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BIOGRAPHY “When life gives you lemons…paint them!”
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INTRODUCTION
Patty Heibel’s goal is to share with others the enjoyment of really seeing a calming beauty in our natural surroundings—what we see every day, in a more dramatic way. Patty’s initial foray into creativity was in nature and abstract photography; and evolving into a painter. An accident that led to a significant change in her artistic approach and style has taken her down a bold new path she never imagined.
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BACKGROUND
A native of Minnesota, Patty began her creative life at a very young age, when she started experimenting with an old camera that was her grandfather's. Patty worked for many years to master her vision behind the camera.
After learning the technical aspects of shooting and printing, she took her photography into richer dimensions through in-camera techniques and painting and drawing on image transfers. These painted techniques transformed her photographs into rich and unique stories.
This experimental work continued as she became a coastal Maine resident. There her work captured a new side of nature; seascapes, harbors, and boats. Now as a resident of Wisconsin, she's working on the beauty found in the Midwest.
After 20 years of photographic art, she decided to try her hand with a paintbrush and has pursued weekly courses in design, drawing and painting. During her first years of painting, she used her dominant right hand as any artist would naturally do. But a cycling injury caused her to severely limit the use of her right arm for several years. Frustrated, even before her stitches were removed, she picked up a brush in her left hand and painted a bouquet of sunflowers. It was awkward, but promising and exciting. It gave Patty a whole new look on her creative life and her recovery.
ARTISTIC MOTIVATION
Now Patty paints predominately with her left hand because this keeps her from overworking a piece. She sometimes even paints with both hands at once. She still focuses on nature, and finds that her works are now more vibrant, spontaneous and fun.
The discovery process continues as Patty is moving into new acrylic mediums, boldly abstracting nature into vibrant shapes and textures. She has received national and international recognition for her artistic works.
Patty paints as if she were looking through the lens, finding a bold sense of design, light and color in our world. “In my photographs, I was drawn to strong composition and intense color. Now I find this to be true in my acrylic and oil paintings and I can’t wait to get the color on the canvas. Before beginning any piece, I take a moment to realize exactly what it is about the subject that initially caught my eye. Only then do I decide how to fill the canvas and bring it to life in my unique way.”
CREDENTIALS
Patty has received national and international recognition for her artistic works and has exhibited her works at numerous galleries, exhibits and juried art shows.
Her photographs and paintings have been included in collections across the country from Maine to Colorado. She has received numerous awards and honors, including Best of Show at the Photographic Society of America International Salon, Medalist in the ARTDEX International Art Competition and Photographer of the Year at the 3M Corporate Camera Club. Her work has been published in Habitat - Journal of the Maine Audubon Society and The Best of Photography. She is an artist for the Courage Center.
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