Greenpont Factory

By Annie Patt

Piece description from the artist

The act of painting, for me, begins with the observance of beauty in nature, which compels me to represent a version of what I see. The subjects I choose may not be conventionally beautiful, but they nevertheless inspire me; the light, the color, the shape, as well as the subject itself and my relation to it, all influence my choice.

Most of the scenes depicted in my work are from my neighborhood, or places I pass by in every day life. When I walk through the city, it amazes me how at any moment one can encounter beauty in an elevated train or empty lot.

When inspired, I take a number of reference photos. In the studio, I draw on the photos, taking the best elements of each and combining them into my chosen composition. Once underway, the painting process becomes a kind of active meditation, a super-awareness of the subject in front of me, and of the image being created. Upon entering into the process and learning more about what the painting needs to be, changes often become necessary. Additions and subtractions, as well as adjustments to perspective, are made.

The final work depicts the original subject as seen over hours of observation, and filtered through hours of reflection. The final piece typically is not an exact representation of the original subject that inspired it, but rather captures my feeling about the subject and hopefully a portion of the beauty or quality of the original subject.