inspiration: Patty Haller

"Dawn Salutation" - by Seattle artist Patty Haller - casein and oil on birch wood panel

As some of you know, my daughters have been studying Kenpo Karate at Alpha Martial Arts for the past four years and both are on track to earn their Junior Black Belts within six months -- we're so proud!

Over the years, my family and I have had the pleasure of developing rich friendships with fellow karate parents and students. One such parent is Patty Haller, mother of three and graduate of the 2009 Gage Academy Landscape Atelier.

Patty is one of the sweetest, most caring people I've ever met and she only recently let on that she is an award-winning landscape artist. Her work is spectacular and I feel a connection to her artist statement:

"Nature to me is a rich perceptual experience, where the whole seems ordered but the details are wild. I want both in my art. And so I establish parameters, lightly imposing systems of visual organization which allow my imagined spaces to breathe and hold life. I aim to create a visual experience which reflects how we actually see the natural world, as we survey the land, move around and focus on the elements around us." - Patty Haller

"Una Foresta in Prospettiva" - oil on canvas 30"x51" overall - 2009 by Patty Haller

I invite you to browse her galleries of work here -- enjoy!