Eastside Culture Crawl - A Visual Arts, Design, & Crafts Festival

pat parsons

Mixed Media

My past work in the arts has been as an illustrator in science and medicine so, though I am comfortable in doing representational work, am now focusing on abstract. I am more excited with the abstract quality of the backgrounds in representational paintings than the subject itself. This has led to doing totally abstract work. Within this abstract area, I am drawn to do highly textural and mixed media works - am now experimenting with building a painting layer by layer using the varying translucent qualities of acrylics to advantage. I add line, use stencils, and attach magazine images throughout. This helps to create several themes within each painting and to achieve a multidimensional and rich aspect. 1970: graduated, U of Toronto with degree in Medical Illustration 1970– 1984: employed as a medical illustrator and designer of 3-d medical exhibits, mostly at UBC, Vancouver, and also in Toronto and Quebec City. 1984- 2010: raised a family and worked in areas other than painting, later developing a property business which incorporated design elements 2010 -2020: rented a studio and concentrated on learning to paint, deciding to focus on textured work with collage aspects (Mixed Media). 2020 - The Present! Now am consumed with doing abstract painting and enjoy the excitement of creation on the canvas itself. I start with a vague notion of what I want to achieve and pay attention to letting it happen. More often than not, the original concept is left behind – or buried under layers of paint! What a change from the controlling aspect of illustrating! Fine Art Exhibitions: 1991 - Café Gallery Bleu: Salt Spring Island, individual show: water colour, oil pastel, on Kraft paper, 1992 -Jake’s Bistro, Duncan 1995 – present: Jericho Tennis Club: various showings since 1993 2009 - Studio Beluga: St Henri, Montreal, - part of a three person show : several acrylic mixed media on canvas. 2009 - Estuary: St Henri, Montreal, – individual show: mixed media on Kraft paper 2010 - Art at Finn's Slough: Richmond Cultural Centre -Group Show: highly textured rendering of “Pink Bicycle” 2022 - Abstract # 05: showing of abstract painting at Jericho Tennis Club, Vancouver 2022 – Solo Show “ Swimmers”: Hearth Gallery, Bowen Island