Patrick Markle
I wake up, look out my window and there, in a glow from the early morning light, is my inspiration. I rise, grab my brush and begin work on my latest creation. I moved to Fernie in 2003 and was immediately impacted by the beauty of the Elk Valley. It was like no other place I had been. From the white peaks towering over town in the winter to the infinite greens of summer, it’s a truly spectacular and unique part of the Rockies. It is this beauty that continues to inspire me eight years later.
My artwork has undergone huge changes since my training concluded at Lakehead University. I went from working as a wood block printer to a painter experimenting in acrylics. I found the printmaking process to be too mechanical to capture the intricate mountain landscapes and decided to explore the world of painting. After about two years I felt confident that my work was of a high professional quality so I began showing my paintings in town. My first venue was at the Good Earth health food store. I then began and continue to show at the Blue Toque Diner, Island Lake Lodge, and Powder Cowboy Lodge. Since then my work has continued to evolve and my shows have spread across the Kootenays and into the Vancouver area.
Last spring I began making prints of my paintings with the help of local photographer Jamie Hide. This led me to join the Fernie Arts Co-op and gave me the idea of vending at markets and arts and crafts shows. I took my booth on tour, starting in Vancouver on Canada Day and made my way across BC and into Alberta where I joined the Fringe Fest in Calgary and Edmonton. It was a good change of pace from the very solitary life of an artist. I enjoyed meeting lots of artisans with different ideas about making a career in the art world more sustainable. It was also interesting to meet all kinds of people and see their reaction to my work. Along my travels I was always stumped by one question, “What would you call your style of painting?” I am not one to label my style as I feel there are many kinds of art that I draw inspiration from, such as Canadian post impressionists, German block printers of the 1920`s, expressionists and sculptors such as Tom Benner and Andy Goldsworthy. However, one morning in Edmonton a woman in my booth came up with my favourite description when she said my work was, “Like the Group Of Seven meeting Japanese wood block printers.” It was then that I realized how much my printing background has contributed to both my working process and my finished product.
After a busy summer I was happy to return home to Fernie and have been very productive in my studio. I am currently working on large canvases and have been focusing on elements of water. I have also been getting ready for upcoming shows in Vancouver and Edmonton. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the businesses in town who have helped support me by giving me display space over the years. I would also like to thank the public who actively support art in Fernie. To many people, life as an artist seems to be a hobby not an occupation, but I assure you it is a very challenging career which demands discipline, dedication, and courage. I encourage all who live in or visit Fernie to drop by the Arts Co-op and Art Station to see the work of the many talented artists that call Fernie home.
