Location: United States
Patsie McCandless was born in New England. She holds degrees from Rosemont College, Philadelphia, and the University of RI. Self-taught in the fine arts, she is an award-winning watercolorist and paper artist.
Patsie began her professional career in watercolor, painting land and seascapes from a beautiful island in Narragansett Bay, where she grew up. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, arts centers and museums in New England.
During tours to the Southern Atlantic Coast, her subject matter expanded into the natural world of the vivid flora and fauna of Tropicana.
Her PaperSolo art became her preferred medium, and her success in this genre soon followed in exhibits along the east and west coasts of Florida.
PaperSolo art has since been included in juried shows, galleries and museums in
New York City (Salmagundi Art Club, Audubon Artists)
Springfield, IL (Dard Hunter Society)
Washington, DC (Miniature Painters,Sculptors & Gravers Society)
Nags Head, NC (International Miniature Art, Seaside Art Gallery))
Ajijic, Mexico (Diane Pearl Gallery; Gallery West),
St. Petersburg, FL (Museum of Fine Arts Gift Gallery)
as well as Solo and Group Shows in New England and Florida.
PaperSolo art is in public and private collections across the country and abroad.
Patsie also lectures for museums and fine arts centers on ‘The Magic of Paper”, sharing her deep appreciation and knowledge of the papers with which she creates her PaperSolo art.
McCandless has made a move from Florida to Pennsylvania, where she maintains her studio - filled with the inspiring, exquisite papers in which she creates her PaperSolo art.
- PaperSolo -
Entrancing papers...
Delicate hand-cut shapes...
intricate layers...
- Revelations in paper -
Upon viewing a PaperSolo:
You may presume that you are looking at a sumptuous oil painting - or - perhaps a vivid - or soft - watercolor.
Move closer and you may be startled to discover that the art is wrought entirely in paper.
Every line and every aspect of highlights, shadows, contrast, color and shade is intricately cut and elegantly layered in exotic jewel-toned papers.
The entrancing papers:
PaperSolo art is filled with eclectic papers, collected from all over the world: myriad colors, textures, weights and inclusions;each paper with its own name and country of origin.
The Handmade Paper Process:
Paper-making results in mesmerizing textures.
Inclusions of flecks of leaves, bark, fibers, glittering metallic flakes or sparkling threads are embedded in the paper.
Marbled designs such as ‘plumage’ and ‘combing’ float across the sheets.
Vegetable-dyed Lokta or Waxed ‘glass-like’ papers are saturated in color.
The PaperSolo process:
The papers are chosen from an extensive collection.
Playing with them, they are laid out,moved and mingled,placed one under or over another.
Papers are mapped out for the background, the focal point, subtle shadings and color enhancements.
To cut the paper, a small, straight-blade scissor is employed.
Layers are applied with a fixative of archival, acid-free glue using a delicate watercolor brush.
Earth Elements... water and plants...
made manifest... made glorious
in the essence of paper
“PaperSolo (only paper) "Marble Bird of Paradise"”
Flower: Marbled (Italy) - 'plumage'
Leaves: Marbled (California) - 'water drops' / Blues - Reds - Yellows: Lokta (India)
Background Decoratives: Stained Glass (France)
Background: Lokta (India) crumpled black with gold
“PaperSolo (only paper) "Hakuryu White Sun"”
