River Views from Knoxville. Patricia Sweet, artist
By Julie Ann Bell
The flora, fauna and scenery of Western North Carolina are frequently center stage at Trackside Studios. Each of the 60 artists who create, teach and display art at Trackside lives in this region. The colors of sunsets, spring flowers and autumn leaves infuse art. The bears in backyards, butterflies in gardens, birds, mushrooms and towering rock faces ignite inspiration.
Artists Amy Reader, Brian Luzader, Elizabeth Becker, Cristina Garcia and Patricia Sweet are featured in our Stairway and Hallway galleries through August. Reader’s needle-felted mushrooms and lichens invite us into the loamy floors of the forest while Luzader’s large, bright acrylic florals celebrate the colors of our summer gardens. Expressive, spontaneous and intuitive watercolors of birds and plants reflect Becker’s spiritual connection to nature.
Garcia’s career in wildlife research, nature-based travel and creation of thriving ecosystems in her backyard are among the avenues that have deeply connected her with the animals and plants featured in her paintings.
Parkway Beauty. Patricia Sweet, artist
“I thrive on nature,” says Sweet, “endlessly studying the subtle nuances of light and shadow as they dance across the landscape.” Her fascination with painting began when she picked up a brush at age five to paint alongside her grandmother as they followed along with Bob Ross on television.
As an instructor, Sweet shares her deep passion for teaching and helping students learn to truly see the world around them. She encourages them to look beyond the obvious and discover the subtle shifts of color and value that often go unnoticed. “Through my instruction, I challenge artists to ask how and why sunlight moves across a landscape, transforming forms, colors and atmosphere throughout the day,” she says. “This pursuit of understanding light has become a cornerstone of both my teaching and my artwork.”
Sweet often paints plein air, creating ephemeral landscapes locally and when she travels. Recently, she began a series of paintings using one color. She says this monochromatic painting technique emerged in a deeply personal and unexpected way. “At the beginning of this year, I began experiencing a series of recurring dreams,” she says. “In one of them, I painted an entire landscape in my mind while drifting in and out of sleep. When I awoke, I felt an undeniable urge to bring that vision to life. I immediately pulled out a large blank canvas and began painting.”
That first painting, a large tree landscape titled Reminiscent, became the catalyst for an entirely new body of work. “What began as a dream,” she says, “evolved into a distinctive artistic process—one that explores mood, memory, atmosphere and the quiet beauty found within a limited palette. Reminiscent was the first of many paintings in this ongoing series, each one inspired by my connection to nature and the emotional power of light.”
Explore Trackside Studios any day of the week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to see the gallery exhibits featuring these artists and the creations of all of the artists throughout the studio. Visit our website to learn more about our artists, events and art classes.
Trackside Studios is located at 375 Depot Street in the River Arts District. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, and by appointment. Learn more at TracksideStudios.com.
