Patou Fine Art Blog

Casa de Campo is full of artists! As well as the many young and talented artists at the Altos de Chavón School of Art and Design there are many other established and well-known artists who call Casa de Campo their home and Patou is one of these artists!

Patou has been living (somewhat part-time) in Casa de Campo for over a year now and has been drawing on the serenity and natural beauty of Casa de Campo for inspiration for her beautiful abstract paintings. Patou, being a very welcoming friendly person invited me into her home to view her paintings and her workshop which overlooks her gorgeous garden.

Patou’s art, on display in her own home

As well as paintings on canvas, Patou creates ‘art trays’ – a very simple concept, which is very beautiful! Patou takes an ordinary tray and adds one of her paintings to create a bright and colourful tray!

One of Patou’s tray/tables

Here Patou describes herself, her artwork and her history:

“Art is magical. Welcome to my world”

It all began at a very young age, I was seven years old. At the recommendation of my art teacher I started to attend art classes at a studio where I was given lessons in drawing, painting with water color, painting with oil after school. I entered and started to win art competitions.

I continued my studies by attending college at “ L’ Ecole d’Art et Plastiques”. After graduating I worked in various studios with fellow artists and it was through these experiences that I also learned to sculpt clay, create furniture and jewelry.

I soon started to exhibit my works. I had exhibitions in Paris, New York and Miami. These exhibitions gave me recognition and exposure to people who began to collect my works. I have been a professional artist for over 30 years.

In 1989 I fell in love with the world of abstract. Abstract gave me the path to express deeply my emotions. For the last 20 years I have chosen to paint abstract which does not express an abstraction for me.I became obsessed with color and movement it became my signature.

I have often worked with Charities, like the United Way and the Biltmore, and many more, it is a great feeling to be able to help people through my work.

I try to be a free spirit and dare to explore every path. It is a permanent invitation to the curiosity of my mind.

Why do I paint ?

I paint to be alive.
I paint to breathe.
I paint because it is my passion for living.
I paint to give pleasure and happiness.
I paint to leave beauty, grace and gentleness in this world.
I paint for the moment and for always.
paint because it expresses who I am.

Patou

www.patoufineart.com
patouartist@aol.com

Recent Exhibitions:

Since 2005, in collaboration with “Roche-Bobois” some of my paintings are in their Showrooms: Coral Gables, Palm Beach, Naples, Boston, and Washington.

Galerie du Metropole, Monte-Carlo 1996
Chateau de Cap d’Ail, France 1997
Galerie du Park Palace, Monte-Carlo 1998
Galerie Saint Honore, Paris, France 1999
Biltmore coral Gables Miami, USA 1999
Temple Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 2000
Biltmore Coral gables Miami, USA 2000
Kidder Smith Gallery, Boston, Ma 2001
Trajan Gallery, Carmel by the sea, CA 2002
Biltmore Coral Gables Miami, USA 2002
Joyce Robin Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 2003
Charles Campbell Gallery,San Franscico, CA 2004
St Thomas University, Miami, Fl 2005
Art Miami, Miami 2005
Joyce Robin Gallery, Santa Fe, NM 2005
Art Expo, New-York, NY 2006
Navta schlz Gallery, Chicago, IL 2006
Coldsprings Fine art, Los Angeles, CA, 2007
Art Miami, Miami, Fl 2008
Art Miami, Miami, Fl 2009

La historia de Patou:

“El arte es mágico. Bienvenido a mi mundo.”

Todo comenzo a una edad muy joven. Por recomendación de mi profesor empecé a asistir a clases de arte en un estudio donde me dieron lecciones en dibujo, la pintura con acuarela, pintura con olio. Entre y comenze a ganar concursos.

Continué mis estudios, asintiendo a la universidad de Ecole d’Art et Plastiques. Después de graduarme trabaje en varios estudios con otros pintores y fue atraves de estas experiencias que también aprendí a esculpir.

Pronto comenzaron a exponer mis obras. Tuve exposiciones en Paris, Nueva York y Miami. Estas exposiciones me dieron el reconocimiento y la tolerancia hacia las personas que comenzaron a recopilar mis obras. He sido un pintor profesional desde hace 30 anos.

En el 1989 me caí en el mundo de el abstracto. Me obsesioné con el color y el movimiento. Esto se convirtió en mi firma. Resumen me dio el camino para expresar mis emociones.

Muchas veces trabajado con instituciones de caridad como El United Way y El Biltmore y otros.

Es una gran sensacion de ser capaz de ayudar a traves de mis pinturas. Durante las últimos 20 anos he elegido pintar abstracto que no expresa una abstracción para mi.

Soy un espíritu libre me atrevo a explorar todos los caminos. Es una invitacion permanente a la curiosidad de mi mente.

Porqué Pinto?

