Biography
Born
to a family of seven, in Alabama, I traveled to Taos, New Mexico in 1974
and have made it my home since 1980. I live in Des Montes, a rural community
outside of Taos with my wife, Carmen and our two children, who attend
college. We built our home and studio compound nestled at the base of
Taos Mountain over a span of twenty-two years. The pitched-roof, log houses
have housed much northern New Mexico creative spirit.
Artist's Statement
“All that exists is a venue for art. I see it, I feel it — I just begin to draw it and good things happen. I work without the rational mind and paint from the zen of ‘no mind’.”
“There is nothing that you can't draw if you just try.”
I set out to prove this philosophy each time I approach a blank canvas or an inky black plate, prepared for a monoprint. It is an attitude invigorated by confidence and tempered by a clear understanding of the world of light and shadow. I waste little time in considering what I have chosen to create. Instead I observe and then vigorously interpret. The process of painting is to go with the development as it happens. Notice the changes and respond to these. Paintings become fresh for the artist and the viewer.
My strength lies in the absence of timidity in my stroke and my reverence for materials. I prefer to drop vulnerabilities and reservations for aggressive movement and spontaneity, arresting the most out of what the process and the materials have to offer.
Oils
Broad brushstrokes and lines of brilliant color attest to an all-or-nothing technique. I like to push the brush around, picking up the paint and dragging it across the canvas, transforming color into texture. Frequent use of palette knives enhances spontaneity and texture.
Monotypes
My aggressive approach translates best in monoprints, a process that
requires me to roll black ink onto a sheet of Plexiglas and then work
through the ink with my fingers, a stick wrapped in cotton, or even a
wad of rags. I work quickly and directly, often brushing on a lacquer
‘cocktail’ that reacts to his drawn surface, throwing the
work into a constant chemical reaction. Once I see the image arrive on
the plate I will position paper over it and roll it through a press, creating
a unique, one-of-a-kind print.
Education
2001 - 2005 University of New Mexico-Taos; Taos, New Mexico
1989 Taos Institute of Art; Taos, New Mexico
1974 - 1997 University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill, North Carolina
1973 - 1974 US Naval Academy; Annapolis, Maryland
Awards
Artisan Materials Award; National Watercolor Show; Taos Art Museum 2006
Patrons Choice Award; Taos Invites Taos 2002
Best of Show; Taos Invites Taos 2001
Pat's
works can be seen at Waxlander Gallery, 622 Canyon Road.
Hours: 9:30-5:30 daily. (505) 984-2202 or (800) 342-2202.