Courtesy of Patrick Hobbie
Patrick Hobbie of Mountain View stands in front of a wall of his paintings. His work will be on display at the festival.
Local artist Patrick Hobbie, who is showcasing his work at the Los Altos Arts & Wine Festival for the first time, specializes in ink and watercolor paintings. His subjects are mostly animals, ranging from cats to elephants.
Hobbie defines art as "anything that makes you feel something," and his intent for his work is to "inspire and maybe make our lives a little more beautiful." The Mountain View resident draws his inspiration from the idea of contrasts - for example, the juxtaposition of light and dark.
He used to paint human subjects and inanimate objects, but Hobbie was inspired to paint more animal subjects after his daughter was born. He said his daughter’s "face lit up" upon seeing one of his giraffe paintings, which motivated him to do more.
"I’ve found animals to be such a rewarding subject to paint," he said. "The connection that people have with animals is really powerful."
Art has been a part of Hobbie’s life since he was young. His mother, an oil painter, taught him basic painting techniques, and his father, a professional photographer, taught him about composition. Hobbie has no formal training - he is completely self-taught. He said he never made a conscious decision to become a professional artist, but art has always been his passion.
In recent years, he’s found more and more work as an artist.
"The Bay Area has been really good for my growth," said Hobbie, who moved to the area approximately two years ago.
He plans to keep himself busy this summer by working an event almost every weekend to share his art with as many people as possible.
At the festival, Hobbie is selling framed prints of his artwork as well as some framed originals. Alongside his most popular prints, he is displaying new pieces.
For more information, visit patrickhobbieart.com. s
