Pat Dolan's Website

Monday, May 09, 2016

Featured in INSPIRATIONAL Digital Magazine!

I am honored to have been among numerous excellent fiber artists who have been featured on John Hopper's Textile Blog during the past 8 years. John wanted to celebrate those 8 years of textile blogging and link them to his Inspirational digital magazine. In this quote, John writes about this linking:
After some thought, I came up with the idea of using the next issue of Inspirational as a portfolio of all the contemporary artists that I have featured over the eight years of The Textile Blog, featuring work that they are producing now, and getting them to say a little something about where their perspective as an artist is currently. In a way it is perhaps a fitting celebration of what The Textile Blog has become, a vehicle in which to feature and highlight the work of contemporary creativity.

So, I have contacted all of the artists that have been featured on The Textile Blog, from way back in 2009, to a month or so ago in 2016. Bit of a daunting task, contacting and recontacting fifty artists from all corners of the planet, but I have done it and I am heartened by the enthusiasm and generous support from all those corners of the planet, aren't creative individuals the best!

Below is the beginning of my contribution to this effort. It was an honor to be featured several years ago on his blog, and another honor to be included in this follow-up survey of what the featured artists are presently doing and why they are doing it. Four of my current pieces are included along with my written reply to his question, to be found on pages 50-53 of the magazine.


Forty five fiber artists have thus far responded to his request, including: Deb Lacativa, Cathy Kleeman, Carol Taylor, Gerrie Congdon, Ellin Larimer, Wen Redmond, Dominie Nash, Diane Savon, Rayna Gillman, and Karen Stiehl Osborn, to name a few.


I hope you find this magazine insightful and, of course, "inspirational!" You will find it available here.

Friday, May 06, 2016

More "Old" Artwork - This Time: PASTELS!


Looking over the old pastel paintings, I'm surprised that they all are portraits. I rarely do portraits, yet pastel is a perfect medium for doing them.


Pastels are all concentrated color/pigment and one can work rather quickly with them or slowly, if that is preferred. The latest pastel artists are now doing watercolor and/or acrylic underpaintings prior to adding the pastel to complete the piece. Other artists are now using pastels in their mixed media work. Maybe it's time for me to play with pastels a bit!


The one below is a portrait of our son during those rebellious years... He grew up but remains a bit of a rebel. I guess he inherited that from my side of the family. Dad and I have both been considered rebels!


For anyone living in central Pennsylvania, our local Pastel Society is having a show at The State College Framing Company and Gallery for the next 6 weeks. Tne gala opening is tonight beginning at 5:30 in the Hill's Plaza on South Atherton Street. No, I'm not a current member, but I was when we first moved here! It's a great group!