Kings Park Artist Inspired By Her Rescued Dog

Patti Kern was ecstatic when she learned her photo transfer image “Remy” was picked for the Alternative Process Photo Exhibit at the Smithtown Township Arts Council. Kern was among 27 photographers from around the country chosen for the recent juried photo exhibition in Saint James.

Familiar with their past exhibits, she said, “The way they do their shows is exceptional.”

Kern was driving home from work one night when she received the call from the council asking her how she finished her photograph. Kern said she transferred a photo of her pit bull to birch wood using a Gel Medium Photo Transfer technique and then layered it with acrylic paint, ink and spray paint.

Incorporated into the piece are the words from the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” and Sarah McLaughin’s “Angel”. With Remy being a rescued dog, Kern found the lyrics fitting.

After the call, she said, “I wasn’t really sure it was going to be juried in.”

Kern deals with mixed media and considers herself more of a painter than a photographer. She said the “alternative process” required for the exhibit is how the artist developed their image or finished it. She said artists used a mix of historical and contemporary processes.

Kern has loved art ever since she can remember.  As a child, she would draw pictures of Charlie Brown and Snoopy. 

“At Kings Park High School I think I took every art class I could,” she said.

Now an art teacher at Newfield High School, Kern is married to her school sweetheart and has three children. To make time for her artwork, she usually heads downstairs to her basement studio at night.

“I burn the midnight oil,” she said.

Her basement is where Kern paints local landscapes. The oil paintings include scenes of Kings Park State Hospital and everyday items such as a street sign with a spray-painted heart.

She said the paintings are an example of, “Seeing beauty in the not so beautiful.”

Kern has also illustrated two children’s books published by Imagination Press. Written by John Luksetich, “Whose Coat” is about animal rights and “No Small Change” deals with counting money.

This past year she decided to put her artwork out there, and with “Remy” being chosen for the exhibit, Kern is glad she did. While life can get hectic, she believes you should keep doing what you love.

When it comes to art, Kern said, “It’s always something in you.”