Vol.69 Artists in Catskill 1 : Patrice Lorenz

Artists in Catskill 1 : Patrice Lorenz

There are many artists in New York’s Catskill Mountain area, which
I described earlier this summer.

One of the most famous landscape painters of the Catskill’s was
Thomas Cole (1801 – 1848).
He was known as the founder of the Hudson River School.
His paintings have been exhibited in, and are in the Permanent Collection
of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I would like to introduce two local women painters who are inspired
by Thomas Cole and have their own Catskill style.
The first is Patrice Lorenz, who has loved to draw since she was a child.

Although she had no formal art training, a Japanese American teacher
when she was in elementary school encouraged her to draw.
That eventually led to her obtaining a Masters of Fine Arts degree
from University at Albany, State University of New York, and she was
teaching art and raising her children. She is now enjoying painting nature
in the Catskills, where she lives with her boyfriend, Ted, in a 200 year old house
which they enjoy renovating.

“I do not paint nature just like ‘real nature’, I paint the image of nature
which is in my heart, like ‘imagined scenery’”, she explained.
Patrice’s paintings are very mysterious.
Although she draws nature, such as flowers, trees and mountains,
her nature is different from the nature others see.
Her nature is reflected by “the mirror in her mind”.

A strange thing happened one day when she was drawing several pictures
at the same time. She turned one upside down and it became a completely
different image. It fit perfectly into the scenery of her mind.

How is it that you can enjoy a painting turned upside down as a
different painting?

This phenomenon happened because she does not draw realistic forms
of nature, but nature that is reflected in the mirror of her mind.

Her paintings are full of dramatic colors, and also it has happed by chance.
“I had been doing only black and white drawing for a long time, so I did not
understand so much about color. One day I was listening to jazz, and suddenly,
I could understand colors! I saw the world of color for the first time,”
Patrice exclaimed.

It’s incredible that you can see color by listening to music.
I am sure that I might be able to hear some music by looking at the paintings.
I think that real art has to have music in the painting and color in the music.
The reason she chose her house here, was that her Aunt’s name was

Marguerite, and the closest village to it is Margaretville.
Coincidentally, when I visited the Gallery in Margaretville, a group show was
being held. I was able to spot a picture of Patrice’s at a glance,
due to her distinctive style.

I am eager to see how she will draw nature in the future, as it appears in the

mirror of her mind.