5 of 158

|

The model for my painting is a male Black Crowned Crane that I encountered on a recent visit to the Sylvan Heights Bird Park in Scotland Neck, NC. Incredibly entertaining and inquisitive, this tall bird, a native to equatorial Africa, followed me as I walked around the perimeter of his enclosure at the Bird Park. He was also an amazing mimic, observing my gait and posture and imitating them perfectly as he escorted me around his habitat. The graphic tuxedo-like contrast of his head, golden halo crown, and his dense coarse feathers made him a stand out to me and a truly "Unforgettable" subject for my painting.

As a youth, growing up in the Red River Valley of West Central Minnesota, Patrick loved to be outside in nature and he loved to draw. Noting that his grandson had natural artistic talent, Patrick’s grandfather encouraged his young grandson’s interest in illustration and graphic design by ordering a correspondence drawing class that taught Patrick to draw the iconic comic strip characters of the day such as Dick Tracy, Beetle Bailey, Mary Worth, and Judge Parker. In addition, the work of illustrators, Charles Shultz, Walt Disney, and Roy Lichtenstein also inspired the young artist to develop his own natural ability to tell stories through art. As he progressed through high school and college during the influential pop culture of...