Patrick Willett

Praying Trees

2012-02-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Praying Trees

Watercolor on Paper

Natives

2012-01-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Natives

Ink, Graphite and Watercolor Wash on paper

Wetlands 4

2012-01-07T06:33:00.001-08:00

"Wetlands 4'

Watercolor & Ink on Paper

Work in Progress

Skyway 1 1.12

2012-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

"Skyway 1 1.12"

Ink & Ink Wash on Paper

Richardson's Towers 2

2011-12-15T06:38:00.000-08:00

"Richardson's Towers 2"

21 x14"

Watercolor,Gouache and Ink on Paper

Convergence/Skyway

2011-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

"Convergence /Skyway"

33 x 27"

Watercolor, Ink & Conté on paper
One in a series of Buffalo skyway paintings

Grain Mill Smoke

2011-11-10T06:32:00.001-08:00

"Grain Mill Smoke"

Watercolor on Paper

Work in progress

Cistern, Chicago

2011-10-21T17:53:00.001-07:00

"Cistern, Chicago"

Watercolor on Paper

Work in progress

Grain Elevator / Winter Shadow

2011-10-15T06:49:00.001-07:00

"Grain Elevator / Winter Shadow"

34 x 27"

Watercolor, Ink and Gouache on paper

The Peavy grain elevator on the Buffalo river where my grandfather worked seven days a week and died after being severely injured mere months from retirement.

Old Growth Tree, Erie Canal

2011-10-13T07:01:00.001-07:00

"Old growth tree, Erie Canal"

Ink and Watercolor on Paper

work in progress

Cell Tower

2011-08-15T18:38:00.001-07:00

"Cell Tower"
Ink, Graphite & Watercolor on Paper

Winter Stream

2011-07-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

Currently working on:
"Winter Stream"
Watercolor on Paper

Cerberus

2011-06-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

"Cerberus"
Sanguine & charcoal on paper

Spring

2011-05-29T07:08:00.001-07:00

"Spring"
Sanguine & charcoal on paper

Nature Collides, Buffalo News Article

2011-05-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Nature collides

As a number of local artists have increasingly come to demonstrate, nature has a way of creeping unbidden into built environments—whether through decay, infestation or fire. The latest exploration of nature’s sometimes violent intersections with the man-made comes from painter Patrick Willett, whose recent work goes on view today in the tiny Queen City Gallery in downtown’s Market Arcade Building (617 Main St.). Willett’s work, a series of recent watercolor-on-paper pieces, reflects his lifelong fascination with nature and man’s place in relationship to it—that old theme of Homer, Melville and Burchfield and, lately and locally, J. M. Reed, Dennis Maher and Julian Montague among scads and scads of others. Willett brings a decidedly traditional approach to these considerations in his paintings of burning churches and telephone poles set against swirling twilight skies.

“My work involves the healing and renewing aspects of nature as well as the awareness of place that we all share,” Willett wrote in a statement about the show. “I believe we are molded by our surroundings to a great degree, which makes the act of landscape painting a somewhat autobiographical effort.”

The show remains on view through June 13. For more information, call 856-2839 or visit www.pwillett.com.

—Colin Dabkowski

Natural Reclamation, Artvoice article

2011-05-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Natural Reclamation

Living and working in Western New York, self-taught artist Patrick Willett creates watercolor paintings, pen-and-ink drawings, and photographs. Willett’s upcoming solo exhibition of recent work will mainly feature his paintings from the last two years. These recent artworks involve an exploration of the boundless energy of our natural environment as well as the decay and transience of existence.

“Creating art is very therapeutic for me,” Willett says. “My work involves the healing and renewing aspects of nature as well as the awareness of place that we all share. I believe we are molded by our surroundings to a great degree, which makes the act of landscape painting a somewhat autobiographical effort. I am especially fascinated with the reclaiming by nature of the materials that we choose to build with and the integral energy of our natural world.”

