Toni Ortivez
The Paw Print
Last Friday the art department held its second lecture by visiting artist of the semester. Patrice Sullivan, a visiting painting professor from Colorado State University, presented the lecture after being introduced by Adams State College’s professor of painting, Eugene Schilling.
Sullivan geared her lecture to the students in attendance and emphasized the process of creating art. She said, “A lot of the rules are meant to be broken and decision making is an important part of the process.” She stressed the importance of being free with your art and of being excited about what you are doing.
Sullivan has her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Massachusetts College of Art. She brought paintings, as well as charcoal drawings, from her collection to display in the Snook Gallery.
Sullivan also emphasized the connection with her subject matter. She declared, “Anything in painting or drawing, I have to have a connection to.” According to Sullivan her pieces are created to evoke memories from the viewers’ own childhood but not necessaryly to understand who each person is.
Sullivan was adamant in directing her lecture to the art students by saying, “You have to decide how much information you want to show the viewer.” It is visible in her pieces that she has come a long way since she first started. Although she continues to draw in charcoal, many of her pieces are paintings. Her pieces have changed in style, subject matter, color, and focal points, but remain to be an extension of her own personality.
The evolution of Sullivan’s style has not been accepted instantly by her viewers. Sullivan mentioned, “My pieces have to grow on you.” However, she isn’t concerned so much with how she is received but rather on her love for the process of painting. She remarked to the students, “One thing I want to stress is you have to keep painting to get better.”
Sullivan wanted each of the students to remain passionate about their art and not to stress over how it will be received and if it will be rejected. She wanted the students to know that this is part of the process which every artist has to go through. In regards to her watercolor, Sullivan stated, “I don’t have a technique with watercolor. If the watercolorists don’t like it, to hell with them.”
Sullivan’s lecture had many closing points to stress to the students, but among these was the idea of connecting to their work. “Another thing you should think about is what do you like and what do you connect with,” remarks Sullivan when discussing subject matter and style.
Along with Sullivan’s varying pieces in the Snook Gallery, a handful of master of art students are displaying their pieces in the Hatfield Gallery. These pieces range from large paintings to ceramics and cast metal pieces. The two shows will be on display until March 26 in the art department on the first floor.
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