The Jasper Project’s newest resident artist in The Nook Gallery is Patrick Parise! Parise’s work will be on display through October 11 over at the Koger Center, and we cordially invite you to stop by for the opening reception on September 17, from 5:30 – 7 p.m.
Jasper will be on site both inside by the gallery and outside during the Koger Center Presents: Levitt AMP Columbia Music Series concert this Thursday, featuring Black Nerd Mafia. Light snacks will be provided inside, but you can grab a drink from the concert concessions outside and bring it in while you experience Parise’s artwork in person.
All paintings in the exhibit are for sale, and during the reception, Parise will also have some additional etchings available for purchase in Jasper’s Nook Gallery on the Koger Center’s second tier.
About the Artist: “When I was young,watching my mother and others paint, it moved me toward wanting to learn more about painting to pursue an art career,” Parise writes. “As a young student thinking only as a painter and sculptor, I never contemplated other ways to make my art. Over the years, oils, and acrylics have been my main mediums, but some newer works are with enamels. Landscapes will always be my favorite subject matter, but I have never shied away from an abstract thought. In my junior year as an undergraduate I was introduced to printmaking, and my entire world changed about making art. Whether etching plates to make limited editions, mono-prints, mono-types, or working a lithograph, a wood block, or a mixed media piece, I began to see the beautiful and innovative ways I could create work with this new medium. So instead of graduate school, I jumped right in and purchased a Charles Brand Etching press and opened my own studio, Southern Printworks, where I have continued to paint and make original prints for over 30 years. I guess we all have a moment of truth on how to pursue a creative path, and by committing to this large purchase, it was my moment of truth. I understand now it was the only choice because, to this day, I haven’t looked back.”
“Over the years I have realized you can spend your art career focusing on the nuance of one process, which many artists find very rewarding. Or you can use that information and leap into the unknown, in new directions, to learn other mediums and to change things up,” Parise continues. “With my paintings, I use varied surfaces - canvas, paper, panels, and plexiglass – and vary the subject matter among landscapes, florals, and abstracts – keeping things interesting for me and the viewer. With printmaking, I often introduce color into my limited-edition etchings, using acrylic washes to create a stronger original print. I use multiple etched plates to produce dynamic images with unique combinations of color, shapes, and design to create one-of-a-kind monoprints or, painting on metal and plexiglass allowing me to create one-of-a-kind mono-types. Printmaking, painting, and sculpture are the mediums I will continue to focus on and I will see where it leads me. So here I am, years later, still learning and developing innovative ways to make my art and trying to become a better artist along the way. It has been a fun ride, so far. Enjoy!”