Turlock resident Patrick Baudler has been painting since he was just a small boy, but it wasn’t until age 21 that he realized his art could turn into a career. Now, the Stanislaus State graduate is working to become an art teacher while displaying his work in shows around the area, making his artistic dreams come true.

Baudler began his art career by simply painting with oil on canvas, and from there, he moved into the world of sculpting. Now, the 30-year-old has developed a unique style which combines the two art forms into one - an expressionist style with a little bit of impressionism mixed in, he said.

“When you think of a Jackson Pollock splatter painting, or art with no discernable image, that’s expressionist style. It’s the expression of an emotion without using imagery,” said Baudler. “Impressionism is more of a loose application of paint, an image with no hard lines.”

His favorite work to date is an expressionist painting he created using a texture technique called imposto, where layers upon layers of paint are piled on top of one another to create a unique sensory experience.

“I wanted people to be able to touch my paintings, because in galleries they don’t even let you get near them,” said Baudler. “Art really needs to connect with people and all of their different senses. Once you have physical contact with something, you make a connection with it.”

Baudler’s art lures people in with color and texture, and his atypical style of combining sculpture with painting has secured him a home in the world of art. The proper term for his work is known as a “relief sculpture,” he said, and usually features a sculpture that hangs on the wall like a painting.

“It’s called that because it’s relieving material from the piece in order to create an image,” said Baudler.
Baudler finds inspiration for his unique creations from what is going on around him, he said, such as headlines in the news or emotions he is going though.

“I’m a slave to my own emotions like most artists, and especially with expressionism, it’s hard to remove yourself from your own work,” he said. “Your own movements are a manifestation of your own emotions.”

Baudler typically displays his work in galleries like the Stanislaus State-run Art Space on Main in downtown Turlock, as well as other shows in the area that will accept his work. Two years ago, Stanislaus State purchased eight of his pieces, which are currently hung in the university’s Demergasso-Bava Hall Business Department.

“The school had a show where students show their work, and the university ended up buying eight pieces from me,” said Baudler. “That was more than they bought from anyone.”

Finding success at local art shows is what keeps Baudler going, he said, as well as his passion for the art he creates.

“For a lot of artists, the biggest struggle is whether or not to keep going,” he said. “Art represents the society in which it was created, so if you can get support from where you live there’s nothing better than that.”

Baudler is currently working on a website to display his work,

, and hopes to show his art at local art walks and shows in the 209 over the summer.