Melt Patricia ParkesSalt Spring Island, BC Size 16" x 16" Medium Acrylic on paper on hardwood panel Creating has always been, for me, more interesting as a process rather than as the production of a finished product. Often this begins with the destruction of paper and pigment by cutting, tearing, soaking, sanding, and spraying, and then, a reconstruction which allows me to find the image. It is a magical process. Melt Patricia ParkesSalt Spring Island, BC About the artist About the artist Patricia ParkesSalt Spring Island, BC Patricia Parkes attended the Banff School of Arts and the University of Victoria, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. She has been active since as a mixed-media artist, participating in both international and local exhibitions. She currently works with cold-pressed papers: Arches, Strathmore, Rives, and various handmade Indian papers. She layers the papers on a hard backing and during the buildup cuts and tears, sprays and soaks, sands and scrapes them, all in “a search for the image within.” These destructive activities are vital to the painting. “Melt” exemplifies this approach.