There’s a certain peaceful stillness to Patricia Banks’ landscape and seascape paintings, an intentional effect she has taught herself to produce over her many years as an artist.
Banks is an avid learner, which is why she has mastered the technical skills needed to portray a mood or feeling into her paintings.
“I find a lot of people who like my work really enjoy the peace in it. Even if it’s a wild seascape, there’s an element where I’ve included that as part of the construction in the design of it,” she said, saying it’s possible to take the viewer in a certain direction based on the horizontal and vertical lines used.
Banks has been painting professionally for about 15 years, concentrating primarily on acrylic and watercolor media. She has painted everything from landscapes, florals, whimsical creatures, still life and abstracts and likes the challenge this variety of subjects gives her.
Being the oldest daughter in a large family, Banks said she has always cared for people, which made it an easy transition to go into nursing some 30 years ago. But working without finding time for her art left a void in her life.
“I had to do something creative and fulfilling because I was feeling like I was giving myself away and not getting something deeply, emotionally and spiritually healing for myself.”
Banks continues to teach nursing part time today, focusing more of her energy on her artwork.
Doing art is a healing process, Banks said, and she has now done research on creativity and healing and is working on publishing something in this field in the future.
She also teaches painting workshops where she focuses on helping people with their artistic struggles as well as bringing out what they desire to do, rather than a paint-like-me workshop, she said.
Banks is a member of the International Guild of Realism and the Federation of Canadian Artists.
Her stirring, yet calming acrylic seascapes and landscapes can be found at the Gallery at Qualicum Art Supply at 102-206 W First Ave in Qualicum Beach.
Locally her work can also be found at the Salish Sea Market in Bowser. Visit her website for more information www.patriciabanks.ca.
reporter@pqbnews.com
