Patrick Gorman Pettis' Blog

treating the piece titled, "To Move a Bloom" with a mixture of coffee, cinnamon and vanilla I am currently working on a piece I have wanted a reason to develop for over a decade now. It was not something I would simply do without a reason because of it's inspiration and meaning to me. I knew it would be an intense dedication of my energy that I would have to begin and stay with until completion. There are a few of those types of pieces where the desire to see it unfold is so complete that I am consumed by it and working on it up to 30 hours straight in one sitting. Others still, that I can put down and work on or pick up again, and even others which are what I call my "now and then's". I knew that in order to communicate what I wanted on the canvas the piece would require my undivided attention. The inspiration took seed after I read a poem by E.E. Cummings titled, "somewhere i have never travelled" - the poem goes as follows. somewhere i have nev...

The opening during 1st Friday's event in Albany was a great amount of fun and a success. I kind of went in knowing from other people that it was going to be a busy event but it was literally packed. Alan Ilagan, art director and fellow exhibitor, did an excellent job and was quite a wonderful host. I was honestly proud to be a part of it. Being a moderately awkward person with a shy streak it's difficult to come into a new and social situation. Add to that attribute talking about something so personal as one's creative work. Because people, lets face it, there are so many ways to be awkward lol. For example, I was already dressed and literally at the front door about to enter the gallery when I was stopped on the street by a man with his dog who smilingly said, "now that is a BLUE shirt." I then realized that you could probably spot me from space in it lol. He wasn't being insulting, just observant and once I thought about it I found it hilarious. A decade ago...

Patrick Gorman Pettis' Blog: 12th entry, June 4th 2008

"5 day Saint" I believe in the temporary hero, the person who isn't always perfect but is mostly good and tries. I think that the world is full of these kinds of men and women, boys and girls. Yet where really are they recorded? We can look in any church to see images of those more saintly - the people who could be perfect seven days a week. However more times than not there are everyday angels among us who go unknown, live and die unseen. Though history may never mark their names and society never really hear of their deeds they are a necessary element to our populations. That is the reason I made this piece, it is for them. In a way to let them know that I can see that they exist and am grateful for them. The piece has natural inks from rose, lobelia, sweet potato vine and chocolate. It was done on a 16 inch wide by 20 inch tall fine cotton, wood mounted canvas. I wanted to create a look of empathy and deep understanding. Like a listening that creates feeling within. T...

"Reminds Me of Eric" What makes a person who seems happy enough or functional enough one day simply disappear? It happens much more than we think. That question, however significant, was only part of the inspiration behind this piece. The idea really was to stamp a memory of someone who disappeared one day, an aching snapshot of someones recollection. Based on several very true stories I wanted to combine emotions of loss and hope to create the overall effect. There are people who have touched my life, some I had seen every day at one time that I have no contact with anymore. Placing that fact with the concept of disappearing within ones self and how a loss would effect someone colors and images started to play their part. Its my experience that when someone is terribly effected by a loss it is themselves they end up looking for over again. I know of people who grossly decline because of it. They wither and are never the same and still others that survive it, spread their wi...

"If art mimics life, what piece are you working on today?" - Patrick Gorman Pettis "past that comes between us" When it comes to getting an element to gift you with it's colours there are a few methods one can try. The easiest of which is a technique I call " pressing ". I love dandelions, they kind of remind me of me in a way lol. The misunderstood weed that tries real hard. My grandmother told me of a time when they would use them in salads and how my great grandfather would make wine from them. They are very bitter to taste and have an earthy tart and hearty smell. If one really looks at these little guys and forgives them their reputation they can see something beautiful. Not only the delicate petals packed into a square inch sometimes by the hundreds but a bright snap of creation's purest yellow. It almost says "Hey!! Get Over Here! Lighten up!" they're just cute little persistent buggers to me. It was really neat to learn that...

F ans, friends and family have often asked me if it's ever hard for me to part with a work. My answer is never the same twice really lol but the words are, "it depends". These pieces are a measurement of my energy and time on this earth. Considering that on a generous average in a rounded up kind of way that we only have about 100 years here that makes what we are doing each day a pretty big deal. Easily they are a part of me, and I never really say goodbye to any of them, they are all in my head and locked into chapters of my life. They never really say goodbye to me either because a part of me goes with them each time a piece is sold. Some of the newer artists and people I've taught have had problems with this. My advice to them was really to have two bodies of work. There are those works created that I simply cannot part with for whatever reason, too personal, too illicit etc. Those are part of a secret collection that no other eyes save my own have ever seen. Thos...