New Nudes- lines, shapes, colors.

Last week I attended a drawing salon at the beautiful SEO studio in Oakland hosted by Sarah Owen.  

I started with quick sketches on vellum. 

I started with quick sketches on vellum. 

I love seeing the new shapes when the two drawing came together. 

I love seeing the new shapes when the two drawing came together. 

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Moving to paint changed the line quality but let me explore the shapes more.  

Moving to paint changed the line quality but let me explore the shapes more.  

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This is my favorite from the evening, even though it's the least figurative.  

This is my favorite from the evening, even though it's the least figurative.  

Pencil on vellum sketches, 8.5 x 11 inches $20.00

Watercolor on paper, 8.5 x 11 inches $30.00

Email patti@artpatti.com to purchase or see the entire series.

A day on the Yuba

If you have been following my work you know that Hunter Island has been my main focus, and also a pretty emotionally heavy project. As I mine my own past and try to excavate both the most emotionally powerful and cathartic stuff, I find myself being drawn to taking breaks and making work outside of that framework. It's about striking a balance in my practice: sometimes it's real talk, sometimes it can just be flowers. 

I was happy I decided to bring my watercolor kit with me to explore the Yuba. To be honest, I bring it everywhere but rarely actually get to painting. But this time the warm rocks and the cool water gave me a chance to just stare at the world and try to absorb and process some of the shapes and colors around me.  

Hunter Island comes to NYC.

Father's Day 2016. 

I flew into New York City from Oakland on the redeye. I flew over all the places I have been writing about and painting about in Hunter Island in just a few moments. 

Whenever I come back  I brace myself. I prepare for that feeling of being underwater, of being unable to breathe. That feeling which inspired this whole project. This time, strangely, that feeling did not come. 

This Father's Day, I had a plan.

I had 1000 feet of rope in my backpack and printed booklets of all work. I would go to a few of the locations most important to me and my dad: Roosevelt Island and North 8th Park.  I'd create buoys attached to the 1000 feet of rope and attach them to the places described in each booklet. In some way, I believe that in this gesture he is finding these buoys, floating 1000 feet above us in the alternate reality I have created for him. I also fear that this alternate reality is not so distant. That as artists we need to start preparing our work to be waterproof. Disaster-proof. To mark the stories and places most important to us in ways that will outlast us. 

I couldn't believe how quickly people started interacting with the work. This couple spent 10 minutes passing it back forth, talking about it, taking photos. 

They even left a note:

It made the whole trip, the whole project feel worth it. I can't wait to come back and do the rest.  

You can follow the progress of the project here: HUNTER ISLAND. 

What are Negative Paintings?

My method is best explained visually; 

I start with a regular photo.

I start with a regular photo.

I digitally invert the colors to get a negative, at this point the picture resembles a film negative.

I digitally invert the colors to get a negative, at this point the picture resembles a film negative.

I simply paint what I see on this inverted photo. Sometimes I even do it "blind" and guess what the inverted colors would be. Helps to have a color wheel memorized.  

I simply paint what I see on this inverted photo. Sometimes I even do it "blind" and guess what the inverted colors would be. Helps to have a color wheel memorized.  

This is the final print. I photograph the painting and then invert the colors again to get this. 

This is the final print. I photograph the painting and then invert the colors again to get this.