Elizabeth Patterson & Gregory Thielker (2)

I posted Gregory Thielker's work last year (Oct. 15, 2009). At the time I made the point that if you do something really, really well and no one else is doing it, then you've got gold. Well, I was wrong about no one else doing it. Elizabeth Patterson is pursuing precisely the same kind of imagery, specifically a photo-realist take on how rain transforms our view through the windshields of our cars. It has an immediate appeal. For one, we Americans experience landscape through the filtering effect of our car windows far more often than we do directly. Mostly we are unconscious of the fact that we are observing landscape in this way, since we are (hopefully) concentrating on driving the damn car. The interference of weather is an experience we've all shared and, eventually, that transformation of our ubiquitous viewpoint enters our conscious awareness. At that point, it is not surprising that an artist or two somewhere decides "I'm going to paint that".

Having a unique approach or subject matter is highly valued in the art world but nigh impossible to actually achieve. There are hundreds, probably thousands of artists, busily painting realistic pears who don't even seem to care. So I guess there's room enough for these two. And anyway, the results may look similar but the techniques are completely different. Mr. Thielker paints in oil. Ms. Patterson uses colored pencil, graphite and solvent. If you don't think that makes a world of difference you need to look at art online less and in real life more.

Check out their websites:
www.eapatterson.com
www.gregorythielker.com











Patterson "Sunset Highway, 3pm" color pencil and solvent 25" x 40"














Patterson "Wilshire Boulevard, 5pm" Color pencil, graphite and solvent 18"x26"
















Patterson "Sepulveda Boulevard, 5pm" Color Pencil, Graphite, Solvent 20"x 30"


















Thielker "In Between" oil on panel 11"x14" 2008


















Thielker "Until Now" oil on linen 36"x48" 2010


















Thielker "Coming To a Complete Stop" oil on canvas 36"x48" 2008


















Thielker "Transference" oil on linen 36"x48" 2010

I came across the work of Elizabeth Patterson via visualinventory.blogspot.com