Tobin Eckian has been an artist and a musician for over 30 years. Locally her work is shown exclusively at Chameleon, and she also sells online in her Etsy Shop. Tobin’s eclectic studio is located on Liberty Street, though she splits her time between Newburyport and Newton New Hampshire.
Eckian’s studio is filled with her colorful artwork and a variety of musical instruments. She’s been teaching music for over 25 years, and her Newburyport studio has a been in consistent opperation for the last 5. She works individually with children and adults teaching piano, guitar, and fiddle (which she explains is violin in a different style). Eckian also is part of a group run by famed musician Eaman Coyne that plays at the Port Tavern on Wednesday evenings. Eckian has a lot of students that attend the event weekly to hear her play. She says it, “creates a real vitality to have a weekly session, its a real treasure to have that in our city”.
Eckian’s paintings are colorful and whimsical expressions of her passion for all things furry and feathered. Dogs in particular play a large part in her work. They take on expressions not unlike inquisitive children, which makes them all the more endearing. In addition to painting on canvas, she hand paints soft sculptures of her animal inspirations. Like in her paintings some are dogs she owns or the pets of friends or neighbors, but sometimes a pretend animal comes to life like a “bunny/bear” or other combination of her choosing.
Eckian was trained as an expressive art therapist at Leslie college and feels its helped her as both a teacher and an artist.
Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Eckian has always felt a pull to the East Coast. She remembers her mother reading her a book about a painter and a fiddler who lived on the East Coast. Eckian smiled remembering her mother reading the book and laughed when she told us that she recently found the book and has been enjoying reading it again.
Her work is inspired by her life here in Newburyport which she says is “enlived” by a city where art is so prevelant. She likes being able to walk everywhere and enjoys riding her bike around town as well.
We hope you’ll stop by Chameleon to see her work or stop by the Port Tavern to enjoy some Irish music on Wednesday evenings.
