix Suns.
Fight Night
It was my third year in a row to be apart of one of the premiere charity events in the world, Muhammed Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night". For this year's event, I did a painting of Muhammed Ali in his infamous pose following the knock-out of Sonny Liston in their rematch fight. I aptly titled the painting, "Phantom Punch?" due to the controversial nature of the knock-out. The event was a success and the painting raised $27,500 for the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center. (www.celebrityfightnight.org)
Game Faces
I recently did a painting of the Dallas Mavericks starting five titled, "Game Faces" that was auctioned off at the Mavericks' annual gala Tux & Tennies. The painting was in a bid-off between Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban and Trevor Rees-Jones and was finally purchased for $35,000. In a surprising twist, Mark lost out in the bidding war to Trevor. What happened Mark? You can view the painting here.
Spring Training: The Art of Baseball
My latest painting of Lou Gehrig will be part of the "Spring Training: The Art of Baseball" exhibit at the George Krevsky Gallery in San Francisco. The exhibit opens on March 15th and runs through April 28th. Other notable artist in this exhibit include Arthur Miller, Jon Francis, Gerald Purdy, Vincent Scilla, and Curtis Wright.
(www.georgekrevskygallery.com)
Dream Come True
For the last 17 years or so, I have been a huge Duke basketball fan (some may say obsessed is a better description). Thanks to Duke Assistant Coach Chris Collins and his gracious wife Kim, my wife and I were able to attend the Duke/North Carolina game in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Feb. 7th. It was amazing! The atmosphere inside Cameron is unlike anything that I have ever experienced and those Cameron Crazies truly live up to their name. Even though Duke lost in an intense and thrilling game, the experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I will never forget. You can view pictures from the game here!
Say My Name ESPN!
During a break in the action of the Texas A&M/Texas game on Feb. 5th, ESPN did a brief story on the previous year's game while highlighting my painting "The Shot". Dick Vitale, as well as the sideline reporter, had great things to say about the painting but unfortunately, failed to mention my name. However, folks around the country were still able to track me down and my website had a record high in visits and page views.
It's the Law!
I have been commissioned by Texas A&M University to do a painting of Acie Law IVs game-winning shot last year against the Texas Longhorns. The first 10,000 fans at Reed Arena on Feb. 5th will receive a print of the painting as the Aggies take on the Longhorns.
The Umphreys
I was commissioned by my alma mater, Lamar University, to do a painting for their new recreational center. The painting featured Walter and Sheila Umphrey (the namesake of the center).
The Luckiest Man...Aren't We All
I am teaming up with several ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) organizations in order to raise money to fight this debilitating disease. Proceeds from every print of my "The Luckiest Man...Aren't We All" painting will go to these worthy ALS organizations. Order yours today!
The Art of Sports
I was the featured artist at the Arizona Cardinals charity gala "The Art of Sports" on October 14. The Cardinals featured giclee prints of my Michael Jordan, John Elway, and "The Art of the Hand-off" paintings as well as lithographs of "Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee" and Lance Armstrong paintings.
All the Way to the Banks
Phoenix Suns guard Marcus Banks commissioned me to do two paintings of him for his personal collection. The paintings featured Marcus in the jerseys of each of the NBA teams that he has played for.
You Gotta Have Faith and Tim
The Toyota Center in Houston commissioned me to do a painting of country music superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw as they came to town for their 2006 Soul2Soul II tour. I decided to paint the two individually using metallic paint. Take a look at the presentation of the paintings here.
The Golden Boy
Olympic Gold Medal Winning Speedskater Chad Hedrick and I teamed up to raise money for a very worthy family. Lisa Cox and her husband Rudy have accrued thousands of dollars in medical debt due to a debilitating brain disorder that has left Lisa totally disabled in a nursing home. I did a painting of Chad holding an American flag after he won a gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino. Check out a picture of Chad and I with the painting. The painting will be auctioned off on EBay, so please make a bid on it!
Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee
For the second year in a row, I took part in Muhammed Alis charity event Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix. For the event, I did a painting featuring Ali in fight in which I titled it Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bee. I also did a painting featuring John Elway completing a pass in Super Bowl XXXII. The paintings raised $17,000 for Parkinsons research. (www.celebrityfightnight.org)
A Legendary Night
The Houston Rockets commissioned me to do a painting commemorating the Rockets legends for the 2006 All-Star game in Houston. The painting included Hakeem Olajuwon, Rudy T, Clyde Drexler, Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, and Calvin Murphy. Check out the painting here.
Celtic Pride
I was commissioned by the Boston Celtics to paint a picture depicting the past, present, & future of the Boston Celtics. A painting featuring Bob Cousy, Paul Pierce, and Al Jefferson was auctioned off at the Celtics Annual Tip-Off Dinner for $50,000. The painting was purchased by one of the Celtics owners.
