Elizabeth Patterson

            Elizabeth Patterson is known for her “rainscape” drawings which portray scenery obscured by rain on a window or windshield. From the start of her interest in art, she has always been amazed by the transformational qualities of light. She started making attempts at recreating these distortions that happen between light and water. This distortion matches her view of the world as being fluid and always transforming. Her rainscapes began as she was watching the raindrops on her car windshield create patterns. Patterson usually uses her own photography.

            Patterson is from Pennsylvania but currently resides in Los Angeles. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her art was gaining momentum but in 1984 she suffered from a car crash injury that damaged her drawing hand. It wasn’t until thirteen years later after going through therapy and career changes did she come back to her artwork.

            I find her artwork incredibly beautiful and I admire the challenge it must have taken, especially after her injury. I was very surprised to hear that she did these in colored pencil because it would seem easier to use paint.