Lana Ballot

Patricia Schappler, Bedford, NH

Patricia writes: 

My paintings are frequently large with these smaller images acting as studies of texture and pattern, gesture and gaze.  In this sense, the portrait is at the heart of any of the narratives that follow.  I’ve always loved the human face which houses the spirit. Perhaps because I come from a huge matriarchal family; home and women have been my thematic starting points…a way of looking at and talking about the complexity of relationships between the self and the viewed. 

Robes and cloaks are universally used and have become symbols of protection for me, with the underlying question of how do we shelter and encourage in this life. Originating from ideas of 'family', I search for meaningful ways of expressing oppositional but essential partnerships...joy and loss, vulnerability and strength, past and future. Through marks made, felt values, and figurative presence, I see the beauty in the everyday, and the significance of time adding up, altering, and becoming. 

https://www.patriciaschappler.com/

Above, clockwise from upper left:

Becoming

Beloved

Young Mother

Her Melody Her Triumph