Patricia Akay

A native Californian, Patricia Weatherbie Akay resided for many years in Burlingame and San Mateo, having moved to Sonoma Valley 10 years ago. Upon moving, Akay felt she was leaving behind her many patrons, and her outstanding reputation as a juror, demonstrator, and critic for the many Art Associations in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, and the East Bay She was surprised and delighted to learn how receptive Sonoma County is to artists. After one year she was juried into the prestigious ARTRAILS of Sonoma County, which features the artists and their studios for 2 week-ends mid October. This has attracted new patrons, as well as her former patrons who are delighted to visit scenic Sonoma and view the new paintings. Currently she now critiques for several Sonoma Valley Art Groups, which is a form of teaching that she feels is valuable.

Always an artist, since age 3, which was her first love affair with a pencil and what it could "accomplish", she went on to be the class artist for each school, until her first formal training began in College. Hartnell College Art Dept head, Leon Amyx, was Akay's first mentor, introducing her to the past great artists, like Cezanne, watercolor on location, figure drawing, & still-life drawing. Exciting! For her Jr. Year Akay chose California College of the Arts in Oakland for it's program in Advertising Arts, and Art Education. Upon Graduation, Akay became the Art Dept Head of Herbert Hoover Jr. High for the following year.

Marriage and motherhood put Akay's career on hold, until she began teaching children privately as a re-entry into the art world. One person shows of her work were schedualed for Akay, and juried art shows were entered with many awards received (the most fun award being a year scholarship to The Academy of Art in S.F.) At this time, Akay opened an art gallery aptly named "the Gallery" in Burlingame, which is still going strong 25 years later. Teaching watercolor to adults, thru the Burlingame Recreation Center, was her next career move. Then she retired from teaching, in order to concentrait on her own painting.

Always an admirer of past artists, and the timelessness of Europe, Akay's travels abroad took her to France (painting "en plein air" where the Fr. Impressionists painted), Italy, England and Turkey . In between trips, Akay has the magic world of the wine country (Napa and Sonoma) inviting her to convey it's many moods.

"As an artist I want to capture what we see now, in the landscape, before it changes, making a visual record like the artists that I so admire, have done before me."

Painting now in oil as well as watercolor, Akay finds the subject tells her which medium to use. On location, her favorite scenes include historical buildings and the many views of open space as well as the vineyards and the field workers. In the studio, her large watercolors of a still-life (often floral) with a view "out the window" have been her latest focus.

Whether impressionistic, or semi-realistic, Akay's paintings convery a mood which is expressed through her unique use of color and rhythmical movement in a "painterly" style. What pleases Akay most, is when her collectors tell her that they still treasure the first purchase, they made of hers many years ago. As she changes, so does her style, but it is still an "Akay." That is the goal of this artist..., ... to paint and frame for posterity, just as the early Californian artists once did...

To see Patricia's work: www.patriciaakay.net