Friday, September 23, 2011

Spotlight: Patricia Oblack

In the first year after starting my blog in 2007, I had a regular feature where I spotlighted other artists that inspired me. It is fascinating for me to look back at my choices and to read what I wrote, as some of these artists that were new to me then have become good friends since. Many of the names will be familiar to you and some will likely not. If you like, you can read my original posts for the following eight artists: Bridgette Guerzon Mills, Judy Wilkenfeld, Janet Jones, CW Slade, Barbara Kleinhans, Scott Gordon, Erik Saak, and John Copeland.

I bring this older feature from my blog up today as there is now another artist that I want to spotlight in the same manner: Patricia Oblack. Patty's paintings speak to me. All of them. The colors and textures of her abstract work captures something so organic and elemental. 


In Patty's words:

"Early, in 1954, I picked up a pencil and sat in front of the TV with Jon Gnagy’s New Television Art Book and my stack of white envelopes, ready to learn to draw. I learned how to shade cones, cylinders, and cubes, while hearing about the principals of perspective. Jon believed that everyone has a time in their life when the Art Spirit is dominant, I suppose I was right on target and the seed was sown.


Crayons,  colored pencils, tracing paper and coloring books, gave way to pen and ink and I begged my mother to purchase art lessons from Art Instruction, Inc. in Minneapolis, Minn. around 1962. You know the one...with the draw the pirate contest. I won, I think everybody won, but my Mom paid the $500.00 and in a few weeks a huge box arrived, with an oak adjustable drawing table, (which I still own) pads of paper, pen tips, charcoal sticks, watercolors, brushes, a Deluxe Bear Brand compass, a wooden T square and my first palette knife, which continues to be my favorite tool. I finished every lesson and mailed off the homework to be critiqued, by H. Okins, my instructor. After the first year, I received a Certificate of Accomplishment, andwas urged to keep going. Another student of the school, was Charles M Schulz, I was in good company. From that humble beginning, I continued through my whole life, painting, and drawing, constantly moving forward, on my journey through art.


Through several successful art related businesses, I have painted on walls, furniture, pottery, fabric, wicker, and glass. A chest of drawers, based on a Neoclassical Commode from 1770 is in London, England and two chests recreating Charles Wysocki’s early American style are somewhere in France. I’ve painted realistic folded curtains on hardboard, Jack Russell dogs and race horses on terra cotta pottery, orchid botanicals in watercolor, and on clay tiles for table tops, pine boughs on truck cabs, kites, birds and clouds on ceilings, and also antique furniture, refinished with milk paint.


Today, my work is abstract on hardboard, continuing to be self-educated, I am ever as always moving forward. My work has been shown from coast to coast in many galleries and recently a painting was shipped to an office in Hong Kong, during the Olympics. 


Today and for the past 8 yrs., I have woven strings of color onto board with the same palette knife from childhood, creating surfaces of deconstructed relief, crumbling stucco, and contemporary fresco. My paintings have been highly influenced by Jackson Pollock, Anselm Kiefer, Joaquin Sorolla, Pierre Redoute, Tosha Tudor, Marjolein Bastin and Marcia Myers. In studying their work and other contemporary artists, I began what was to be the backbone of my current style with a surface I can’t walk away from."


I can't walk away from them either.

25 comments:

Kim Hambric said...

Thanks for introducing me to this artist, Seth! Love her work and found her story fantastic and down to earth at the same time.

ArtPropelled said...

I feel the same way about Patty's work and thoroughly enjoyed learning more about her art journey. Thanks Seth and Patty.

*jean* said...

what a wonderful way to describe the journey...she was a very lucky child to be so encouraged...beautiful work.

Anonymous said...

mm mmm good!thank you , seth!

Kathryn Dyche said...

Wow, great feature. Her work is beautiful.

Maureen said...

Not having known you in 2007, I'm delighted you're highlighting Oblack's work here. Thank you for the introduction. Her work is wonderful!

sharon said...

Wow such wonderful works. Love them all.. Colours and textures are fantastic. Thanks for the introduction.

Sonya Johnson said...

What a great read on Patricia's art and her background, which is so wonderfully varied. Her abstracts are fantastic.

Thanks for profiling her again!

Anonymous said...

Patty was a very lucky child in deed. What a wonderful journey.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for this glimpse into some magical work.

Andria said...

Thank you for sharing Patricia's work with us; I really enjoyed this post. I, too, am impressed by the encouragement she received as a child to pursue her art. I also LOVE that she still uses the same palette knife, and has some of the other supplies, left over from those earliest days as an artist!

creativelenna said...

What an interesting spotlight, Seth. Thank you. I can see why Patricia's work speaks to you. great feature.

Anonymous said...

Very nice! Thanks for doing this spotlight!! (Which reminds me that I need to work on this sort of thing myself! So much...

Jill Zaheer said...

Wonderful spotlight on Patricia Oblack Seth. Not familiar with her work- but am now. Just loved her story and what an inspiration. Can definitely see why you are drawn to her works! Patricia was definitely lucky to have such a great introduction to art at an early age- so glad to see that the passion has been life long!

Lynn Cohen said...

What an exciting story of her life in art...inspiring to say the least...thanks for bringing me to the awareness of her beautiful art pieces.

~*~Patty S said...

Patty certainly does have a dominant and organic spirit...thank you for sharing her spectacular art pieces with us Seth
oxo

Lisa said...

i agree with you... her story is inspiring and captivating as are her paintings! thanks again for sharing!

Laura said...

thanks for sharing again Seth and lovely work Patricia.

Julie Shackson said...

Wonderful feature, and I love the links to the archive too.

Robin said...

Thank you for spotlighting this beautifully inspiring artist!

Denise Aumick said...

amen

Shayla said...

Great spotlight.

Dayna Collins said...

Oh. My. Dear. I love Patty's work and sense of texture and color. Thank you for spotlighting this amazing artist.

bhogge said...

I bought a beautiful two panel painting of Patty's a few years ago and it it the welcome you receive upon entering our home. It has prime wall space and always seems to draw comments from visitors. As an architect that spent my fair share of time in studios I saw my paintings through a gallery window one night when traveling after work the next day I went back to the gallery and made the tough choice - which of her paintings would adorn a wall in my home.

Now...we have started a chat about a commission...a very large wall. So give patty's work a home - you'll find yourself immersed in the depth of the texture...the color...the scale...

Patty Oblack said...

Thank you so much Seth, for posting this piece on my work & I appreciate all the comments because of it. So many years ago, I sat before our TV, watching Jon, never dreaming how strongly art work grab a hold on my life & never let go, I continue to be in it's clutches, painting & creating in hopes of making the world a happier place. Bless you one & all!
Patty