Pat Hough
Mt. Tremper, New York
Social Media:
Instagram
How would you describe your work?
My paintings are largely about paint. What it can do, what it can feel like.I make abstract oil paintings and graphite drawings. It is important to me to be able to see the process in the finished piece. The core of the work is spiritual in nature.
What inspires you?
Nature is currently my biggest inspiration. I walk a lot in and around woods, streams and mountains. I also love looking at art and reading about art.
Can you speak about your process?
There are several dualities at play in my work. Density and transparency. Push and pull. Paint drips create a sense of gravity. They become a series of vertical lines that begin or sometimes end with a horizontal brushstroke. The paint drips up as well. I play with background and foreground by creating a dynamic middle ground, like a staging area. This becomes the vertical space near the center of the paintings and drawings where a lot of the main action takes place, and is the focus of a lot of the detail. Lines create a vertical “pile” of circles and ovals. A configuration of dense lines creates transparent round shapes. This is the basic structure of my paintings.
How did you become interested in art?
It seems like I have always been interested in art. I remember being In kindergarten and painting at an easel by a window. It was snowing and I was dabbing white paint onto a piece of sky blue paper, feeling like I was the snow. I started drawing regularly when I was about 13 years old. After high school I went to art school and started painting there.
Do you have any favorite artists, movies, books or quotes?
Artists: Philip Guston, Stanley Whitney, Brice Marden, Joan Mitchell, Sean Scully, Alex Katz, Harriet Korman.
Movies:”The Lilies of the Field”, “Wings of Desire”, “The Fisher King”, “Days of Heaven”.
Books: “100 Years of Solitude”by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “The Red and the Black” by Stendahl, “The Turn of the Screw” by Henry James, “The Moonstone” by Wilkie Collins, “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegman, “My Antonia” by Willa Cather.
Quotes: “I wish I was a messenger, and all the news was good.”- Eddie Vedder
What advice do you have for younger artists?
Seek authenticity. Be yourself! Work hard but have some fun. Make a commitment early on. Travel as much as you can. Try not to get too distracted by what your work looks like; go deeper for meaning.
Any more thoughts about art, creativity, or anything else you would like to share?
Wonderful things happen in the studio when I let go of my ego and focus on what the work needs at any given time. This is what I follow.
