Jo Patton Collection

Artist Statement

I tend to think of my work as more a blend of impressions and exaggerations rather than merely impressionistic.  Sometimes it just happens, and other times I strive to create an entirely new piece that fits what I am trying to express.  The most necessary ingredient to any work I start now is feeling a spark of connection to the subject.  For example, one constant in my art over the years has been piers, which act as a vehicle for my imagination.  I have used my impression of piers to stir my imagination and from there I often follow where it leads, even into exaggeration.  As Degas said, "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."