Sunday, September 23, 2012

Patricia Dunn-Walker - Mixed Media


Kiosk, 30”x30”, mixed media
Patricia Dunn-Walker

Name: Patricia Dunn-Walker
City/State: Rochester, Minnesota
Website: www.patriciadunnwalker.com
MNartist.org profile:Walker, Patricia Dunn
Facebook page: Patricia Dunn-Walker

Tell me about your work? What are you currently working on? How is this different from past projects?
Before making this body of abstract work, I painted a series of female heroes which were part of the WARM exhibit series in St. Paul and at the Rochester Civic Theatre. I also paint many traditional subjects, landscapes, still-life, and portraits.

Right now I am working on a body of non representational work. My most recent paintings are about textures and colors of printed recycled material including labels, magazine ads basically anything with ink. I’ve also created  a group of small informal paper/resin pieces.  Any printed material that comes in the house could potentially wind up on my canvas. Sometimes I just enjoy print and texture so much that I don’t want to bother with representational subject matter.

Birchway, 30”x30”, Acrylic

How did you decide to become an artist?
As with a lot of people, it started when I was a kid. I liked to draw, paint and make things such as cards, books, and dioramas for school history projects. Making art helps me organize my world. When it came time to choose a career I decided to go to school to become a graphic designer. I worked in the field for around ten years before switching my focus to fine art. I feel that design still strongly influences my work. I love type, shapes, colors, textures. There’s a great synergy between design and abstract painting.

Refraction, 3”x4”, Paper/Resin

What was the best advice given to you as an artist?
“Don’t put your art away” given to me by Ann Grimmer, my first painting teacher.
“Art is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” (It’s a cliché for a reason!)

Many artists struggle to find ways to sell their art.  How do you sell your work?  How do you market yourself?
www.patriciadunnwalker.com
Sometimes marketing and sales of art work can seem like a well kept secret. It seems primarily hit or miss for me. If my work is showing in the window of the Rochester coop gallery I often make a sale. When I have art shows I make sales. Marketing my work is an ongoing project for me.

Sophie, 18”x24”, Acrylic

Who are some of the Minnesota artists you enjoy?
Romi Wilhelm, Lanesboro, Minnesota

If I were to follow you around to see art in Minnesota, which places would we go? What would we see?
Minneapolis Institute of Art www.artsmia.org
Walker Art Center www.walkerart.org
Rochester Art Center www.rochesterart.org
SEMVA Art Gallery www.semva.org
I would also like to just drive around in some of the neighborhoods in Mpls/St. Paul and see what we bump into.

From Time to Time, 30”x40”, Acrylic

In addition to www.Local-Artist-Interviews.com, where do you go online for good art resources, whether to find a new artist, or to see what is going on in the art world locally and otherwise? 
Women Art Resources of Minnesota  www.thewarm.org
Rochester Art Center www.rochesterartcenter.org
College of Visual Art www.cva.edu
Minneapolis Institute of Art www.artsmia.org
Walker Art Center www.walkerart.org
Rural America Contemporary Art (RACA) www.facebook.com

Horizon, 3”x4”, Paper/Resin

Do you have any exhibits to promote in the near future?
I am in an exhibit called Color Stories with Carla Thompson at Northfield ArtsGuild. It opens September 28 and runs until October 26, 2012.

No comments: