Pat Banks

Pat was born in Mansfield, Ohio in February 1955. She was raised in Evansville Indiana and went “home” to eastern Kentucky, where the rest of the extended family was, every chance she got. She now lives and works in the studio/home that she and her husband, Alan, built in northern Madison County. Alan is the Director for the Center for Appalachian Studies at EKU and a sociologist. They have two wonderful, grown sons, raise a vegetable/flower garden, keep about ten cats (outside) and have a gorgeous lab named Cinnamon. Pat has been painting all of her life. Her travels, gardens and adventures influence and inspire her work. She is also the Kentucky Riverkeeper.

Pat works primarily in watercolor and acrylics. Painting is the lens she uses to explore and interpret the world, especially eastern Kentucky, her home. The beauty of the hills, valleys and rivers inspires the expression of an artist and the concern of an environmentalist. Taking the time to walk paths in the woods and fields, float down the eternal streams and rivers and study the “wild things” brings an appreciation of the preciousness and fragility of this wondrous place.

Pat’s watercolor techniques have developed over time. She starts most paintings with a lot of water, then slowly builds the color and value with transparent layers of controlled washes. She finishes with fine brush work. Her Acrylic work and wall murals are a combination of delicate brushwork and a spontaneous style. Her wall murals started in Southern Ontario Canada and are now through out the Appalachian region. Dozens of the wall murals were created with students and sponsored in part by the Kentucky Arts Council.

Pat’s work is featured in various publications and shown in juried fairs, shows, events and galleries through out the region. She has been a visiting artist to Japan, Ecuador and France. With the Kentucky Arts Council, she is a veteran member of the Arts Education Roster, a KPAN Peer Advisor and a juried participant of the Kentucky Crafted program. She is also a member of the Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen.