November 17, 2005

New Almaden’s ‘Renaissance Man’ takes on any
artistic endeavor that comes his way

Whether sculpting, drawing or playing music,
Rob D’Spain enjoys artistic process

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

There’s a new artist exhibit at the New Almaden Quicksil-ver Mining Museum. And it all happened by a “happy accident.”

Stevens Creek’s Rob D’Spain and Steve Hopper play “musical sex” with their rock ‘n country blues band at City Lights in Santa Clara. Photo courtesy of Rob D’Spain

“Someone told me about an artist who did serpentine carvings up in the hills and the next thing I know he walks into the museum bringing his sculptures,” said Quicksilver Mining Museum park interpreter Terri Sanislo-Williams.

“I call Rob D’Spain the ‘butterfly,’ because he breezes in and out. And he’s as talented as the day is long.”

D’Spain’s love of art came early. The Bay area native can’t remember a time when he didn’t draw. He was so talented at a young age, his third and fourth grade teachers would ask the boy to sketch in class for his fellow students. A self-taught artist, he attended DeAnza College, where he studied engineering, followed by a four-year stint in the Navy during the Vietnam era, where he mastered the guitar.

From driving a propane truck to working at University Art Center, D’Spain finally found his niche as a commercial artist. Some of his work included creating a bicentennial logo for Santa Clara County and an award-winning poster for American Airlines. But D’Spain’s first love is drawing with pencil. As a child he wanted to be an architect and part of that dream did come true. By trade he does architectural renderings of houses and commercial buildings.

Rob D’Spain poses at the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum with his painting of one of the chimneys that remain in the hills. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

The New Almaden resident always has a sketchbook and pencil in hand, recreating the scenes that circle his life, especially anything involving wildlife. His current creations are smooth serpentine eggs and mushrooms mounted on the rough rendition of granite. Other sculptures are of spiders crafted of wood with guitar strings as legs and presented in perfect shaped boxes to match the arachnids.

But D’Spain is not limited to sculptures. At the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, his acrylic painting of the huge chimney that still remains in the hills above the building from the mine’s hey-day. And philanthropically, D’Spain donated the items to the museum. In the past, he has designed book covers, children’s books, birdcages, sculptures of people and animals and wind chimes. He recently showcased his carvings and his latest painting of eagles in flight at the Quicksilver Mining Museum’s Yuletide Bazaar.

“But that’s my day job,” said the easy going D’Spain about the fine detailed architectural drawings. “I get tired of doing the same thing and it morphs into something else. And every Christmas I have to come up with something new for gifts for everyone. I’d rather give my art to someone I know who will enjoy it.”

D’Spain claims he gets his talent and artistic drive from his father, who was also an artist.

“He says he took after me,” said D’Spain. “There was lots of art and music in my family.”

And speaking of music, that’s another passion of D’Spain that happened by a “happy accident.”

Rob D’Spain’s serpentine sculptures and spiders were a hit at the recent New Almaden Yuletide Bazaar. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

He was introduced to fellow musician, Steve Hopper 12 years ago, through a mutual friend. Since then the duo formed a group they call Stevens Creek [where the two were introduced] and have played at coffee shops like City Lights, Cup a Joes and Twin Creeks, as well as weddings and parties. Fans turn out to hear their take on rock and country-blues tunes. Their next gig is at Canyon Inn in Redwood City Jan. 3. And not surprisingly, D’Spain writes some of the music himself.

“Rob has a special magic with the visual arts as well as his music,” said fellow musician Hopper. “Rob calls what we have ‘musical sex.’ When we first met, we played for about 15 minutes when someone came up to us and asked us to play for them. We knew we had to hook up.”

“The best thing about Rob is his creativity,” Hopper continued. “Whether it’s a rock or a stick, he can make something beautiful. He’s a genius in the pure sense of the word. And it’s the same with his music.”

“I’m never bored,” said D’Spain. “There are a lot of things I want to do like hang gliding and parachuting. [With my art] I’d like to do something really big like carving in a mountain, something that will last long after I’m gone.”

When D’Spain isn’t drawing, sculpting or playing music, he lives in New Almaden’s Twin Creeks area where for the past seven years several feral cats have adopted him.

To see Rob D’Spain’s sculptures and paintings, visit the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum at 21350 Almaden Rd., San Jose. (408) 323-1107. They are open Fri. 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.