The vision within
Not long ago, Judy Patterson was referred to by a stranger as a “steampunk,” a style that became known in the 1980s as a mixture of vintage and futuristic elements.
Looking at her work, which contains both progressive and natural rudiments, it is not hard to disagree with the observation. From her folksy creations and her intricate otherworldly doodles to her soothing landscapes and elaborate stitch work, Patterson is in full control of her creative spirit.
“Sometimes ‘seeing’ comes from somewhere inside and a new variety of expression emerges,” she said. “Currently it is fun and relaxing to practice the art of ‘doodling’ – an exploration of the dance between line, shapes and colors, sometimes with a theme, sometimes not. The key is to just let it come and not judge the process. Our judgmental minds prohibit creativity and the ability to ‘see’ in new ways.”
Patterson believes that being an artist is a way of life and hers began in her youth as she watched her father, an illustrator and commercial artist, run a studio in Philadelphia. “For a time his studio was at home and so we were constantly exposed to art and more importantly given permission to be a messy artist. No one ever said the classic parental turn-off ‘clean up your mess,’ referring to our tries at painting, et cetera,” she said.
Patterson, 73, went on to study fine art at Ohio Wesleyan University, eventually earning a Bachelor of Science degree in occupational therapy from Ohio State University. She worked for years as a psychiatric occupational therapist, using art and creativity as a healing tool. Her work history also includes working with local governments, not-for-profit organizations, and communities all over the state through the Community Service Center at Eastern Washington University. She also taught art, worked at the Siemers Farm on Green Bluff, raised four children, and became a community activist in the Five Mile area, where she has lived for 42 years.
Patterson never stops creating. Throughout her home, there are what she calls “random acts of design” – from the wildly painted porch swing by the front door to the raw wood wall in one bedroom covered with colorful designs done in crayon. She has “studios” set up in many areas, mixed media and doodling paraphernalia on the kitchen table, stitch work and accessories around a couch in the living room, and a drafting table in another room where she paints small traditional landscapes from images of her travels.
“There is joy of being in an environment that brings wonder and artistic inspiration every day, of being able to observe that beauty and, through art, record a portion of it that perhaps others might not get to or be able to see,” Patterson said. “Yes, ‘seeing’ is an art and if one can ‘see’ one is never bored or without the beauty and wonder of this planet.”
For the last 20 years, Patterson has been studying the ancient practice of Tibetan meditation, freeing herself, she said, to create without fear, aversion or attachment. In Patterson’s world, where the past and the future are one, art is everywhere.