Pat Spano

Being born in Connecticut, but growing up in the South left me with 
one regret, missingthe beauty of the seasons. I got a taste of the 
seasons as we went North for vacations.  It's beauty stimulated my 
desire to observe nature and different terrain.  I feel I've been a 
student of art since I was a child.  A fascination with color, form 
and the effects that light has on objects has always drawn me. 
Initially I studied art at the community college in Daytona, and 
during my final two years at Florida State, I majored in education and 
minored  in art. Upon returning home I married my life-long love, Charles.  
We raised three children and many pets.
 
We loved to travel with our children over the summer months, It 
allowed us to see many of the National Parks in the U.S.  As we traveled,  
our love for nature and capturing God's beauty, inspired our interest 
in photography.  Always investing in the best equipment for pictures, 
our love for "saving treasured scenes  and moments" grew.  To this day, 
we continue to find great pleasure in capturing impressive sites and 
intricacies of life surrounding us every day. Many of these photos bring 
back  such intense feelings of "aw!", that I feel driven to reflect on 
these impressions in my art. I have loved being with those that feel the 
desire to share this creative language through every form of art, whether 
it be music, dance, photography. or paintings, etc.  We have been blessed 
with a family of friends that brings great enjoyment to life.  It's the 
joy of creativity that inspires me and a desire to give back in that 
respect.  

In all the 37 years I taught elementary school in Volusia County, art was
always a part of the curriculum in my classroom; from designing bulletin 
boards, drawing, clay, watercolor, and silk painting, artist studies, etc. 
with my students.  These enrichment activities instilled a love and 
appreciation for art and different mediums in my students.  Now, upon 
retirement, I find myself focused primarily in my love for art. Throughout 
the years that I taught school, I took many classes and workshops such as. 
digital  photography, pottery, drawing, oil painting, watercolor, and pastel.  
Some of the local workshops were at the Art League and local Community 
College in Daytona Beach.  I also studied photography, silk painting, 
and batiking at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD.  I've always enjoyed 
independent study also.  Some of the artists that have inspired me most 
through workshops are:

Margaret Dyer' "Figure in Pastel"
Fred Samuelson's "Watercolor Painting"
Barbara Coulter Baldwin "Water Media & Pastel"
Linda Barnett Thale "Pastel & Drawing"
Elaine Vice "Watercolor"
Karlene McConnell "Watercolor"
Janet Rogers "Portraits & Flowers in Watercolor"
Janet King "Watercolor"
Toelle-Hovan "Acrylics"
Susan Bloom "Digital Collage & Painting"

The two mediums that I am most inspired by are pastels and 
watercolor .I chose pastels for their immediacy, directness and 
their endless collection of colors! It's like seeing every color 
in the rainbow, just waiting for you to make your world the 
way you want to see it. Pastel is the most permanent of all 
media, for it never cracks, darkens or yellows. I appreciate 
the fact that pastel has the same status of oil and watercolor 
as a major fine art medium.  

I love watercolors for their transparency and impressionistic 
qualities.  I'm fascinated with the free movement of color 
intermingled with water and their transparent quality.  The 
application and combining colors allows me to paint my impression 
which lets one grasp a rich, multi colored prism effect on 
objects, instead of isolated details.  

Due to extensive traveling and the love for photography my 
husband and I continue to do, I must admit that 
I am drawn primarily to landscapes.  My goal is to portray 
landscapes in an impressionistic style.   Color and the beauty 
of nature is my inspiration! 

I have been commissioned to paint pets and have enjoyed it greatly.  
I am interested in continuing this aspect also.

I have been a member of the Daytona Beach Art League, and  
Palette & Brush Club of Daytona Beach, FL.  Presently I'm teaching 
pastel and watercolor at the Gallery of Local Artists in 
Flagler Beach, FL

I have exhibited in Gallery of Local Artist in Flagler Beach, FL , 
the First Friday Extravaganza in Daytona Beach, FL and in the 
Ormond Library in Ormond Beach, FL .