Patina: Surfaces Shaped by Time

Featured Paintings & Collections

May 5

Written By Melanie Biehle

PATINA

pa·ti·na
pə-ˈtē-nə

a surface that has grown beautiful with age or use

Worn wall textures, ceramic surface, shells in hand, and coastal architecture photographed during travel in Mexico, Greece, and Hawaii, and two abstract paintings from the Patina series.

Two important parts of being an artist are continued exploration and connecting the threads of observation.

A pattern exists across many of the photos I take: worn walls, ancient tiles, lines in rocks, shells, or driftwood. Tactile things that I always notice and find beautiful.

What I first thought of as a purely aesthetic preference eventually led me to something deeper.

Not only are the surfaces I’m drawn to conveying the passing of time — they’re mirroring life itself.

Things erode, even those that feel solid. We are ever changing. What we experience as “self” can often be looked at as moments of time strung together and the traces they’ve left.

The cracks in the surface left behind by grief. Faded, sun-worn beauty from age. Wobbly lines that mimic feeling ungrounded.

We all have these kinds of experiences. The ones that leave a mark. And on their own, they may never be confused with something beautiful. But when they merge together over time and still manage to shine in the sun, they can become something worth celebrating.

The Paintings

Each of the three paintings in Patina have multiple places your eye wants to spend time in, but feel grounded versus chaotic. They are warm and multifaceted, and change with the light. All three paintings hold a sense of time made visible.