Pinto para vivir
Pinto para respirar
Pinto porque es mi pasión por la vida
Pinto para dejar de la belleza y la gracia que sale de la dulzura en el mundo
Pinto porque expreso lo que soy

Patou

www.patoufineart.com
patouartist@aol.com

http://casadecampoliving.com/2010/09/artists-in-casa-patou-“art-is-magical-welcome-to-my-world”/

In our June 17 blog, “Trusting Your Instincts,” we discussed the emotional side of investing in art. As a continuation of this theme, we are showcasing Joe and Dana Jacober, avid collectors of Patou’s work who find great delight in the artist and her creations every day.  

Joe Jacober, a partner at Allen Flavors Inc., and his wife, Dana, a former fashion-industry executive, were captivated by Patou’s artwork the moment they first entered the intimate DCOTA gallery in 2005. Seduced by a triptych bursting with color and brushstrokes that seemed to dance off the canvas, the Jacobers knew they had found a treasure in Patou. And what would follow was even more surprising—a deep friendship between the Jacobers, Patou and her husband and gallery owner, Thierry Desormeaux, began.

“When we first met Thierry, we had an instant connection to him,” says Dana Jacober. “A year later, we met Patou when she accompanied Thierry to our home in New York City to hang pieces we had added to our Patou collection. Patou and I became fast friends, and ever since, we speak a couple of times a week. For my husband and me, our personal connection to Patou has made investing in her work even more emotional; now, it has greater meaning. And if a person is interested in Patou’s work, once they meet her, they will fall more in love with her, for she is her art.”


Collecting art for its emotional, not monetary, value, the Jacobers scout cities and towns around the world seeking pieces that speak to them and getting to know the artists.

“We buy art because we want it, not because we have to have it,” adds Dana. “We make it a point to build relationships with the artists, for there’s more feeling and depth. When you find something that grabs you, and you want to be surrounded by it, then it was meant for you. To some, buying art may seem like a luxury; however, it is the artwork that shapes the mood of a room and welcomes all who enter. To us, this is what creates a special place.”

In their multiple homes and offices, Patou’s original paintings and art furnishings create joyful, very personal escapes.

“Her spirit radiates in our rooms; her heart and soul goes into each piece, and we value this so much,” says Dana. “Art collectors should purchase or commission Patou’s art because of the feeling they, too, will experience. Patou and her artwork are truly one of a kind.”

Last week we discussed spontaneous investments in art and art furnishings and the importance of trusting your instincts. On the other hand, we realize that for some of you, spontaneity is a word you may not be very comfortable with. We want you to know that’s OK; we have not forgotten you.

There are other ways to feel confident about purchasing art and art furnishings, so we’ve thought about our favorite and tidied it up into a mental checklist you can reference in any gallery or showroom. For every piece of art and art furnishing that piques your interest, try this:

1. Describe the very first impression the piece has on you. What words come to mind? There’s no right or wrong here -- just let the thoughts flow.
2. Describe the imagery of the piece. What exactly do you see? For example, to one person, a certain scene in a painting may look like a sunset, but to you, it may appear to be fire. Remember that you can often see emotions in art, just as you can hear them in music. Look for these, too.
3. Now, you can analyze. Break the piece down into elements and analyze them separately. Consider color -- do the colors in this work symbolize something? Consider forms -- are they life-like or abstract? Commonplace or fantastical? Consider balance, contrast, movement and rhythm -- how do these qualities stand alone? How do they influence each other or work together?
4. It’s time to interpret the piece. Based on your experiences and personality, what does this piece mean to you? What was the artist aiming to express? Why did they create this piece at all? The better you know an artist’s work and his or her “story,” the better you can understand and appreciate the meaning of each work.
5. Decision time! Think back briefly on your responses at each step: What’s your judgment?  Should you buy it? Will you?

With that, Patou sends you out into the artistic world to test out this checklist. You surely won’t buy every piece that catches your eye, but we trust you’ll truly love the one you do.

What happened to spontaneity? Lately, it seems that everyone is shouting the mantra “Think before you buy!” Sure, this method works if you’re buying a plasma television or a car. But, when purchasing art, you aren’t looking at printouts of technical specifications; there is something else at play that drives this investment.

Art is about feelings and emotions. When you lay eyes on that perfect painting or furnishing piece, something comes over you like a wave washing over the sand. It may be tranquility, contentment, passion or excitement. Art can even evoke our strongest feelings of love. Walk away, and the feeling recedes like the wave.

What if you don’t walk away? When you make that spontaneous purchase based solely on the feeling a piece evokes deep within you, you are bringing that emotion into your home forever. With every passing day that feeling grows stronger, more embedded in your lifestyle and more interlocked with the physical piece. Soon this piece of art becomes the emotion, and thus becomes a part of you. Even just one perfect piece expresses the real you for all to see.

In many families, artwork and art furnishings are passed down through generations, increasing their value but also strengthening the emotional ties attached to each piece. When you pass a piece down to your children or grandchildren, offer them a window to the feelings that make you you.

Patou wants you to remember that sometimes a little spontaneity is good for the soul. Your first instincts are most often right—trust them.

Patou Fine Art & Design