Artist of the Month December 2024

Pat DeVane Burns

Forsyth, Georgia, USA

My artwork has been collected over much of the US, with a few going to Europe and Australia.  Moving over twenty-five times, I still managed to get artwork into the public eye.   Now that the children are grown and I have retired from the family business, the last 15 years have been spent full time on my passion with a backlog of ideas and images flowing into existence. In late 2021 my heart was led into a Christian-based mentoring program called "Created to Thrive" by Matt Tommey.   As I grow with God's guidance, I feel my role as a conduit of His grace strengthened and expanding.

How and when did you start creating art?

I started out with multiple local awards in high school in my home state of Georgia, garnering a Governor's Honors live-in program one summer at Wesleyan College, then entering Berry College on a full-tuition scholarship in art.  I took time to raise a family and be active in my husband's business while continuing to learn through occasional workshops, through artist peer groups and by amassing a huge art library. I returned to college art classes at 65 for several years and still audit classes whenever I can squeeze it in.

What media and genres do you work in?

Not only do I paint in acrylics and oils, but I also enjoy sculpting in clay, concrete and wire, concentrating on people and animals in a representational way.

Who or what are your influences?

Since fall of 2013, I have spent much of my creative energies sculpting in clay.  It all started with the desire to make a bust of my mother, who died in a car wreck when she was 59.  Over the years I tried several times to paint her portrait but was emotionally unable to do so.  I enrolled in an evening continuing education class with Dr. Marlin Adams working with water base clay.  This was the breakthrough that I needed!  I find the hands-on contact with the clay absorbs my emotions, my feelings, and the relationships involved and allows me to translate them into 3-D imagery.  I consider myself a conduit... a tool to be used to create something tangible from the intangible.  Clay is so direct, so immediate, with no technical process to interrupt the transfer.

I’m currently taking an online oil painting course with Daniel Gerhartz.  I admire his capture of light and his looser less detailed style than my own.  I have recently had detached retina surgery and have a desire to be more impressionistic.

Describe your creative process?

When my project is a commission, I ask God to help me absorb the feeling my client has for the subject.  I draw on that feeling to paint or sculpt, as I truly believe that paint or clay retain the emotion that is infused into the creative process.  Have you ever stood in front of an original museum piece and “felt” it?

I see possibilities for subject matter all around me… more than I will ever be able to do in a lifetime.  Staying connected with other dedicated artists keeps me motivated and inspired.  Three of us have monthly critique sessions and participate together in shows.

What are you working on currently?

Currently I am working on a mural that consists of four 3’ x 6’ panels that I will complete in studio and then will mount on the exterior of a new no-kill animal shelter and adoption center for Lamar County.

I also have started a series of paintings that will become illustrations for a children’s book that has the character of a young red fox finding friends.  Each painting has an accompanying short poem that reflects the characteristics of the particular animal that he is befriending, so it is educational as well as fun.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

I foresee myself choosing to be more selective about commissions so that I can complete more personal projects.  At 73 years of age, there are so many images in my mind that I’ve backlogged that truly need to come into existence! 

I foresee more children’s books with accompanying gallery shows of the illustration paintings. 

I will continue to work in water-based clay because I simply love the feel of it.

I have the goal of participating in the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, SC.

I would love to see one of my artworks in the permanent collection of the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Ga because it has been an inspiration to me.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

My main website is https://www.patburnsart.com/ where there are originals in current galleries, links to a print-on-demand site and Etsy, as well as commission information.