Primarily painting in acrylic, artist Patti Cerra is inspired by the natural beauty of her home in Vermont, and the hikes she and her husband regularly take locally, nationally, and internationally. She balances modes of painting realistically and painting in an impressionist style, taking the attributes of both and applying them to her subject matter. Her sources are rooted in the natural world, interpreted through her unique lens of keen observation. Having also worked for 12 years as a medical imager, she honed these observational skills for visual precision. Cerra’s work uses light and composition to engage the viewer, allowing their brief escape into the experience from which the painting is derived.
Shortly after graduating from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Tufts University with a BFA, Patti opened a gallery with a partner in Hartland, Vermont. Her work was comprised of monoprints and raku vessels which she exhibited at various venues around the state, as well as at galleries in Massachusetts for over ten years. At that time she also created a line of raku-fired jewelry that was represented and sold nationally. Her experience in the arts as a maker and exhibitor provides the platform for the rich studio practice that she maintains today. Cerra lives and works in Norwich, Vermont.
"As I negotiate down this path as an artist, I'm hoping to create a bridge between my paintings, the planet we live on, and the viewer. I strive to create an opportunity for viewers to peer into their own soul, to transcend their immediate understanding of themselves, and awaken to the brilliant oneness we share with all the beings on this planet."