From a New Point of View: Watercolor, Sculpture, Acrylics at CDPL

Local Montgomery County artist Pat Fay has worn many hats in his life, but the hat for which he is best known is his "artist's chapeau" worn while painting, sculpting or teaching art classes. Because of his notoriety, Pat was invited to share his eclectic creations in an exhibit in the Mary Bishop Memorial Art Gallery at the Crawfordsville Public Library from Friday, December 8, 2006 until Wednesday, January 3, 2007. Give yourself a sparkling tinsel-treat, visit the Gallery and pick out a special Christmas gift for a special someone. You'll be so glad you did.Though he has resided in Montgomery County with his wife and five children as long as anyone can remember Pat is a native of Dearborn, MI where he attended Detroit Area Public Schools. His earliest artistic memory is that of drawing cartoon characters with his Aunt Grace and Mother. The positive response of an encouraging first grade elementary school teacher, who after seeing his sculptured snowman, sent him to show his accomplishment to all the classes in the school, was the response Pat needed to realize the value of his art and that it was definitely worth devoting leisure time to. In seventh or eighth grade, with the pulse of curiosity thumping in his veins, Pat dug some clay from an empty field next to his home and sculpted a bust of Abraham Lincoln. After it had air dried, he took it to school to show his Art teacher who was delighted and insisted on showing it to the Principal. Impressed beyond words, the Principal asked if she could keep the sculpture as a school display. With great pride, Pat answered "of course" and skipped home to share the good news with his family. It was a little different story at home. Happily sharing his accomplishment, Pat somehow found himself in "big trouble" with his Mother for giving away something she wanted. Oops! Many years later Pat fashioned a second Abraham Lincoln bust as a gift to his mother who never parted with it. Pat continued to excel at art, which had become his passion, until he discovered girls and put his art on the back burner temporarily. Imagine! It remained in the background during his stint in the Air Force and after his discharge in 1958, when he married and began the busy years of responsibility raising five children. There was little time for artwork, so the artwork gene went into hibernation for a while. After ten years of marriage, Pat began to find little slips of time to devote to art and was delighted to return to sculpture. He took several classes at the Cranbrook Institute of Art and continued his growth in the medium for several years. When boredom set in, he taught himself to draw with pastels. This became his medium of choice until acrylic paints caught his eye. Many books and much practice helped him create several paintings which he found pleasing. A move to Crawfordsville stimulated Pat to try yet another medium when he discovered watercolor paintings and the artists who created them. After workshops and years spent honing his skills, Pat continues to create pleasing paintings from which he derives great pleasure. So, come on in and see what Pat has created from that great imagination bubbling quietly under his always recognizable "artist's chapeau".