Taking a walk with a visual artist such as Pat Kerns teaches one many things. First, she will see a world almost invisible to you: colors, shapes, light, shading, texture. She will open you up a world at once magical and ordinary because she sees ordinary objects in extraordinary ways. As Alliance Art Gallery’s featured February member artist, Pat lets us step into that world in a very unusual way—by creating 30 pieces of art in 30 days.
Welcome to Pat’s World. As she explains, “For me and many of my artist friends, it is not about what I have done but what I will do next. How can I improve? What can I learn? What to explore?” How will this 30-piece process unfold? “I plan to walk through my days looking for inspiration,” she explains. “For example, I recently bought an old-fashioned juicer just to paint it. I’m attracted to things that speak to me visually or stir up a memory or make me feel something.” To that end, she plans to explore antique and second-hand stores with that inner eye wide open.
That connection is the essence of the creative process for Pat Kerns. “I believe that in every piece of my art, I leave my energy, and I hope that energy connects with the viewer. Just as I believe that when you connect with a piece of art, you will bring that energy into your home. It is also why I think gifting a piece of art to another will remind them of you when they walk by it as it hangs on the wall. It really becomes a wonderful exchange of energy.” Her 30-piece challenge will traverse multiple media: acrylic, pastel, watercolor, pencil, graphite—focusing on small-sized canvases, hardboard, or art papers—and multiple images from landscape and skies to still life.
When approaching a still life, Kerns explains, “I set up the elements to be used, working with them until it feels conceptually right.” Likely she will explore some of the insights she gained from attending the last International Portrait Society Convention, which garners the best portrait artists in the world. “One of the artists that most inspired me was Daniel Keys, a young man who creates still life from disparate objects as long as they go together visually.” A long-time teacher, Pat Kerns believes that anyone can develop their artistic eye. It’s all about beginning. Kerns is renown for her ability to encourage those of all ages who profess to have no talent. To this end, she co-teaches with Patricia Garey a six-week “Drawing Boot Camp,” of which a new session will be starting soon. Walking into Pat Kerns’ world means seeing the ordinary from a deep vantage point—one of heart, one of beauty, one of inspiration.
An opening reception will be held Saturday, February 8, from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. A piece of Pat’s work will be given away in a free drawing held at 6:00. This reception coincides with Hannibal’s Second Saturday Gallery Night.
