Patricia Arnold Art

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Patricia Arnold Artist

Patricia Arnold is a Muralist, Book and Newspaper Illustrator,  Art Teacher and has been an active Artist now for over 30 years. With a bachelors degree in  Art Education from Baylor University, personal study under Water colorist Evelyn Lowman in her younger days, the rearing of a mother who was an art teacher, musician and writer  herself, and a lot of self discovery, Patricia knew from an early age that she was an artist at heart. Since she graduated from University she has been involved in teaching art and painting in her own personal studio and on many campuses throughout Western Washington State.  She has taught Acrylic, Mixed Media and Watercolor at Highline Community College in Des Moines, WA for about 8 years both accredited and non accredited classes in Seattle, Burien, Des Moines, Kent, and Federal Way. Now she is painting mostly commissioned paintings and murals, illustrating for the newspaper in her own personal studio and teaching Advanced and Beginning Mixed Media and Advanced and Beginning Watercolor in Kent, WA. In 2009 she was awarded First Place in Watercolor at the Western Washington State Fair. She has been commissioned to do over 80 murals and portraits in businesses, residential areas, and complexes.  Her work over the years is rendered in many different media including acrylic, watercolor, oil, colored pencils, pen, pastels, ink and pencil. Many of her subjects include landscapes, nature, animals, and buildings that she has seen in her travels or in her own cultural history. Her specialty, however,  is in painting the world and its people and telling their story poetically. Helping the individual to appreciate, understand themselves and to value every person, young and old, weak or strong,  of different cultures as a creation of God to be treasured is her mission in life and she does this using visual arts, writing  and music as a vehicle.

 Years of mission work overseas working in Russia with people of all ages has given the artist opportunities to meet, see, and paint amazing things.  ”I try to stay in people’s homes and visit cities and villages alike traveling like the locals travel, that way I can see what the true picture of life is where I am visiting. I like painting the unsung hero . I sometimes paint right at the scene, but mostly I end up  taking over 800 photographs each time I go.”  Patricia’s house has been home to many college students from all over the world these past 3 years. She also mentors 6 different young women from several different countries. “They came to me and asked me to mentor them. This has broadened my perspective even more and increased my interest and love for people. I have loved each of my students and appreciate their differences keeping an ongoing relationship with at least 10 of them. The mentoring I do is not just in the visual arts and music,  but in life in general and the individuals life purpose. I have had more than one art student tell me before that my class was  better for them psychologically than their own psychologist.”

“When my new students look at that blank white canvas and fear sets in, I always ask them these questions, “Are you going to have the courage to stick it out and find out what you have inside of you? Are you going to find out what it is that God put you on this earth to do that no one else will do, or are you too afraid? Will you stand up  to all the negative voices in your past who criticised your abilities and say that you are an artist? Will you have the courage to take the journey to discover your own individual viewpoint in art? ” It takes courage to bare your heart and your soul in this manner. Most Artists are sensitive and intuitive and that is what makes them good. The job of an art teacher is to help the budding artist have a safe place where they can experience success at putting something on paper about themselves. The teacher breaks down the barriers that try to hinder them and keep them from being courageous.