Painting and making music has long been a shared passion for many artists.
It’s a dual form of looking at the world and expressing original thoughts and visions.
One is visual and the other sonic- using words and music.
Patrick McGee is such an artist.
Melodyvibe was very happy to reach out to Patrick and ask about his creative process and inspiration.
Patrick hails from Toledo , Ohio and is a lifelong musician writing and performing songs with country, folk, rock-n-roll, blues, and soul influences.
Regarding the inspiration for his art and painting ,Patrick describes it like this:
“In 2004 my wife gave me an art set and I fell in love. I was working as a commercial painter in new construction. After years of applying off-white color and cutting in straight lines, I was ready to embark on an artistic adventure with paint.
I began painting floral pieces primarily dahlias, which offered a variety of bright colors and shapes. I quickly added abstract-expressionism, surrealism, and landscapes to my list of styles.
Abstract realism is my preferred style and where I have seen the most growth in my work. I use transparent color and a limited pallet of red, yellow, and blue and paint in layers.”
Moving to Byhalia ,MS in 2018 , Patrick developed his stylistic approach even further :
"When I moved to the Midsouth, my paintings had a “stiff” look and feel to them. Using paint to draw my compositions and then coloring in the shapes left my pieces lifeless and flat. Since 2019, my focus is to be more painterly.
By using paint to capture an image and brushstroke to shape and sculpt the composition my work has come alive. Of course this is not a new concept. Landscape, impressionism, still life, and portrait painters have done it for centuries.
The key to doing good art is doing good process. Process needs to develop to grow as an artist. Life is a journey and art is an ever changing road along the way."
That is a very good mantra for keeping the art alive and inspiring -and winning over new admirers along the way.
Some of the art has a surreal Dali feel to it too - as the boundaries and style gets extended.
Patrick is a board member of the Byhalia Area Arts Council (BAAC) and was commissioned to paint a town mural.
He is active in the local music scene too - being a member of The Memphis Songwriter’s Association and Artists Link Memphis.
He has recorded two EPs with producer Joe Matthews.
Regarding future plans , Patrick describes it like this:
“I will have paintings in the lobby at Theatre Memphis during their production of “Steel Magnolias” April 26 – May 12, 2024. I have shows upcoming at WKNO Ten-Ninety-One Gallery, Memphis Botanic Gardens, and The Women’s Exchange of Memphis.
Outside the music and art I spend my time mastering the fine art of bar-b-que tacos in Byhalia with my poet wife, our black cat, and a dog that bites.”
We look forward to seeing more new Patrick art in the future - and hopefully no dog bites!
More info here: