Photo Oct 25, 11 50 47 AM.jpeg — Artist Biography

Patricia Corcoran has spent her adult life working with students as a counselor and then a dean at the University of Vermont. She recently transitioned to higher education consulting in order to have more time to focus on her work as an artist. Having spent her career caring for her students’ well being and helping them find their spark and passion, her joy of life and appreciation of human nature and natural beauty now find expression through her life as a painter. Patty has painted her whole life. As she grew up watching her painter mother's work progress, she always felt her own truest self was that of an artist, as well. She knew that some day the artist would emerge as her primary identity. Patty's days are now filled with creating art, much of it derived from walking the beautiful trails of Hinesburg, Vermont where she lives with her husband, Andres Roomet and their bounding golden doodle, Pokey. Patty spends her summers painting in Northeast Harbor, Maine where she is inspired by the coast and landscape of Mt. Desert island.

Artist Statement

My paintings are joyful and energetic and viewers often connect with my art due to the peaceful and whimsical feelings that the pieces evoke. Using oil paint as my primary medium, When working with a new canvas I begin to paint using whatever colors are before me, creating multiple layers and using water spray to portray light and and texture. Through this process I begin to see form, shape and mood. Working with an openness about the development and direction of each piece, I wait until I begin to see a scene emerge. At this point I may focus on that image and finish the painting. However, it is just as likely that I will reject that first image and continue to paint before spraying to unearth the next painting. An exploration of what lies beneath fascinates me and I am, at times, very surprised with the painting that results. I know when a painting is complete when I feel a signal that tells me that the piece accurately reflects my internal mood/emotions.
I enjoy the experience of painting and the wonder that comes with a finished product. In essence, the undertaking becomes a conversation between the physical and emotional, and the canvas portrays that dialogue. The techniques I use to connect with students/people in therapeutic relationships are the same skills I use to fully develop my paintings. I seek to replicate the connections in my art work, allowing my imagination to be guided by the moment. It is with this willingness to engage with the unexpected that reveals what lies beneath. The first strokes of a painting, the first words when connecting with another human are not as compelling as the deeper painting, the second or third painting or the more intimate and truer conversation that we desire to have with one another. What I find most intriguing in my painting and in my professional life has been how rapidly I can find the deeper place and what a joy it is to land there. I am interested in the attributes in our depths that need to surface, the parts that are true, the parts that need a voice, the parts that need to be honored- the parts that need to be seen.