Through use of dynamic, organic line work, striking light, and colors that explore both vibrancy and subtly, Willett captures and conveys energy in a uniquely expressive way. Visit PWillett.com and WillettArt.Blogspot.com to view Willett’s artwork. His recent work is on display at the Queen City Gallery (located in the historic Market Arcade building, 617 Main Street) through June 13. The exhibit opens with a reception on May 20 at 6-9pm.

—jill greenberg

Recent Work Solo Show

2011-05-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Solo Show, Queen City Gallery,

Buffalo, NY
Opening Reception: May 20th 6-9pm 2011

2011-05-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

Old Growth Tree Triptych

India Ink & Watercolor on Paper
25 x 48"
Work in progress, almost finished

Trestle

2011-04-26T06:08:00.000-07:00

‎"Abandoned Trestle w/ Graffiti"
Watercolor, Ink & Reed pen on Paper

Fisherman's Wharf

2011-04-18T06:04:00.001-07:00

"Fisherman's Wharf"

Chippewa & Franklin Streets, Buffalo, NY
(Demolished)
Ink & Watercolor Wash on Arches Paper

Burning Church

2011-03-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

"Burning Church"

Watercolor & Ink on Paper
Finished Painting

Winter Rapids

2011-03-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Winter Rapids
Watercolor, Gouache, Ink & Conté on paper

The Three Brothers

2011-02-25T13:37:00.001-08:00

The Three Brothers

Watercolor & Ink on Paper

Old Growth Triptych

2011-02-15T08:10:00.001-08:00

Old Growth Tree Triptych
India Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Work in Progress

Beech

2011-02-08T05:08:00.001-08:00

"Giant Beech"

Watercolor and Pen & Ink on Paper
Painting in Progress
Part of a Triptych of Tree Paintings

Washington Market

2011-02-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

Washington Market
Buffalo NY
Ink & Watercolor Wash on Paper

Frozen Creek

2011-01-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

"Frozen"
Watercolor & Ink on Paper
33 x 27"

Stream

2011-01-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

"Stream"

Watercolor, Ink & Conté on paper
33 x 24"
First Painting of 2011

Winter Woods 2

2010-12-21T05:57:00.000-08:00

"Winter Woods 3"

India Ink & Watercolor on Paper
Work in Progress

Stream

2010-12-16T18:00:00.000-08:00

"Stream"
(detail)
Work in progress
Watercolor, Ink & Conté

Wire

2010-12-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

"Wire"

India Ink & Watercolor on Paper
33 x24"

River Ice 3

2010-11-14T07:45:00.001-08:00

"River Ice 3"
India Ink & Watercolor on paper
43 x 36"

River Ice 2

2010-10-07T07:05:00.001-07:00

"River Ice 2"
Watercolour & Ink on paper
Work in Progress

Cayuga

2010-09-20T06:02:00.001-07:00

Cayuga

24 x 33"
Watercolor & India Ink on Paper

The Jet Trails

2010-09-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Jet Trails

22 x 34"
Watercolor & India Ink on Paper

Winter Wetlands

2010-07-22T10:28:00.001-07:00

Winter Wetlands
Watercolor & India Ink on Paper
Buckhorn Island State Park, New York

Ballers, Delaware Park

2010-06-30T06:38:00.001-07:00

Ballers, Delaware park

Watercolor on paper

Winter River Shadows

2010-06-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

River Shadows
Niagara River
Watercolor on Paper
Painting in Progress

Pen & Ink Drawing

2010-06-11T06:18:00.000-07:00

Motherhouse

Pen and Ink on paper

Grain Elevator Winter Shadow

2010-05-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Grain Elevator Winter Shadow

Peavey Grain Mill, Buffalo River, Winter 2010
Watercolor and india ink on paper

Arno

2010-05-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

The Arno River, Tuscany

Ponte a Signa, Florence, Italy
painted from the bridge
33" x 24" Watercolor & India Ink on Arches paper

