Patricia
hopes to share with her viewer her fascination with life through
the exciting mediums of watercolor, oil and mixed media. Always
developing and exploring, her style includes impressionism and
realism, chosen to suit the subject - landscapes, seascapes, florals,
historic buildings, children at play and scenes from her travels.
A native Californian, Patricia Weatherbie Akay resided for many
years in Burlingame and San Mateo, having moved to Sonoma Valley
8 years ago. Upon moving, Akay felt she was leaving behind her
many patrons, and her outstanding reputation as a juror, demonstrator,
and critic for the many Art Associations in San Mateo and Santa
Clara Counties, and the East Bay She was surprised and delighted
to learn how receptive Sonoma County is to artists. After one
year she was juried into the prestigious ARTRAILS of Sonoma County,
which features the artists and their studios for 2 week-ends mid
October. This has attracted new patrons, as well as her former
patrons who have enjoyed visiting the scenic Sonoma Valley and
view the recent paintings.
Always an artist, since age 3, which was her first love affair
with a pencil and what it could “ accomplish”, she
went on to be the class artist for each school, until her first
formal training began in College. Hartnell College Art Dept head,
Leon Amyx, was Akay’s first mentor, introducing her to
the past great artists like Cezanne, watercolor on location,
figure drawing, & still-life drawing. Exciting! For her Jr.
Year Akay chose California College of the Arts in Oakland for
it’s program in Fine Arts, and Art Education. Upon Graduation,
Akay became the Art Dept Head of Herbert Hoover Jr. High for the
following year.
Marriage and motherhood put Akay’s career on hold, until
she began teaching children privately as a re-entry into the art
world. One person shows of her work were schedualed for Akay,
and juried art shows were entered with many awards received (
the most fun award being a year scholarship to The Academy of
Art in S.F.) At this time, Akay opened a successful art gallery aptly named
“the Gallery” in Burlingame. Teaching watercolor to adults, thru the
Burlingame Recreation Center, was her next career move. Then she
retired from teaching, in order to concentrate on painting.
Always an admirer of past artists, and the timelessness of Europe,
Akay’s travels abroad took her to France (painting “en
plein air” where the Fr. Impressionists painted), Italy,
England and Turkey . In between trips, Akay has the pleasure of painting in the Wine Country
in its ever changing seasons.
"As an artist I want to capture what we see and feel now, before it changes, ‘making an interprative visual record like
the artists that I so admire, have done before me."
Painting now in oil as well as watercolor, Akay finds that subject
tells her which medium to use. Her favorite local scenes include
historical buildings and the many views of open space as well
as the vineyards and the field workers. In the studio, her large
watercolors of a still -life (often floral) combined with a "view
out the window" have been her latest focus.
Whether impressionistic, or semi- realistic, Akay’s paintings
convery a mood which is expressed through her unique use of color
and rhythmical movement in a “painterly” style. What
pleases Akay most is when her collectors tell her that they still
treasure their first purchase that they made of hers many years
ago. As she changes, so does her style, but it is still an “Akay.”
That is the goal of this artist...to paint and frame for posterity,
just as the early European and Californian artists once did.
