Patricia Turner - Artist Statement
I am a native Texan from Corpus Christi and began drawing and painting at a young age. I am mostly self taught. I studied art and graphic design at the University of Houston and University of Texas in Austin, and privately with various Texas artists. I learned to realistically render portraits from photographs in pencil, pastel and oil, draw caricatures, and paint a wild and stormy sky over a Texas pasture in oils and acrylics. After a move to Los Angeles in 1989, my attitude changed and my horizons broadened.
In Los Angeles, I discovered mixed media, collage and abstraction. Experimentation is the key to my process and I learned to take risks and trust my intuition. The push and pull of paint and disregard for the "rules" keeps my work constantly changing. Consequently, every painting I produce is unique.
My favorite contemporary abstract influences and mentors are: Joan Fullerton, Louise Fletcher, Jane Davies, Nicholas Wilton, Amadea Bailey, Pam Coughey, and Brian Rutenberg.