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Spanish years & Santa Creu

written by Patty at the time her work was featured on Mostly Glass' web pages, September 08


I spent a year in Barcelona in 1990 - 91 and developed a deep love for Spanish architecture.
Living and traveling in Spain, I was inspired by its complex history of
Roman, Islamic, Christian and Jewish influences reflected in many sites.
I drew on famous places such as the great Mesquita in Cordoba and the Alhambra in Granada
but also on lesser know sites like the Catalan Hospital Sant Creu in Barcelona.

This series began a long exploration on the themes of decay, deterioration and permanence
using simplified architectural forms as a motif.
Through a mixture of sand and acrylic paint of canvas, I aimed to create a tactile presence and
evoke a sense of crumbling walls or fragments of plaster.
 
The Santa Creu paintings refer to the Antiguo Hospital de la Santa Ceu (the Old Santa Creu Hospital) in Barcelona.
We lived not far from there.
It was built in the 15th century and is in the Gothic style.
It has a beautiful courtyard surrounded on 3 sides by arcades. The building complex also contains a small church.
It functioned as a hospital into the 20th century.
The great architect Gaudi was said to have died there after being struck by a trolley in 1926
Different city institutions use the building complex today.
Catalonia's National Library is there as was a small art school when we were there.
I used to draw in the courtyard there regularly, trying to figure out the support structure of the barrel vaults and the arcades.
 


 Patty Stone, abridged Biography

 Patty was born in Wisconsin in 1952, and grew up in Albuquerque, NM.
She attended the University of New Mexico and the Yale School of Art,
earning her MFA in painting there in 1977

Patty exhibited her work frequently solo shows in
New York City at the Bowery Gallery and Boston at the Mills Gallery.
She participated in many group shows throughout New England and
her work was included in numerous juried competitions,
among them the premier issue of New American Paintings in 1993,
the national competition Painting Today in 1995 and
New England, New Talent in 1996.

Patty’s work is included in many private collections including the
permanent collection of the Boston Public Library,
the Hans Guggenheim Collection and the Wheaton College Collection.

Patty is Associate Professor of Studio Art at Wheaton College, MA.