Young at Art

We used to pity the retirees who cling to work by greeting Walmart customers with gummy smiles or consulting for their old companies. Then, we remembered the alternative usually involves golf carts, plaid pants, and adult diapers. Eek. When former Phoenix advertising exec David Robb retired, he turned work into...
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We used to pity the retirees who cling to work by greeting Walmart customers with gummy smiles or consulting for their old companies. Then, we remembered the alternative usually involves golf carts, plaid pants, and adult diapers. Eek.

When former Phoenix advertising exec David Robb retired, he turned work into a grand adventure. He restored a dilapidated villa in Mexico and then took up painting. “I hate the ‘R’ word,” he says. “Arts have always been a part of my life. The house project was a bridge between the corporate world and fine art.”

Robb makes his painting debut in the solo exhibit “Crossing Borders,” currently on display. Though Robb officially retired from creative design, you can still see the ad world’s influence in his bold, graphic depictions of nature. “I spend a lot of time on composition,” he adds. “I really sweat the details before I start.”

Guess old habits do die hard.

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