Robert Tomlin

-By T. Bennison

Ever met a guy who’s got it all figured out? I don’t mean a guy who thinks he’s got it all figured out - there are plenty of those around - but a guy who wears the unmistakable grin of one who rides life daily and refuses to philosophize from the shore.

This guy’s never preachy, he’s just excited to spread the key to his happiness in hopes that it may rub off on you, and it usually does. More often than not, he’s incredibly talented, and his work, his play, and his art are inseparable. I’ve met a few of these guys in my life, many around these parts, and I’m sure the Dalai Lama is pretty mellow, but Satellite Beach’s Robert Tomlin is a new addition to my list of enlightened individuals. Minus the flowing robes, of course.

Living by one of his family mottoes, Tomlin keeps it simple, and that’s the secret behind his grin. Everything he does seems guided by this principle. It enables him to juggle work as a skilled carpenter, raise a family, surf, fish, and still find time to create some of the most unique Floridian folk art we’ve come across. Another of his mottoes is more specific: “Do what you love, work hard, and enjoy yourself.” “All I wanted to do as a kid was surf and work on my art,” he told me, “and I’ve been doing it now for 43 years.”
Everything about Tomlin springs from the water. When he wasn’t surfing or fishing during his Fort Pierce youth, he was busy scouring the beaches for driftwood, sand dollars, shells, and bits of coral for his art work. A stint repairing dings in the old Sol surf shop afforded Tomlin extra time at the resin table where he made his first pieces, one of which is an intricately inlaid wall hanging, made up of almost 100 different bits of wood and decorated with finds from these walks. Later creations consisting of 500 sections take the form of beautiful mirrors, the construction of which he likens to piecing together huge jigsaw puzzles. A meeting with an old man during this time inspired him to keep going. “He was just this guy who made things, wooden wheelbarrows and stuff, and that was part of what I wanted to do,” he says. “I just decided to continue on and take it with me. Plus, I thought it might be a great way to supplement my old age income.”

A look around the garage workshop of his lushly-landcaped property reveals the tools of his trade: tackle boxes, surfboards, lathes, saws, brushes, and cans of paint and varnish, and glance around his home reveals the fruit of his labors, the most striking and original of which are his hand-crafted fish sculptures. Though a few of them stay true to their models’ natural coloring, others, like his newest creation, a fanciful hog fish, are flecked with vibrant pinks, yellows, and blues, or like the toothed grouper, spotted and swirled with splashes of pastels. Whether they’re dolphin, mahi-mahi, snook, or wahoo, Tomlin draws each one out, carves the body usually from a piece of pine, cuts and shapes the fins separately, and paints them with acrylics. Lastly, each is coated with a marine varnish to withstand the elements, making them perfect decorations for pool patios and verandahs, but they look great inside, too. Each has its own individual identity, and is sure to age well like any heirloom with an interesting story behind it.

What began as appreciative gifts for friends and neighbors, returns for favors, and presents for holidays and other events, has now become a popular local collectible. Though some fish might reflect the personality of the recipient or a flash of outdoor inspiration, Tomlin also caters to what his customers want, and each piece can be customized to fit their tastes.

His ingenious “Ko-Ko Byrd” creations may very well eclipse the success of his fish. Fashioned from the coconuts which fall from the leaning trees around his home, they stand on small pilings and hang from bamboo perches. They were a big hit at what was, unbelievably, his second only art show appearance, and my good-natured needling of him to pursue those types of showcases more fully was met with that tell-tale grin, as if to say: “If it happens, it happens; if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.” “They make people smile,” Tomlin says, “and that’s all I really care about.” Part of him prefers to keep it between friends. “Otherwise,” he muses, “it might take the fun out of it. But what ever makes people happy, makes me happy.”
If we have anything to do with it, Tomlin’s life will get busier and perhaps more complex, as he churns out pieces for a host of new admirers. Yet whatever transpires, rest assured he’ll be keeping it simple.
Visit www.roberttomlin.com to view more of his work. He can be emailed at: info@roberttomlin.com for information on purchasing his pieces and submitting custom work requests, or you can call him at: (321) 779-8867. A shameless plug for Tomlin’s web designer Steve Monroe, fits well here. Through his Boodapotamus Productions, he builds a great website. Visit www.boodapotamus.com to see more.