Orange Art Society’s August Feature Artist, Pat Slinn, is a relative newcomer to Orange, but creating art has been a lifelong pursuit.

Pat has spent most of her life in Greater Sydney, moving to Orange just five years ago.

As a child, Pat loved to make things and to draw and paint, and basically nothing has changed since.

At high school she chose Art as a Leaving Certificate subject when it was in its infancy and barely recognised as a serious subject, something Pat is glad to see has changed today. She says the only alternative her school offered at the time was Latin!

When her children were toddlers, Pat started a craft group for which she was the resource person and designed most of the projects she taught. Further groups followed and continued to meet at her place for many years.

Painting has also been a pursuit over many years - mostly for family and mostly still life subjects and landscapes.

But in 2017 Pat undertook an eight-session abstract painting course with Robyn Nolan at her studio/gallery in Katoomba and fell in love with abstract paintings.

Over the next few years, and most particularly during the COVID lockdown periods of 2020 and 2021, Pat spent a lot of time in her backyard studio amongst the gum trees and began to develop her own style, developing a use of colour, texture, a variety of lines, marks and collage that creates depth and interest in her work.

Abstract work is now mostly, but not entirely, Pat’s focus, but she also enjoys painting still life subjects and landscapes occasionally.

On moving to Orange, she joined the Orange Art Society where she has made good friends and received much encouragement and enjoyment. She has even run workshops at the society's rooms.

Pat has been regularly entering her work in the general exhibitions of the Orange Art Society, but this is now her first solo exhibition at the Society gallery.

Pat’s exhibition was officially opened at the Orange Art Society on Sunday, July 26. The opening today was well attended, and many commented on the excellence of the work and the professionalism of the display.

Pat Slinn's Featured Artist exhibition runs until Friday, August 28. The Orange Art Society Gallery is located at 22 Sale Street, Orange, with entry via the Woolworths car park.