Christy and Roger Patrick share not just a marriage but a studio at 1 Cottage Street in Easthampton. The two artists, who met as undergraduate art students in Connecticut, moved to Easthampton in 2002 and over the years have exhibited their work both locally and nationally.
Roger has specialized in oil paintings of baseball and urban and rural landscapes, while Christy profiles many urban scenes (and ones from the Valley) in oils or mixed-media drawings. They also make use of a large record collection in their studio, sometimes for visual inspiration, though their tastes vary: Christy’s go-to bands include the Pixies, Throwing Muses, and Belly, while Patrick jokes that he tells people “I don’t listen to anything that has come out since ‘Frampton Comes Alive.’ ”
Hampshire Life: Talk about the work you’re currently doing.
Roger Patrick: My current paintings deal with a contrast of beauty and violence that I believe is a prominent feature of the American landscape. My intention is that the viewers are initially drawn to each painting by pleasing color and interesting composition while the unease gradually presents itself.
HL: What do you draw inspiration from?
Christy Patrick: For my current work, which explores personal memories sparked by past things in my life … I like old photos, and some old movies, from the ’70s. My parents had pictures around from then when I was growing up, and the aesthetic is both familiar and appealing to me.
HL: Have you ever had a “mistake” — a project that seemed to be going south — turn into a wonderful discovery instead?
CP: Mistakes are most welcome for me. In fact, I start by making a mess on the paper, then use that as a catalyst — reacting to the shapes and materials on the sheet and reinventing the composition I originally had in mind.
HL: Name two artists you admire or who have influenced your work.
RP: [Edward] Hopper would be an obvious influence, but looking further back, the way that Pieter Bruegel would conceal the subject of his painting has impacted my compositional choices. I also, less obviously, refer to the color fields of artists like Ellsworth Kelly in my paintings.
CP: Richard Diebenkorn — I am drawn to his compositional structure and looseness in representing objects and figures. And Romare Bearden — I love his collages and how scale changes within the space. It reinforces the integrity of the image and subject matter.
HL: What’s the most recent exhibition/concert/book reading/other event by another artist or group that you’ve attended and enjoyed?
RP: There is an improvisational band that plays at the New City Brewery (in Easthampton) on Tuesday nights that I really enjoy. It is a “project” band consisting of members of Mammal Dap, among others.
HL: If you weren’t an artist, what do you think you’d be?
CP: Who knows? Being an artist has allowed me to be adaptable. I am a quick learner and bring commitment and creative problem-solving to whatever I am doing.
— Steve Pfarrer
More information on the work of Christy and Roger Patrick can be found at thepatricksart.com.