Having already indulged one such experiment with pen and ink, Patrick then decided to try his hand at digital abstract painting. “I was inspired, again, by the work of other abstract artists whose works were displayed online, particularly those of the French abstract painter John Beckley who now has several dozen demonstration videos of his paintings up on YouTube and offers a tutorial DVD or a more elaborate tutorial course. M. Beckley’s bold usage of color and his confident, sweeping strokes on the canvas and creative usage of tools such as the catalyst wedge and the wood-graining rake to create elaborate patterns opened a whole new vision for me. M. Beckley works with acrylics on canvas while I must for the present work wholly in the digital medium. I would like to work with actual paints, but I lack studio space in the family home here in Rome and I can’t just slop or splatter paint all over the place.”
Beginning last year, Patrick embarked upon his latest project. It soon ignited into a passion that has inspired him as no other artistic effort has in a long time. As of now, having executed at least one work a day, he has nearly 190 pieces that he has amassed on his hard drive, using the Krita painting program as his creative tool.
“I am not satisfied with all of my works, but this has been a process of experiment and discovery so even those failed pieces have taught me valuable lessons. I also have commercial ambitions for my work in this series, and when I have a hundred or so paintings that I have confidence in, I shall put them up for online sale. The modern digital art market is a venue which I could not have had access to years ago, and there are means now for printing out your work as posters or on canvas and having a physical product of your work that is display ready.”