Factory/Jet trail

2010-04-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

"Factory/Jetrail"
Watercolor and india ink on paper
Toxic Superfund site

Point

2010-03-09T05:52:00.001-08:00

"Point"
Watercolor on Paper
35 x 24"
the Niagara river at it's widest point
-the southern point of Grand Island

The Scrapyard

2010-02-17T20:02:00.000-08:00

"The Scrapyard"

Watercolor on paper

swampdog

2010-02-17T16:52:00.001-08:00

"Swampdog"
33 x 24" Watercolor on paper

Towers 3

2010-01-30T06:33:00.001-08:00

"Towers 3"

33 x 21" Watercolor on paper
Painting in Progress

Canal Overpass

2010-01-11T07:38:00.001-08:00

"Canal Overpass"
Watercolor and india ink on paper
33 x24"
Painting in progress

Fire Tree

2010-01-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

"Fire Tree" Buffalo, New York

Watercolor on paper 33 x 26"
Painting in Progress

Winter Woods

2010-01-03T14:52:00.001-08:00

"Winter Woods"

Watercolor on paper 35 x 22 "
painting in progress

Vineyard with Cypress, Lastra A Signa, Florence, Italy

2009-12-03T08:11:00.000-08:00

Painting in progress "Cypress/Vineyard Tuscany"
30' x 23' watercolor and india ink on paper
It occurred to me while in Italy that much of the
striking light and color comes up from the soil.
The greens and blues are a bit shifted from what I am used to to due to
the terra cotta earth tones reflecting up.
The cypress are like old wise witnesses, some as old as 1000 years.
Lastra A Signa sits along the Arno river, much of the town unchanged for centuries.
Villa Pandolfini is magnificent, I hope to return one day.

NYFA Western New York Group Exhibition

2009-11-18T06:26:00.000-08:00

Three of my paintings are featured in the
New York Foundation for the Arts
Arts Council of Buffalo Exhibition

including wetlands 3 (above)
watercolor, india ink and conte on paper 27 x 33"

Niagara 2

2009-11-14T14:51:00.001-08:00

"Niagara 2" watercolor, India ink on paper
Painting in progress

Towers

2009-09-30T16:12:00.000-07:00

"Towers"
India Ink, Conté and Watercolor on paper
Part of a series of Electrical Tower paintings

Cypress Trees, Firenze, Italy

2009-09-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Near completion: progress "Cypress Trees, Tuscany",
watercolor and india ink on paper

Big Sky, Niagara

2009-08-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

"Big Sky"
Watercolor on Paper
featured on the
Cloud Appreciation Website

Niagara River, Spawn

2009-08-30T09:57:00.001-07:00

Niagara River Spawn
watercolor and India ink on paper

Silos

2009-07-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

Silos

India ink and watercolor on paper

Grain Ship, Buffalo River

2009-06-21T07:08:00.001-07:00

"Grain Ship, Buffalo River"
one of 3 paintings
selected for the Area Artists Show at the
Albright Knox art Gallery, Buffalo, NY

2009-06-07T07:04:00.000-07:00

Swamp/Clouds3 finished painting, 22 x 30", watercolor on paper

The Bluff

2009-05-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

View from the village
"A Sacred Place"
the site of an ancient Native village
watercolor and ink on arches paper
Keuka Lake, central New York

Buffalo News Story, featuring my painting "Red Tree"

2009-05-01T05:42:00.000-07:00

05/01/09 07:01 AM
Bouncing back
It’s official. After a decades-long period of steady decline, the art gallery scene in Allentown is inching its way back to a critical mass. In the past three years, Buffalo’s erstwhile Bohemian enclave has welcomed at least two new galleries with regularly rotating exhibitions, Studio Hart (65 Allen St.) and Indigo Art (74 Allen St.), as well as the multidisciplinary arts center Sugar City (19 Wadsworth St.) and a smattering of smaller spaces. To celebrate the resurgence, a consortium of galleries led by the Allentown Association will launch “First Fridays,” a monthly gallery crawl on the first Friday of every month aimed at promoting the neighborhood’s eclectic artistic offerings.

