Today we’d like to introduce you to Pat Konicki.
Hi Pat, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for sharing your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I graduated from the American Academy of Art and began my career as a graphic designer and illustrator in Chicago. After relocating to Miami, I opened a graphic design and advertising firm focused on clients in the fashion, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing industries. After marrying, I realized I wanted to focus on my family and eventually gravitated toward teaching and pursuing occasional design consultant projects. At 50, I received a BS in Management degree and began working in social services. While this was an area I could make a difference, it never felt quite right. Once I retired and pulled out old paints and brushes, I began a journey that has allowed me to explore options and experiences I never thought I would have attempted.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Just as I decided to step away from graphic design in the 1990s, new developments in computer design software allowed increased project productivity. I never caught up with that transition so I returned to school. A change in career, limited experience, and advanced age were all challenges I faced.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am particularly interested in the conjunction of beauty and antiquity of rural life in the Carolinas. My current work of watercolors seeks to explore the way an alternate perception of an otherwise overlooked subject through enhanced color or light can provoke an emotional or imaginative response, thus igniting value and rationale for protection or restoration in the environment. My process is looking past the obvious, close observation and engagement of the image. The challenge is to see beyond the distraction of the decay, abandoned or dismissed, and capture its splendor. Some of the subjects are quite ordinary, others less so. I aim to inspire those who see the work to look more carefully at the world around them, and to discover beauty in unusual places.
Do you have any advice for those just starting?
Work from the heart. If you believe in what you are doing and it feels natural, that is what matters. This applies to whether you are 21 or 71. You never know when or where something might spark or come to life again.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pkonicki.art
- Instagram: pkonickiart
- Facebook: PKonicki Art
