Big Stories, Natural Focus . . . Patricia Wilkes won't back down from a big painting. In fact, she specializes in large, environmental portraits that relate the subject to the environment. Through the incorporation of body language, facial expression, and scenic details, Wilkes creates a natural and unposed setting that allows the viewer to gain insight into the total life of the sitter. During her education at Washington University of Fine Art, Wilkes was mostly influenced by her Figure Structure instructor, Barry Schactman. After receiving her BFA in 1973, Wilkes spent the next decade honing her drawing skills in the field of illustration, and since 1990 she has concentrated on the field of portraiture. Through the experience of raising her two daughters, Wilkes gained invaluable insight into each stage of a child's growth, allowing her to appreciate the facets of children's portraiture. While she loves every phase of childhood development, her favorite period to paint are the teenage and young adult years. Just as Wilkes prefers an unposed environment that accurately portrays the character of her sitter, she also enjoys painting her young subjects in casual clothing, believing that even jeans and polo shirts can be as beautifully conveyed as formal attire. Even though Wilkes believes that a thorough knowledge of art history is beneficial to a portrait artist, a few painters in particular continue to influence her work. The structure of Botticelli, the restraint and control of Vermeer, the flesh tones and monumentality of Rubens, the draftsmenship and paint manipulation utilized by Ingres, and the total body of work by John Singer Sargeant have all inspired her creations. Despite these influences, Patricia Wilkes' portraits are just as unique as her subjects. Every piece exhibits her character and personality, and like each painting's detailed setting, her distinctive style facilitates the expression of each subject's individual nature.
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