Patricia Duncan

Patricia Duncan is a representational pastel and oil artist. She found that growing up on the beautiful prairies of South Dakota sparked her passion and ignited her interest in drawing and painting at an early age. Patricia’s extensive travel and an opportunity to live abroad in England gave her an appreciation of cultural diversity and a vast array of subjects and subject matter to fuel her work. Currently living part of her time in the beautiful St. Croix Valley of Northwest Wisconsin, surrounded by lakes and farmland, she continues to nurture her love for the outdoors and finds a continual source of inspiration for her art.

In addition to her early interest in painting, Patricia’s soul as an artist is evidenced by her choice of education in the arts. She pursued a fine arts degree at the University of Utah in the performing arts ballet division giving her opportunities to audition and perform with Ballet West.

Through these experiences, her passion and desire to continue to develop her artistic endeavors grew stronger. After raising five children she is realizing her life long dream to pursue painting. This pursuit includes a solid educational foundation, extensive painting around the world, participation in juried shows and teaching at workshops and art retreats.

Patricia’s art training background started with a solid drawing foundation in charcoal and pastel with instructors at the Edina Art Center in Minnesota. To further her art education, she studied under Joseph Paquet (Plein Air Painters of America) in St. Paul for 12 years and with Jeff Hurinenko for 7 years learning the Old Master’s Danish/Flemish method of oil painting through still life and portrait work. All of these classes involved the experience of “working from life” and plein air (French term of painting outside on location).

She still works mostly from life and enjoys its many challenges, preferring painting plein air landscapes, figures, architecture and still life. For example, one must work quickly outside as the light changes very rapidly, so the approach of working to “freeze the light effect” and then mass in the bigger shapes allows for finishing a painting in a window of time of two to three hours.

Over the years, Patricia has had many opportunities to be juried into shows, exhibits and Plein air events. She is a member of Outdoor Painters of Minnesota  and is represented by Kelley Gallery and The Art Resources Gallery.

Patricia’s desire to share what she has learned and experienced with others found expression, as she teaches oil and pastel painting classes at the family cabin in Northwest Wisconsin on Bone Lake. She also offers workshops and artist retreats at her working studio at the lake.

In addition to her art training, she has broadened her experiences to include very extensive training in Adlerian psychology. With the closely linked psychology and art, she has found a place in her teaching to incorporate these beautiful and unique qualities. As an example:

Patricia Duncan – Grief and Healing Through Art

This unique workshop fosters an experience of self discovery. Artist and Wellness consultant, Patricia Duncan, leads participants to listen to their inner voice, and open themselves to potential healing. She draws her inspiration and her calling for this work from her life changing experience of losing her daughter, Abbey. She combines her grief and loss with Adlerian understanding of our human holism and with expertise in artistic expression. She has a strong desire to empower participants to claim and use the energy embedded in their fear, anxiety and grief. Patricia believes in and acts on Adler’s belief that “inside of each person is a creative force that is identical with the Life Force”. This workshop encourages the use of each person’s “creative force”. Through the use of color, contrast, and form, participants will experience their own life story as a source of potential joy and peace. Our human spirit is expressed when the “tools of art” and our “creative force” are combined and used.

For information and to inquire about classes and workshops/retreats, please contact her at:

patriciaduncanart.com