ARTIST BIO
Patrick attended film school in Scottsdale Arizona, where he won Best Director and Best Picture at the Southwest Film Showcase. He then attended the LA Film School in Los Angeles, California.
Patrick took his first photograph in the second grade. That’s when film was his first medium for photography. He remembers distinctly that his father gave him his own camera before his family left home for a vacation in Florida. Like fathers do, he told him to take special care of the camera. Patrick remembers taking pictures of Epcot Center at Disneyworld. In the 80’s, Epcot was a place where the past looked to the future (and that is now the past). It was that feeling that Epcot invoked that was the beginning of inspiration and creation for his photography.
Patrick now resides in his hometown of Brookings, South Dakota. After returning from the West Coast, Patrick decided that his true interest was in still photography, thus returning to his early beginnings as a photographer. He has taken photographs all over the United States as well as Ireland. Some of his favorite photographs are of Ireland, the plains of South Dakota, and the sandhills of Nebraska.
Patrick was featured as a South Dakota Photographer in the Smithsonian Magazine Photography Competition in 2022, 2023, and 2024. In 2023, Patrick won the People’s Choice Award from the Brookings Arts Council’s annual photography exhibition.
Art became, and still is, a top motivation in his life. His family encouraged his artistic side; they would offer their opinion and critique, and he would always listen. All that discussion gave Pat guidance and a place to grow. Patrick believes that creativity in art is endless, and that the theory of art ensures there are no restrictions and no limits.
Pat loves seeing art in the mundane: old, dried leaves on black mats, rust on metal, or leaves lying in snow. Things that most people would see as worthless.
Simply put, Pat creates art to keep his mind motivated… it is a sense of need. He just can’t keep still. Basically, his art keeps him focused and engaged. Pat needs to enjoy what he does, and his art is a reflection of that enjoyment.
Please enjoy responsibly.
Nelis Art LLC
nelisartllcemail@gmail.com