Robert Tino is a world-renowned painter and a Sevierville native. A staple in the Smoky Mountains for nearly 30 years, Tino has left a lasting impression on the art industry. New customers and collectors visit his gallery to take home their own pieces of the Smokies.
Using oil, acrylic, and watercolor to capture the Smoky Mountain scenery, he creates original, high-quality, and captivating works of art. His national and international reach is remarkable. During your next trip, you can take home a Tino masterpiece!
Visiting the Robert A Tino Gallery
The farmhouse, with its commanding presence, welcomes visitors as they arrive in Sevierville. The gallery overlooks Winfield Dunn Parkway, otherwise known as Highway 66. Millions of motorists pass by as they head into Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg.
Close to Hobby Lobby, Home Goods, and Publix, the Robert A Tino Gallery is a breath of fresh mountain air amid the hustle and bustle. The outside world seems to vanish as guests approach the sprawling front porch. The home’s exterior charm prepares you for the change of scenery inside.
Inside the gallery, guests can tour the rooms of framed prints, original paintings, and other items. Undoubtedly, visitors will fall in love with the architectural details of the home. Built in 1844 and renovated in 1880, this historic home will thrill anyone who loves history and old homes.
When Tino is not in his nearby studio, he is often at the gallery greeting guests and helping with purchases. Meeting the artist is a treat! Visit on Saturdays for the highest chance of meeting Tino. He is personable and gracious, and you can see his calm personality shining through his captivating artwork.
Click here for a local’s guide to visiting the gallery.
Before departing, view the historical marker on the estate. This marker commemorates the works of former slave Lewis Buckner. He was a craftsman and artisan who created elaborate furniture, trim work, mantels, and staircases in an ornate Victorian style. In addition to keeping a table and a large corner cabinet in the home for over one hundred years, the property’s owners have preserved the interior and exterior features created by Buckner.
Get to Know Robert Tino
Robert Tino’s family is from Bristol, TN although they moved to Sevierville early in his life. He attended Sevier County High School and the University of Tennessee.
Robert and his wife Mary John give back to the local community in many ways. Along with being a light in the Smoky Mountain community, their philanthropic efforts include partnerships with Friends of the Smokies and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
Tino also lends his artwork to Leadership Sevier, Leadership Tomorrow, and Smoky Mountain Youth Leadership. These organizations enrich the Smoky Mountain community by inspiring and informing leaders and upcoming leaders. Graduates of these programs receive a framed diploma featuring Tino’s artwork.
The Works of Local Artist Robert Tino
Some of the most iconic artists in history painted in realism, impressionism, or abstraction styles. The realism technique reflects how scenes appear to the artist’s eye. In impressionism, lighting and landscapes are portrayed with casual and defined brush strokes. Abstraction includes a range of principles including movement and contrast. Tino combines all these qualities into his unique artistic style. The result is a vivid yet serene painting that transports viewers into the Smoky Mountains.
Tino ventures into the landscape to sketch rough drafts, finishing the paintings in his studio. Sometimes he paints from memory or uses a photograph as a guide. At other times he paints an entire piece on site, capturing the details stroke by stroke.
Via his imaginative mind and artistic talent, he interprets the Smoky Mountain environment in a way that captivates his clients. His diverse catalog of work includes bears, florals, and water scenes, but he is most famous for his stunning mountainscapes. Using his signature technique of meshing transparent watercolors and gouache (pronounced “gwash”,) Tino captures the current mood of the landscape in a way that touches the heart of those who view it.
“I love nature and have always been inspired by nature,” Tino shared when asked how his home area has inspired his art and business. “Business-wise, the great thing is the number of people that come here. I have paintings all over the world because people visit the Smoky Mountains.”
Tino’s collection of work also includes holiday and seasonal scenes, landscapes with buildings, and abstract and contemporary images. His talents are not limited to one genre.
Planning your Next Trip to Sevierville, TN
Read Robert Tino’s biography here. Shop his collection of prints and original paintings here and visit the Robert A. Tino gallery during your next trip to Sevierville. Click here to start planning!
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Authored in Appalachia || Amy Morton
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