Durango painter Patrice DeLorenzo’s work focuses on places that might go unnoticed to others.
Her show, “The Quiet Hours,” debuts this week at Olio in Mancos and runs through May 28. An artist reception Saturday from 4-6 p.m. at Olio will kick off the exhibit.
DeLorenzo’s acrylic paintings are based on landscapes from around the Southwest, she said.
“Many are actual places I’ve been, but they’re combinations of feelings, experiences and what I’ve seen from those places,” she said.
Several pieces feature still night scenes inspired by DeLorenzo’s time living in Farmington, New Mexico. She lived on property on a hill overlooking the city, she said.
Others display natural settings such as a winding path through a grassy field and a bright sunny sky. DeLorenzo said she enjoys painting scenes from early morning and late evening because the light and colors are more subdued during those times.
Though the show’s theme is quiet and the paintings portray tranquil scenes, DeLorenzo’s works are dramatic. She uses expressive brushwork and multiple layers of paint to create a sense of depth and energy.
Quiet nights might have high visual drama, DeLorenzo said. From her property in Farmington, she painted scenes depicting contrast between dark night skies, bright stars and distant headlights from cars traveling along the highway.
“Everything is always moving,” DeLorenzo said. “As we see things we move through them. You see energy and dynamic color even in those quiet places. There is always movement and energy.”
People have told DeLorenzo that her paintings are meditative and soothing, she said. Her works are familiar, and people make a personal connection to her paintings, she said. She appreciates that people find that connection, because she paints what she loves, she said.
“I like to challenge myself, but I want to be true to myself and my vision,” DeLorenzo said. “This is what I paint.”
DeLorenzo hopes people can connect to her work and find her display at Olio familiar. She turns to painting as a respite from the business of life, and she said she hopes others can experience that stillness, too.
“Art is a part of our daily lives,” she said. “I hope people find quietness and solitude for a bit of a break in their lives.”
