Meet Florida-based Artist Patrice Schelkun
Patrice Schelkun is a Naples, Florida-based artist practicing oil painting, interior murals and stained glass window design and painting. Check out her website or email schelkunstudioarts@gmail.com.
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Naples, FL?
PATRICE SCHELKUN: I grew up in the greater New York area. My husband and I raised our four children in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where he had a medical practice. When he retired in 2019, we sold our home there because our children had moved out of state, and relocated our home to Florida. We have a summer home on Lake George in upstate NY, and worship with the Paulist Fathers at St. Mary's of the Lake when we are there.
How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?
I feel that God has called me to share my artistic gifts in any way that he directs me. Because of my work in the stained glass world for many years, I did identify as a Catholic artist previously. But my focus in the last number of years has been on fine art oil painting, particularly portraiture, and so I've chosen to eliminate "Catholic Artist" from my branding, because it somewhat limits the audience I can reach, many of whom are not Catholic or even practicing a faith. I believe the tone of my web presence still speaks of me as a faith-filled person, while not directly identifying as Catholic.
I have met many wonderful artists who share their Christian faith in many ways through their art and the students/clients they encounter in a more one-on-one manner, and I believe that sort of "evangelization" works.
“Let My Prayer Rise Like Incense” 24”x36” oil on canvas
Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
God has opened the doors for me to use my gifts within the church through a number of commissions. I had always been drawn to the art & architecture of historic European and American churches, many of which I've visited over the years. How I wished I could paint ceilings like Michelangelo, or participate in creating a stunning sacred space, a testament to Beauty itself! As a mother of young children, though, that seemed a bit impossible. But God knew my heart.
I had only begun learning about stained glass when my own parish started a building project that included a new chapel. And because I had done some painting and design work for my pastor, he trusted me to design the 17 new windows when I asked him if I could. That led to a cooperative relationship with a larger studio, where I designed and painted the glass and the studio fabricated and installed the windows.
In short order, this led to several other church window projects, as well as a chapel project at my sons' Catholic high school. Eventually I was also commissioned to paint several large murals for a Philadelphia church, and a portrait of Servant of God Father Augustus Tolton, which was blessed by the Archbishop and hangs in another church. The parishioners in this latter parish wanted to promote his cause for canonization, and so we disseminated holy cards and made prints available to National Black Catholic Congress parishes. I have also done design and painting of stained glass for several other studio church projects around the country.
Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?
A few years ago, I met Kathleen Carr, the founder of the Catholic Artist Institute (originally Catholic Artist Guild). Though I have only been able to attend one of their conferences in Chicago so far, I have submitted work to their Sacred Art Prize competition. I was a finalist several years ago for my portrait of Blessed Rosalie Rendu. Other than this organization, I tend to align myself (God leads me to them!) with other artists I've met who share a Christian, if not Catholic Christian, faith.
Patrice writes: “King,” 11”x14” oil on canvas. I painted this on Good Friday, mostly from imagination as I was contemplating Jesus’ Passion.
How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
I grew up in the era of 1960's/70's pared-down church architecture, where the emphasis was more on modern space and less on artistic embellishments. I am inspired by the few architectural firms and artists who seek a renewal of more classic design and furnishings in new churches, because I feel strongly about how much Beauty can speak to our hearts about God, and how a beautiful sacred space (not an auditorium) can set us apart from the world and encourage communion with the Lord. I wish local churches would encourage their people to do more to support art within the church.
How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
Ahhhhh.....the $64,000 question! I think the contemporary art world focuses (at the moment) more on shock-value and uniqueness than on beauty or technically-rendered classical painting. "Religious art" is seen as old-school and irrelevant to the masses, unfortunately. But I hold out hope that the growing movement of realism and return to classical training will finally take hold among the people who decide what art is worth.
Where in Naples do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?
We are members of St. Peter the Apostle parish in Naples, where we both serve as extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist and I serve as a cantor with the choir. It is the largest parish in the diocese of Venice and draws from a rich mixed ethnic group of Latinos, Haitians and older white folks like us!
Where in Naples do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?
I am a member of the Naples Art District, a community of over 100 artists and artisans, where I'm part of a group studio/gallery space with several other artists. We have open studio events throughout the year. I sometimes attend open figure drawing sessions at H&R Studio in Naples. I am a past-president of the American Glass Guild, a member of the Stained Glass Association of America, and a member of the Portrait Society of America, and often attend their yearly gatherings, though usually out of state.
Patrice writes: I also paint things that portray the beauty of light, as I feel strongly that Beauty is a door to sharing the Gospel. This third one is “Living Waters”, 24” x 36” oil on linen.
What is your daily spiritual practice?
I recently began using the Liturgy of the Hours, though so far have only been able to keep up with Morning Prayer. I combine that with using the Daily Readings through my Laudate app. During Advent and Lent at least, I try to attend daily mass. I wish I had a spiritual director, but do not.
What is your daily artistic practice?
We've all heard how important it is to get those 10,000 hours of practice in to achieve mastery! Hard to do with the demands of daily life, especially for someone like me who gets easily distracted. But when I'm not working on a specific commission that has a deadline, I do try to paint at least 3-4 days a week. It's valuable to have a time and place to do this --- as well as the discipline to be consistent!
How do you financially support yourself as an artist?
I do not currently have a day job, apart from managing a household of six when I was younger. I do volunteer my time as an arts writer (which is what my early career and education was in) for some local and national publications, which helps me network with others in the art world. I am also working on using social media platforms to promote my personal art, though I find that somewhat tedious. In terms of finding buyers/gigs, etc, I have relied a lot on word of mouth and relationships with priests and other stained glass studios for commissioned work. I try to reach out to previous clients periodically to let them know I'm available for work.