<\/p>\n
Patrice DeLorenzo likes to \u201cilluminate\u201d the softer side of life.<\/p>\n
For her, that means painting flowers and landscapes, and hidden little places. And that\u2019s reflected in her exhibit \u201cSoft Spoken\u201d on display now at the Olio restaurant and art gallery in Mancos through early February.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoy being able to paint what makes me feel good, and beautiful places,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re not high drama. I love sunsets and I love sunrises, and all that is stunning and really is moving.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find, though, that I\u2019m very drawn \u2013 as far as painting goes \u2013 I\u2019m drawn to those really quiet little places that you may not necessarily come across.\u201d<\/p>\n
Painting and drawing have always been a constant in her life, she said, starting in her early childhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s part of my being,\u201d DeLorenzo said.<\/p>\n
She earned her bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in fine arts in painting, and then took several different paths, serving as an assistant professor at a university shortly after graduate school.<\/p>\n
Now, she works as a GIS specialist with Energy Inspection Services in Bayfield, in addition to painting and teaching art in Durango.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all about maintaining balance and having some sort of creative outlet, she said. There was a time when she didn\u2019t have that opportunity to be creative, and \u201cit was very difficult,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve realized over the years that the creativity to me is a bigger connection,\u201d DeLorenzo said. \u201cLike a spiritual, meditative connection that is a part of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
She enjoys bringing students into her world, and showing them that they can indeed paint \u2013 and help guide them to see the \u201cpositivity\u201d in their work.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t see the potential in your own work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She enjoys painting in real life, but now she tries to focus on capturing the essence of a place, or a memory connected to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause what we have around us is so incredibly moving, and I will see things that I try and burn into my memory, and so then I can take that and paint from memory, paint from my experiences,\u201d she said. \u201cPaint the feeling of a place.\u201d<\/p>\n
While typically DeLorenzo focuses on landscapes, this year she has been painting a lot of florals, which feature prominently in her exhibit at Olio.<\/p>\n
The show kicked off with an artist reception Saturday, Dec. 14, and it will remain on display through Feb. 8.<\/p>\n