Diversity keeps it interesting for watercolorist Patrick Sheehan

[September 24, 2019]   LINCOLN - One of the highest accolades an artist can receive is to have an art gallery offer to do a solo show for them. It is an acknowledgement that the gallery considers artist’s work of superior quality.

The Lincoln Art Institute turned its walls over to Chicago watercolorist Patrick Sheehan for the September opening Thursday evening. This is the latest offering of Logan County Arts to bring artists from outside central Illinois to Lincoln for a show.

Patrick Sheehan has been an artist for most of his life, but his move to do exclusively watercolors occurred recently. “I saw an ad in the paper for a watercolor class at a local community college and signed up for it,” he said. “The professor was wonderful teaching me color and balance,” he added. It is a challenging medium, and very satisfying when a painting turns out well.

When cruising down the walls of the Lincoln Art Institute, one is struck by the ever changing subject matter. “When I do a landscape, the next painting has to be something different. I like to bounce around from portraits to landscapes to a still life. It makes each painting more interesting,” he said.

“The hardest subject is a portrait, because of the stress to make it look close to what the actual person looks like,” he said.

For Patrick Sheehan, painting is great stress relief, a good therapy. When he retires later this year, he hopes to paint more. Currently he meets with other artists one night a week to trade ideas and to paint in a communal setting.

Where does he get his ideas for a painting? Some come from his extensive travels in the U.S. and Mexico. He always takes a camera with him and if he sees something interesting, he will take a photo and bring it into his studio. That will start the creative process.

“I really enjoyed seeing my work in the beautiful Lincoln Art Institute, and really appreciated the warm welcome I have received,” he said. The large crowd Thursday evening was made up of many of his Lincoln relatives.

Gallery owner Moses Pinkerton was equally pleased with the large turnout. “It is wonderful to see such an enthusiastic crowd come out for an out-of-town artist.

Logan County Arts and the Lincoln Art Institute hope to bring more artists from all over to showcase their unique talents,” he said.

Patrick Sheehan’s one man show at LAI is scheduled to be on display until October 5. Contact Moses Pinkerton for a showing at 217-651-8355.

[Curtis Fox]