Artist’s Statement
I paint the landscape because I have always loved the wilderness, and I celebrate nature on paper. Gradually, I found that reproducing what I saw was no longer satisfying to me, because when I competed with the camera, invariably the camera would win. One of my professors at UNCA said, “Never try to duplicate a bird’s nest – the bird can always do it better.” So I use the subject to create something new, to convey my sense of joy or awe of nature.
Painting is an important part of who I am. It not only has contributed to my growth as an artist, it has contributed greatly to my growth as a person. When I started painting, the thoughts in my mind were ‘maybe I’ll put all this time into painting and only be mediocre’, or ‘what will people think of this (painting)’ or, ‘is all this work going to be worth it?’
As any artist knows, none of those thoughts are relevant. What I have discovered is, after many years, I started to actually see the world differently, that while painting is not always fun or relaxing, it is always challenging and fulfilling. It helps me celebrate the good times and sustains me through the difficult times in my life. Without art in my life, I am less than who I can be; and with it, I have something I can never lose – an abundance from within.
This quote by Lawrence Brullo, an Italian artist, hangs in my studio, where I can see it every day:
“One seeks to become an artist by training the hand.
Then one finds it is the eye that needs improving.
Later one learns it is the mind that wants developing.
Only to discover it is all along …… in the spirit.”
Pat Wellborn
Home and Studio:
193 Old Cannon Drive
Hendersonville, NC 28792
Phone: 828-685-0115
email: pwellbor@bellsouth.net