PATRICIA WHITE: ARTIST–DESIGNER

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” ~ Vincent Van Gogh

DIGGING UP CREATIVE ROOTS

As long as I can remember there has been a sheet of paper and a crayon, pencil or paintbrush nearby so when inspiration hits I’m ready to create. Knowing how to use the tools required for our given profession is especially true for artists. I was fortunate to have had excellent instructors at the Dundas Valley School of Art (associated over time with Mohawk College and the Ontario College of Art and Design). I learned techniques and best practices for using oil, acrylic and watercolour, dry media and various other mediums through the class instructors’ use of still-life objects, anatomy through life drawing as well as making urban and landscape art on plein air outings.

Gordon Perrier (1935-2014), a wildly inventive multi-media artist and teacher; and Jean Wishart, a renowned watercolourist (and contemporary of Group of Seven Artist A. Y. Jackson), were both highly influential to my artistic development. Each gave me a sense of adventure and out-of-the-box thinking that has helped me create a lifetime of original work, be it painting a portrait, carving a porcelain relief or designing a logo brand. 

“Art is there, ready for those who open up, those who are willing to release their intellect and subjugate the ego. There is much less hocus-pocus to it than most realize.”
~ Gordon Perrier

In later years I received a grounding in photography and darkroom techniques, art history, graphic design and the plastic arts (gaining a love of making hand-built porcelain vessels and carved reliefs) through various arts programs at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.

During this period I worked part-time at various ceramic industry jobs, learning the ins and outs of kiln-fired clay work, earning certifications and eventually teaching painting on clay and fired ceramic ware. I also taught private painting and drawing to small groups of students. Next, I set up a commercial studio for an independent business consortium, designing the premises and clay casting production along with procedural standards; sourcing and stocking production materials and equipment. Set up an on-premises classroom, writing curriculums for instructors and sourcing commercial products and tools for sale to students and public trade.

A few years later I went on to anchor the design department of a printing firm, assisting with design, layout and paste-up, producing negs and plates using a large format camera (this was the pre-computer graphics era). After that I worked for a design house working on company identity and other commercial work. Eventually I left to start my own business.

GRAPHIC DESIGN WORK

White Graphics & Marketing Inc. was a busy graphic design and advertising studio I founded and managed for 20+ years, first on my own, eventually growing into a 10-person team of design and marketing professionals.

Our respected and seasoned creative professionals prepared thousands of design, illustration, branding, copy writing and voicing projects for a diverse domestic and global clientele. Our vision was to deliver reasonably priced agency-quality work through a combination of creative concept development, graphic design, illustration and media expertise.

 
A NEW DIRECTION

As a long-time creative artist, working in multiple disciplines, I spent a couple of years learning and practicing how to transfer my traditionally-learned fine art and illustration skills to cutting-edge digital platforms, with the intention of creating products featuring my original art and designs (more on this in coming days).

For now, I feel the need to create every day. To keep exploring. To keep learning. To keep discovering, innovating and experimenting. Life is too short not to do what you love. Cheers.