The affair kicks off from 5 to 9 tonight, when about 20 galleries and another 40 or so businesses in and around Allentown open their doors to what organizers hope will be throngs of wandering art-seekers. Exhibitions include a collection of paintings by watercolorist and mixed-media artist Patrick Willett at Buffalo Big Print (78 Allen St.), which will also host a release party for local musician Juney Sunday’s new album “100 Billion Earthshines” from 6 to 9 p. m. An exhibition of new work by oil painter Nathan Naetzker is on view at Studio Hart, along with a show featuring fiber artist Nancy Belfer at Indigo Art and the College Street Gallery’s (244 Allen St.) monthly co-op show featuring work from 17 area artists. Down the road at Big Orbit (34D Essex St.), an exhibition of photographs by British artist Craig Smith will go on view with a reception beginning at 8 p. m.

For more information on the “First Fridays” initiative, www.allentown.org or call 881-1024. —Colin Dabkowski

Show Announcement, Buffalo Rising

2009-04-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

First Friday: First Stop, Buffalo Big Print
Not every gallery will have an opening on First Friday, though that shouldn't stop anyone from making the rounds too see what they've been missing. Buffalo Big Print, however, will not only have an opening of Patrick Willett's paintings, but it will be the scene of a CD release party by band Juney Sunday too.

Willett's landscape and environmental watercolor and mixed media paintings can be enjoyed at Buffalo Big print on May 1st, from 6 to 9PM. Willett says his work "involves the healing and renewing aspects of our natural world, as well as the reclaiming by nature of the materials that we choose to build with."

There is an awareness of place in Willett's paintings, mostly involving landscapes in Western New York and Southern Ontario, that is instantly recognizable. See his online gallery here: www.pwillett.com

Juney Sunday's debut album, 100 Billion Earthshines, will be played in its entirety at 7:30, though DJ Cutler will be adding tracks into his mix all evening. David Benson is the writer and performer behind Juney Sunday. Though the album started 3 years ago in the southwest, Benson wrapped his double disc project up inn Buffalo with the help of local vocalists and musicians.
Described as "lightly tread currents of euphoric groove, layered over powerful melodies, are complimented by graceful experimentations of modern sound," a sample of Benson's work can be found here: www.juneysunday.com
The second disc of the album is called "Singalongs," featuring guest vocalists. Gallery goers might want to study up so they can join in on Friday.
Benson's double disc album is $12, and will be available for purchase at the event.
Also available at: www.juneysunday.com

Patrick Willett Paintings, Solo Show

2009-04-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Solo show and CD release party
Buffalo Big Print Gallery, Buffalo, NY

Press release:
Patrick Willett
Paintings
Buffalo Big Print Gallery
78 Allen Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
Opening reception with artist May 1st, 6 –9
Exhibit runs May 1st to June 20th

Patrick Willett, landscape and environmental watercolor & mixed media paintings at Buffalo Big print gallery.
The opening reception is May 1st from 6 to 9. This opening is also the debut album release party for Juney Sunday. This extraordinary event is part of the first Fridays in Allentown series.
Patrick’s work involves the healing and renewing aspects of our natural world as well as the reclaiming by nature of the materials that we choose to build with. His paintings evoke the awareness of place that we all share.
Patrick’s paintings, landscapes for the most part, are executed primarily in watercolor, conte crayon and ink.
Western New York and Southern Ontario, especially permeate the work with a sense of place.
Patrick’s presence on the web: www.pwillett.com

Swamp/Clouds3

2009-03-26T08:35:00.001-07:00

large watercolor in progress

Tracks3

2009-03-26T08:33:00.001-07:00

Abandoned Rail Line

Night Blizzard

2009-03-26T08:24:00.000-07:00