Patricia Skibbe, a 72-year-old artist from North Central Texas, is just now coming into her own as an artist. Although she hails from an artistic family and has had a lifelong relationship with fine art and music, life’s demands often kept her from fully pursuing her own artistic passion. Now, she’s stepping into her artistic journey in a bold, fulfilling way—and her work speaks volumes about a lifetime of waiting for the right moment to create.
Skibbe’s art is a blend of realism and abstract expression, a visual language that reflects both the complexity of life and the raw beauty of nature. Whether it’s through the natural world or the animals she paints, Patricia’s work is deeply connected to the rhythms and textures of life in Texas, the place she’s always called home.
The Roots of an Artist
Born and raised in North Central Texas, Skibbe’s artistic sensibilities were nurtured from an early age. Growing up in a family where fine art and music were ever-present, creativity was a way of life. Despite this rich artistic environment, Skibbe’s path to becoming a painter wasn’t straightforward. As is often the case, life’s responsibilities—family, work, and the demands of day-to-day living—kept her from pursuing her own art with full devotion.
But now, at 72, Skibbe is embracing her art in a way that feels deeply personal and rewarding. “It’s my turn,” she says, echoing a sense of self-empowerment that many artists can relate to later in life, when they find the freedom to create on their own terms.
Mixed Media, Realism, and Abstract Styles
Skibbe’s style is a unique fusion of realism and abstract. She prefers oils, but she’s also found great delight in experimenting with mixed media, a medium that allows her to break free from rigid boundaries and explore new ways of expressing her thoughts and feelings.
Her preference for oils comes through in the richness of her paintings, where the use of thick, textured paint brings depth and life to each piece. But what makes Skibbe’s work stand out is the way she balances realism with abstraction. While the subject matter may be recognizable—an animal, a landscape, or a scene from life—it’s never fully confined to one style. There’s always an element of the unexpected, a twist that gives the viewer more to look at, more to feel.
“Too real is not in my heart,” Skibbe says, acknowledging that life itself tends to be “obtuse”—mysterious and complicated. This sense of ambiguity is something she captures in her paintings, which never offer up everything at once. Instead, they invite the viewer to linger, to interpret, and to feel the emotion that pulses beneath the surface. Skibbe’s work reflects both the clarity and chaos of the world as she sees it.
The Soul of Texas in Paint
One of the most striking aspects of Skibbe’s work is her ability to capture the essence of her Texas homeland. Her connection to the land and the animals that populate it runs deep, and she often conveys this bond through her art. In her own words, her paintings often “bring out the soul,” creating an emotional experience for the viewer that is both profound and intimate.
A perfect example of this is her piece depicting a chilly winter day in Texas, following a harsh storm. The painting conveys a quiet moment of peace, as the sun begins to break through the storm clouds and warm the earth. Skibbe paints a scene where the smell of burning wood mixes with the fresh, earthy air, and where the comfort of Mother Earth seems to flow into the viewer’s soul. It’s a quintessential Texas moment, captured in a way that invites the viewer to feel the serenity and satisfaction of nature’s return after a storm.
“It’s a definite Texas picture,” Skibbe says of the painting, speaking to the deep sense of place embedded in her work. For her, the land is not just a backdrop; it is an active participant in the stories she tells with paint. Through her work, Skibbe brings the land of Texas to life, turning it into a character that viewers can almost touch, breathe, and feel.
A Deep Love for Animals
Another hallmark of Skibbe’s work is her love for animals. To her, animals are more than just subjects to paint—they are deeply human in their expressions and emotions. Whether it’s a horse, a dog, or a wild animal, she imbues her animal subjects with a sense of soul and personality. In her paintings, animals are not mere representations of their species, but beings with their own complex emotions and stories to tell.
In some ways, animals are the ultimate subjects for Skibbe, as they allow her to explore the emotional core of life in a direct, unfiltered way. She says that animals are “very human” in her paintings because they express emotions that we, as humans, can understand and empathize with. They are reflections of us—our loyalty, our wildness, our tenderness.
A Lifetime of Art and Expression
Patricia Skibbe’s story is one of resilience and rediscovery. After decades of waiting for the right time to fully embrace her creative journey, she is now making up for lost time—and her work is all the richer for it. What makes her paintings so compelling is their emotional depth. Skibbe’s ability to capture the complexity of life, nature, and animals creates an experience that resonates with viewers long after they’ve left her studio.
At 72, Skibbe is just beginning to explore the full potential of her art, and her journey is a reminder that it’s never too late to follow your passion. Whether through her rich oil paintings or her exploration of mixed media, Patricia Skibbe’s work is a testament to the power of art to capture the beauty and complexity of life, no matter the stage of life you’re in.
