ARTIST STATEMENT

I am a painter of journeys.  In my figurative work, I paint those who I have a shared history with or whom I feel a connection.  This work often delves into transitions in their lives and within our dynamic.  In my plein air landscapes , the journey is mine alone as I interact with nature’s wonder.

As an oil painter I portray people in my life.   A relationship will develop over the course of a painting. These connections are the ones that reveal themselves through a pose, or an expression. Placement in a particular background may be paramount to the mood of the painting.  My subject may come from my close circle of friends or an acquaintance with whom I’ve interacted with and am drawn to explore further. Challenge of the medium and the emotional connection create a dynamic as I seek to find an emotional connection.  I am reaching outward to translate the lives of my subjects, searching for where they are in their journey and transitions they are experiencing.  I find my own emotions are revealed, leading to a deeper connection with the painting and my subject.

 This series of transition paintings has inspired me to look closely at my tribe and to inquire more deeply into the transitions they are involved in and how I can arrange for them to sit for a portrait, or a photo session.  Life is a series of transitions that one may not recognize in the flux of confidence and self.  As an artist, translating these complex emotions, I aspire to bring a sensitivity to my work.  

Landscape painting en plein air,  is the sanctuary where I find peace amongst the solitude, saturated in verdant colors of the north eastern terrain. The spirit of nature infuses my energy and recharges me while I am looking inward and experiencing the transitions of growth and light.  The Chesapeake Bay Area is a natural home to an extraordinary variety of water and grass and I find myself drawn to this area.

Life is a series of transitions from which we grow in an ever changing reality of interactions within our selves or outwardly amongst the community we are drawn to. I use color and light to interpret the effect these moments have on me.

BIO

Patti Connell is a Montgomery County native who is grateful to be a master teacher of Art for 37 years. At present, she fits in some private instruction from her home studio but spends the vast amount of her creative energy painting in oils.

She has studied painting with numerous teachers in workshops and classes to broaden her knowledge and approach to painting.  Artists she has worked with include: Howard Cohen, Walt Bartman, Nancy Tankersley, Kirk McBride, Steven Assael, Duane Kieser, Gavin Glakas, and Glen Kessler. Her painting journey is inspired by a steady intake of ideas from the artist community.

Patti's work is in private collections nationally and she is beholden to several patrons who have collected her work extensively. Exhibition venues include:  The Yellow Barn, The Artist and Makers Studio, Culture Coffee Too, Artomatic, and The Peas Studio in Kentlands. 

Patti is in her final year of studies at the Compass Atelier with Glen Kessler.  Her paintings depict a journey shared in her figurative and landscape paintings. She feeds us stories that spawn amongst friends and stories that are conveyed through dappled light, ephemeral colors, and glimpses of the seasons in a contemporary realism that comes from within.