I live in the historic town of Fort St James, north/central British Columbia.
I was raised on a farm in Sorrento, near Shuswap Lake and went to school in Salmon Arm BC. Life on the farm taught me to work hard. I moved north to Fort St James, where I got a job in a sawmill. I quit the mill to raise my children, but it also brought me back to painting. It was a wonderful time in my life. However, the demands of family and an outside job eventually became too much, and I had to put my art aside.
Many years passed and, after significant life changes, I finally have come full circle, finding the time to paint once again. Retiring from ranching has allowed me to concentrate on my art and family.
My mediums are Oil, Acrylic, Watercolour, and Pastels. I view the world in shapes, colours and the way light and shadows fall on things. I’m constantly painting them with my eyes, constructing the forms of abstract shapes within them, naming the colours in my head. I’m drawn in by reflected surfaces, flora and fauna, people, old and all but forgotten things.
Getting outside and painting on location – “En Plein Air” – is one of my favourite and challenging things to do. Nature and nature-driven motifs give me a never-ending source of inspiration.
My studio has a large north-facing window that overlooks a neighbouring ranch and the mountains beyond. It is a spectacular view – a place of my very own to create and share art.
Check out Pat’s website here. Find her on Facebook at Pat Gauthier Artwork.
Pat Gauthier’s paintings are featured in two Dona Bona cards: