| PATRICIA COLLIER |
| Biography |
As a child I loved to gaze at flowers, trees and the ocean, indeed all of
nature. My father was an avid gardener who regularly won prizes for his
roses. I have a special affection for flowers, no doubt due to this early
influence. Although I always had a yen for creating things, I grew up
believing I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body. In 1984, when making
my own “do it yourself” Christmas cards, I discovered quite by accident
that I could not only reproduce scenes before me, but loved doing it. And
so began my life as an artist.
After several years of intense study, I began to exhibit my paintings publicly and privately.
My work has been greatly influenced by the masters – Turner, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Monet to
name a few. I use oil in their tradition, as I feel it is the best medium to express the light.
On one level my painting style could be described as realism with a dash of impressionism.
However, I paint from an intention to become the voice of my subject . I often will state that the
canvas "sings" when I feel a painting is complete. I frequently choose glazing and scumbling
techniques for my paintings. In my experience, glazes build a depth and luminosity which can’t be
duplicated with the alla prima painting method. I also lean towards colourism -- brilliant colours and
their complements are characteristic of my work.
My artistic expression is constantly evolving. Recently, my development as an artist included a
commission to illustrate a book (see Happily-Retired.com). I discovered another frontier to explore
-- I was asked to produce simple line drawings in a cartoon format ... what fun!
My life as an artist continues to expand. In recent years I have been moved to teach drawing and
painting to others. It has become a real source of joy to me to pass on what I've learned and to
participate in fostering each person's ability to express in their own unique style. I am certain that if
you have a desire to do so, you can learn to express yourself through art (see Classes).
My work has been greatly influenced by the masters – Turner, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Monet to
name a few. I use oil in their tradition, as I feel it is the best medium to express the light.
On one level my painting style could be described as realism with a dash of impressionism.
However, I paint from an intention to become the voice of my subject . I often will state that the
canvas "sings" when I feel a painting is complete. I frequently choose glazing and scumbling
techniques for my paintings. In my experience, glazes build a depth and luminosity which can’t be
duplicated with the alla prima painting method. I also lean towards colourism -- brilliant colours and
their complements are characteristic of my work.
My artistic expression is constantly evolving. Recently, my development as an artist included a
commission to illustrate a book (see Happily-Retired.com). I discovered another frontier to explore
-- I was asked to produce simple line drawings in a cartoon format ... what fun!
My life as an artist continues to expand. In recent years I have been moved to teach drawing and
painting to others. It has become a real source of joy to me to pass on what I've learned and to
participate in fostering each person's ability to express in their own unique style. I am certain that if
you have a desire to do so, you can learn to express yourself through art (see Classes).
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