With homemade tools made out of malleable and water-soluble graphite wrapped around various wires and feathers, Freeman-Martin was able to reproduce the sounds she was hearing onto her canvas, such as the snow melting or the sounds of birds from her backyard.

Patty Freeman-Martin is an artist that creates art from her every-day world, reproduces everyday sounds into her work, and constructs tools for making her pieces.

The art works displayed were representational of Freeman-Martin’s everyday life of working in the horse and cattle business. While some of her work represented every-day life objects, some pieces represented everyday sounds.

Through the use of line, visual texture, and movement within her pieces, Freeman-Martin was able to create what she perceived as sound in her art.

Freeman-Martin mentioned that she is interested in drawing as an action instead of drawing from a photograph or still life; she craves movement and life within her art.

The pieces displayed were a mix of graphite on clayboard, mixed media on kraft board, and oil on canvas.

Freeman-Martin uses many mediums for her pieces, stating, “ I love water-soluble graphite, gouache, oil sticks, printmaking, watercolor all kinds of colored pencil. I also like ampersand claybord. It isn’t really a medium, but because of its unusual way of receiving pigment, is an integral aspect of the work.”

Freeman-Martin’s art was presented as the last in the series of one-person art exhibitions at Pence Pickney Gallery on May 4 .

Freeman-Martin has been interested in making art from a young age, ever since she purchased her first Olympus camera when she was a teenager. She received her BFA from the University of New Mexico in studio arts, specifically the photography department.

Over a year ago, COCC Professor and gallery director, Bill Hoppe, invited Martin to display her work in 2017’s May exhibition. They met a few years ago when Hoppe saw Martin’s display of prints in a print show. “It had this sense of searching of observation of daily life. It was authentic, honest work. I was totally impressed with her and have been tracking her ever since,” Hoppe explained.

The theme for the one-person exhibitions is “You Begin With Drawing,” chosen by Hoppe.

“This has been the most wonderful experience to work with individual artists and to have their energy and spirit fill this room,” Hoppe said. “Patty is doing something that I keep telling my students to think about. Build on those everyday moments. You don’t have to reach into the clouds to get ideas for paintings. If you look at what’s going on in Bend, Oregon, there’s a tremendous amount to inspire us.”

Hoppe went on to point out that next year’s theme will be “Wipe your glasses with what you know.”

On May 11, the annual student art showcase will be exhibited at the COCC Library starting at 4:30 p.m.

Artist’s statement

“A chronology of the images best describes the development process of this exhibit. When Bill invited me to do the show, I had just drawn the rough large figure drawings. Needing a picture the next day, I chose Two Guys in Horse Country. They became characters through whose eyes I viewed my landscape. The drawing series innovative asked for work that was freshdirect, raw and explored the relationship between drawing and painting.

Horses loom large in my life. Our family business is a horse breeding and training facility in Terrebonne, near Smith Rock. My studio is surrounded by horses in pasture. I have spent many hours sketching them from life and prefer to draw heavily pregnant mares who will stand a long time without moving their feet. For this exhibit, as I inhabited the mind of Two Guys, their thoughts first turned to women, (a cowgirl) whittling, (drawing the wood chain carved by my father in his youth), bird song, (soundscapes drawn with handmade pencils), and weather (the sound of snow melting). Next, came talk if Easter, blooms, birth, death, and the spontaneous creation of the world through our observations of it. Finally, getting back to horses, they noticed certain lines which describe and map hose shapes are very like the geography of the land formations in Central Oregon.

I learned of the “songlines” concept from the book, The Songlines, by Bruce Chatwin. Having many complex meanings, I am using it to mean a song which within the words and rhythms carries a map over the landscape. Mythical in tone and surreal in the fact that he song’s design is to carry the traveler along a personal and meaningful journey of self-exploration and personal directory.”

By Katya Agatucci | The Broadside

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