Fred Rigley with Patricia in 2004. George Bredewater photo
BARTELS continued from 39
Patricia also has a degree in biology. Her father was a pathologist. She worked as a lab tech for a hospital in Ohio before beginning her teaching career, and says her background in science helps with her painting.
She remains in touch with many of the students she taught through the years
She paused her painting career for a few years while her sons were young, but got back into it with a nudge from
friend and fellow artist Terri Schultz, who suggested she get to know local landscape artist Fred Rigley.
Rigley( 1914-2009) was considered one of the last surviving artists who painted with some of the founders of the Brown County Art Colony. Rigley agreed to take her under his wing. It became a 17-year companionship for the two artists.
“ We had a wonderful relationship,” she said.“ He became like a father to me.”
She considers the floral paintings she is known for as abstracts, with the focus of the paintings being color and shape and moving the eye around the surface of the painting, not necessarily a realistic representation of the flowers. The landscapes she paints are often more literal, she said.
But whatever she is painting, she said art is a stabilizing factor and became even more important as the coronavirus kept her home in recent years.
“ It keeps me off the shrink’ s couch,” she said.“ I mentally couldn’ t handle what goes on every day without art.”
More information can be found on her website < www. rhodenart. com >. •
41 S. Van Buren St. Nashville, IN( in the Heritage Mall)
Fresh Homemade Fudge Old-Fashioned Candies Candy by the Pound Cream Filberts / Mothballs Rock Candy • Jelly Belly Chocolates / Turtles Pucker Powder Sugar Free
812.200.1077 HeritageCandyStore @ gmail. com
We ship everywhere!
Ask about our Wedding Favors and Fundraising with Fudge
42 Our Brown County Jan./ Feb. 2022