For the second year in a row, I was commissioned by Duke University to paint two works of art for the K Academy. The two paintings raised $10,000 for the Emily Krzyzewski Family Life Center (www.emilyk.org).
patrons
Steve Wojciechowski
Clyde Drexler
Hakeem Olajuwon
Muhammed Ali
Chad Hedricks
Dirk Nowitzki
Marcus Banks
JJ Redick
Carroll Dawson
Ray Allen
Dikembe Mutombo
Josh Beckett
Brandon Webb
2008 Champion Boston Celtics
Red Auerbach
Rudy Tomjanovich
Shane Battier
Grant Hill
David Duval
Britney Spears
Jim Kelly
Mike Dunleavy
Paul Pierce
Calvin Murphy
Elvin Hayes
Emmitt Smith
Bob Cousy
Tim McGraw
Acie Law IV
Keith Urban
Chris & Kim Collins
Matt Leinart
Mark Cuban
Jason Williams
Roger Clemens
Cynthia Cooper
Sheryl Swoopes
Tina Thompson
Yao Ming
Fleetwood Mac
Faith Hill
Mike Krzyzewski
contact the studio
illusionism gallery
Muhammad Ali painting 20x40"
Tiger Woods painting 30x40"
Michael Jordan painting 26x40"
Michael Phelps painting 21.5x33"
Red Auerbach painting 22x28"
Lance Armstrong painting 22.5x39"
Lebron James painting 23.25x33"
Pebble Beach painting 21.5x33"
Michael Jordan painting 22.5x39"
Tom Brady painting 30x40"
Tedy Bruschi painting 24x36"
Doc Rivers painting 24x30"
Muhammad Ali painting 24x30"
Roger Clemens painting 24x30"
Kurt Warner painting 24x36"
Magic Johnson painting 24x30"
Shane Battier painting 22x28"
Grant Hill painting 22x28"
Brandon Webb painting 24x30"
Sandy Koufax painting 24x30"
Lance Armstrong painting 16x24"
Jack Nicklaus painting 22x28"
Tiger Woods painting 22x28"
David Duval painting 22x28"
Emmitt Smith painting 24x30"
Yao Ming painting 22x28"
Faith Hill painting 24x30"
Jennifer Love Hewitt painting 28x28"
Stewart Boys painting 18x24"
The Umphreys painting 22x28"
metallic gallery
Muhammad Ali painting 44x48" (3 Canvases w/Different Depths)
Lou Gehrig painting 24x36"
Lou Gehrig painting 30x40"
Boston Celtics painting 26x40"
Duke Basketball painting 26x40"
Muhammad Ali painting 24x36"
Tiger Woods painting 24x36"
Jack Nicklaus painting 24x36"
New England Patriots painting 40x54" (4 canvases)
Arizona Cardinals painting 26x40"
Pittsburgh Steelers painting 24x34"
Justin Upton painting 24x36"
Roger Clemens painting 30x40"
Boston Celtics painting 30x40"
Danica Patrick Painting 24x36"
Muhammad Ali painting 3 16x36" Canvases
Muhammad Ali painting 30x40"
Dallas Mavericks painting 26x40"
Dallas Mavericks painting 30x40"
Sandy Koufax painting 24x36"
Andre Johnson painting 3 24x30" Canvases
Coach K painting 24x30"
JJ Redick painting 24x36"
Mike Krzyzewski painting 24x36"
Chamberlain/ Russell painting 34x34"
John Elway painting 24x30"
Dikembe Mutombo painting 24x30"
Acie Law painting 24x36"
12th Man Statue painting 24x36"
Rockets Legends painting 36x48"
Andrew Jones painting 16x20"
Arnold Palmer painting 16x20"
Barry Bonds painting 24x48"
Vince Young painting 24x36"
Dirk Nowitzki painting 24x36"
Paul Pierce painting 20x36"
Tracy McGrady painting 22x28"
Tim McGraw painting 24x24"
Faith Hill painting 24x24"
other paintings gallery
San Antonio Spurs painting 25x35"
Andre Johnson painting 22x28"
Cynthia Cooper painting 22x28"
University of Texas painting 22x28"
Duke Legends painting 36x48"
Bill Russell painting 16x20"
Rockets Season Tickets painting 18x24
Houston Comets painting 16x30"
Yao Ming painting 18x28"
Tracy McGrady painting 24x36"
Houston Texans painting 36x48"
Superman painting 22x28"
Rudy Tomjanovich painting 24x36"
Mark McGwire painting 22x28"
Jim Kelly painting 16x36"
Dirk Nowitzki painting 22x28"
David Carr painting 18x24"
Comets Timeline painting 12x36"
portriat gallery
Mickey Mantle painting 24x36"
Babe Ruth painting 24x36"
Muhammed Ali painting 24x36"
jasonROBICHAU
The Art Studio of jasonROBICHAU
1916 North 77th Glen
Phoenix, AZ 85035
409.351.3123
jasonrobichau_hotmail.com
© Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved. Jason Robichau.
A member of the illusionism family.
