These meditative, rainy day moments look like photographs but they are actually a series of drawings by artist Elizabeth Patterson. Inspired by the transformations and distortions that form when light shines through water, the LA-based artist develops these incredibly realistic images using only colored pencils and graphite.
Patterson was first inspired to produce this series, entitled Rainscapes, during a storm, as ever-changing patterns emerged, and just as quickly disappeared, on the surface of her windshield. She says, “It was a mesmerizing display of all the elements that stimulate my imagination: an emotional quality suggested by water, a solitary vantage point for the artist, and constantly shifting colors and distances in the landscapes.”
From the driver's seat, Patterson photographs the scenes through her windshield. Later, using the prints as her guide, she creates her artwork by compiling multiple photographs together into one powerful drawing. Through her vision, the colors blend together, visually transforming the artist's mundane, rainy commute into an exciting and abstract view of the world.
