— The featured artist of Issue 48 of Living the Photo Artistic Life magazine, AWAKE artist Patricia Saizan has turned with passion to her artwork, in part to overcome challenges that might easily have toppled the spirits of others. I’m very pleased to be able to interview her here on Quill and Camera.
How did you get started in Photo Artistry?
Art was never really on my radar in life. In school I enjoyed science and math. I went to college and got a degree in nursing. I worked as a nurse for a number of years, leaving the profession to home school my son. (To this day I’ve never gone back to nursing. My son is now 28 years old.)
My path into art started when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. At the time I had my own travel agency and worked from home. While the travel agency was successful and I had enjoyed it for many years, the joy went out of it after my diagnosis. But during this time frame, while going through treatments (fall of 2010 to the late spring of 2011) I would visit a neighbor who was really good at photography. She had stacks of books she created from her photos. I vowed to myself to learn photography as soon as I was done with treatment and felt well enough to do so.
By the end of 2011 I felt well enough to take on learning photography. I purchased my first DSLR and started to fall in love with photography. I signed up for a beginners photography course offered by a local art studio. I read books and took online courses. Living in Orlando, FL gave me the opportunity to take a lot of photos at the local theme parks, and soon I joined a group of theme park photography enthusiasts.
As my love for photography grew so did my cache of equipment. By 2016 I was doing photo sessions for couples, families, individuals, and children. Soon I discovered compositing. Since I enjoyed Lightroom and Photoshop as much as taking photos, I wanted to learn how to create realistic composites. Once again I scoured the internet to learn all I could. I could not get my compositions to look right and hired a tutor to get me to the next level. The gentleman who tutored me belonged to the same local camera club I did. His art is amazing. He helped me get to the next level after only 2 sessions.
I enjoyed creating composites and wanted to learn more. In the spring of 2017 I saw the magazine Living the Photo Artistic Life online for the first time. I was mesmerized by the art. I wanted to create art like I saw on the pages of the magazine. So in July 2017 I signed up for the Photoshop Artistry course. I watched every second of the training and counted the days until I could sign up for AWAKE in January 2018.
On January 1, 2018 I sat at my computer waiting for 9am to come so I could sign up. I literally sat there and refreshed the screen every few seconds to make sure I didn’t miss it. By 9:03 am I was in. I planned 2018 to be the year I immersed myself in learning, practicing, and creating. And up until August 2018 I was able to keep up with all of the AWAKE sessions as they were revealed to me.
Then life changed for me.
The first week of August 2018 I was told I needed 2 biopsies of areas that looked suspicious. By early September I was diagnosed with 2 different types of breast cancer.
The fall of 2018 I was going to doctors, cancer centers, having more tests done, and finally surgery. I had less time for art, but I carved out all the time I could to create. My husband bought me an iPad so I could create wherever I was. I began to learn mobile artistry and practiced in doctors’ offices. I sat in waiting rooms creating art work. I found a new determination that I could create anywhere and cancer was not going to take art away from me.
Art became my life line. Because this time cancer was different. The doctors would talk to me about the next time cancer comes back. Discussions were centered around slowing disease progression and quality of life for today. I began to learn about a whole side of breast cancer I did not know existed. Emotionally it was devastating. I dove into my art and created from the depths of my emotions.
You never know where life is going to take you. Looking back I see a purpose to all of this. Art now has a deep and powerful meaning for me. Creating gives me a sense of peace and this feeling of peace drives me to create every day.
Right now I am in remission. I hope to be in remission for a long, long time. But whatever life brings I will continue to create art as long as I am able to. The ability to express deep emotions through art is healing and therapeutic.
Having cancer was my path into art. I am grateful for that path. Creating is now my lifestyle.
What inspires your work?
In a word — living. Everything I see sparks an idea. Just this morning I retrieving the morning newspaper from the driveway and looked up to see a quarter moon in the early morning light. I had to go back into the house and grab my camera to take a photo, all the while thinking about how I could use the moon in a new composition.
Since I live near famous theme parks I have an endless source of fantasy inspiration. We have annual passes to all of the theme parks in the Orlando area and these parks are a treasure trove of ideas.
I look at the way light hits objects, the way birds line up on a wire, cloud formations, tree branches, you name it. Everything I see sparks an idea.
I also draw inspiration from other artists and the styles they use. I sometimes feel like I am all over the map as I like so many different styles. The only style, or theme, that is off limits to me is anything with the look or feel of horror.
You mentioned deep emotions are expressed through your art. Can you give us an example of this?
At the end of my last treatment I was angry at cancer. I had just finished treatment and my doctor wanted me to ring the “end of treatment bell.” (This is a bell that cancer centers have to celebrate the end of a treatment. People gather around, clap and congratulate the patient on finishing a treatment.) I asked him why I would do that because we both know I will be back and cancer is not gone from my life. He said “I know. I’ll go with you. We’ll do this together, you need it.” He took me to the bell area and had me ring it 3 times while reciting that cancer was not going to defeat me. He stood there clapping for me as did other patients and staff in the area. I was congratulated as if I had just won the Nobel Peace prize. I tear up thinking about this moment. I went home and created “Undefeated.”
How do you live the Photo Artistic Life?
I schedule time to create art, to learn, and to journal. I even schedule my breaks!
I am a firm believer in making things happen. Life is short. No one is going to grab the golden ring for you in the merry-go-round of life. You have to do it.
I take a camera with me everywhere I go. This can be a Canon Power Shot or a Sony A7RII. When I see something of interest I take a photo of it. Sometimes there will be one small element of a photo that I will use. Other times I will be able to use the entire photo. The main point is that I am always on the lookout for something to capture to use in my art work.
For me the most important aspect of living the Photo Artistic Life is determination. There is no room for excuses or discouragement. I create art six days a week. And I’ve learned to create art in the most unusual places thanks to mobile artistry.
What is your process for creating art?
Half of the time I have no plan and the other half of the time I have a clear vision of what I want to create. Both end up totally different from where I start.
When I sit down to create and have no plan I will go through my photos and pick one that seems to “speak” to me. I will then bring it into Photoshop and extract the main part of the image. From there I will create a background, bring in the image and begin experimenting. Before I know it I will have an idea of what I want to do and I will go with it.
Other times I have a clear vision of what I want to create. I will spend a lot of time gathering the elements and creating a mock up of what I think will work. If the mock up looks good I open a new file and begin the composition. As I create I inevitably find new paths to take the composition and often end up with a totally different piece than my original vision.
What is your next step as an artist? Where do you want your art to take you next?
As I create more art I would like to develop some textures, actions, and elements for other photo artists and photographers. Becoming a designer interests me.
I have found that digital art helps to express feelings that we may never otherwise express. There are two local cancer centers that have art therapy programs. I would like to approach these centers to develop a digital art program for cancer patients and caregivers. I want to give back and help others. Art has helped me with all of the emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis. I want to help others feel that release of emotions.
Do you have any advice or tips for aspiring artists?
Schedule your time to learn and create. Don’t fall into the “I don’t feel like it” trap. Create a plan and stick with it. And along the way, don’t compare yourself to others. Learn to take pride in your own accomplishments. Most of all, have fun with it!
Be sure to also visit Patricia’s online portfolio at https://artboja.com/art/j77nuo/ to enjoy even more of her wonderful artwork.