Today we’d like to introduce you to Patrick Semple.
Hi Patrick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the rocky mountains of Colorado, a setting that defines home and set a standard very early on for my love of the outdoors; the crisp clean sky, raging rivers, large, unfettered wilderness areas with a quietude that eases the soul. My life-long painting and drawing began as early as I could talk, translating what I saw around me. I’ve dutifully stuck with it ever since and thankfully, with the support of my fans and clients, I continue to learn and grow through this medium.
I now live in Santa Monica, a place I’ve visited all my life and recently moved to take care of a family member during the pandemic.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the struggles I face daily as an artist are easy to name. Lack of motivation. Waiting for inspiration to show up can feel like you’re squeezing the last toothpaste out of the tube, but with some patience it will show back up unannounced. This has taught me the importance of stepping back from my work; both in the studio and in day to day life. To rest. This is the best way to track one’s self and see the big picture.
Insecurity and the fear of getting started are big. I find that deep down, it’s the fear that once I get started, I won’t ever want to stop! There is nothing more rewarding than finding myself in a deep, trance-like workflow, especially having waited for that inspiration to arrive. This obsession can put a strain on my relationships though– outside obligations and annoyances pulling me away from what feels like I just discovered buried treasure. So that is a big challenge I’m still ironing out as I go.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an abstract painter who deals in color combinations, textures, and contrast to create harmony on a surface. My paintings are constructed from the ground up, beginning with assembly of the stretcher bars and canvas, sometimes preparing certain paint from scratch, collage materials gathered, with a very hands-on, no-holds-barred application process. Various frames are also built, hand-stained and painted by me.
The things I paint are a mix of the colors I see in my neighborhood in Santa Monica, driving up and down the freeway, observing the sky, trees and shadows. Other, deeper emotional states are transcribed as well, in unique ways that I can’t explain.
I don’t know what I’m doing until it’s done. Paintings take longer and longer to produce the more I do it. Heavy decision-making goes into each and every little mark and block of color, even the bits of blank canvas left untouched are calculated so that a balance is achieved.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The great migration from gallery shows to online art sales format is the biggest adaption. Selling art online comes with many logistical challenges. More responsibility is placed on the artist like photographing the work well enough for people to see and understand it, working out the packaging and shipping, self-promotion and Instagram posting, finding the right platform to sell work, all things that are disciplines in themselves! For an artist depending on sales, this doubles triples the workload and detracts from studio time. I predict that we’re all going to become polymaths at this stuff! I hope we can go back to having gallery shows too!!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.patricklorenzosemple.com
- Instagram: patrick_semple_
Image Credits:
Profile pic by Alex Owen
