As a painter he was a failure, but as an aroma-therapy candle maker, Paul Robinett is a success and has become an Internet celebrity.
Robinett opened an art gallery in the Short North art district of Columbus seven years ago. He rented the smallest gallery in the Short North to sell his work.
“The Short North is not an easy place to own a business,” Robinett said.
To create art that would be more popular with the art district, Robinett chose candles as a way to create art. His candles soon became a success. Along with his candle gallery, he has become an Internet celebrity on YouTube, a video-sharing community, and has invented a canopy chair.
The Paul Robinett Candle Store can be found at 7 Buttles Ave. in the Short North district. The store’s seven year anniversary took place during the Gallery Hop Saturday night. There was live jazz music outside and a bustling crowd inside. An employee gave presentations on how their eight-ounce candles are made. Each candle has a black and white label and the shelves they are placed on transform the walls into art.
“Instead of paintings covering my gallery walls, candles do,” Robinett said.
The candle store also has an “aromatherapy candle menu” with 70 fragrances to choose from. Each scent has a name and number. Menus are handed to visitors listing all 70 scents, with names such as 15.Grass.Simplicity, 62.Apple.Insight and 46.Rosemary.Rapture.
Robinett’s business is not only successful in Ohio, but worldwide. He has been able to reach audiences and friends outside of Ohio’s borders because of YouTube.
“I stumbled across YouTube on accident, I was just responding to a video I thought was funny,” he said.
His alias, “Renetto,” has become the 10th most popular YouTube account . His videos have been viewed 3 million times. Robinett has been offered to star in four television shows because of his Internet star status. “The whole world is watching YouTube,” Robinett said.
This gallery shop owner and Internet celebrity is also an inventor. Robinett has invented a canopy chair under the name “Renetto”.
“Because of my YouTube site, I can be seen all over the world,” Robinett said.
The chairs were outside his shop during the Gallery Hop, and visitors were trying them out. They were also being used to sit and wait until shoppers left so the next group could fit in.
“Without the Internet, I would not have the same popularity I have today,” he said.
By the looks of his popularity, he may need to open a bigger store. The crowd coming and going from his shop was steady throughout the night.
With a little help from his laptop and a Web cam, Robinett is traveling the world with his creations. To see what Robinett is all about, visit paulrobinett.com, renettochair.com and youtube.com.
