Patricia Hancock-Miran (1951 -)
I was born and raised in Bellevue, Washington and at an early age became interested in art. I lived in a community setting where horse ownership was common. My first drawing attempts were of horses and ponies. The powerful grace that horses exhibit has always been a source for inspiration. Through middle school and high school, I was fortunate to have dedicated art teachers and an active art club. Additionally, as a 4-H member of the Hazelwood Peacemakers Pony Club, I participated in the Enumclaw County Fair. I exhibited paintings and drawings at the fair, as well as, competing in equitation classes.
In my senior year, with the encouragement of my art teacher, Mr. Grove, I entered the Regional Scholarship contest for young artist. The competition was judged by art professors from the University of Washington and open to all senior high school students in the Seattle area. I won first prize and a scholarship. Additionally, I received a full scholarship to the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California. I attended CCAC from 1969 through 1970. In 1971, I had the opportunity to study at the Arts Student League in New York City. I received a Board of Control Scholarship from the Arts Students League and became class monitor for Michael Ponce de Leon’s graphics class.
At the Art Students League, I met and studied with many renowned artists. The League's atmosphere is total immersion in the visual arts. I was fortunate to have studied with leading artist and illustrators of our time. I learned etching and lithography from print makers Michael Ponce de Leon and Roberto Delamonica. They taught me the importance of design and overall composition. In 1972, I changed my focus from graphic arts to oil painting. I studied with Robert Shulz, Frank Liljegren, Earl Mayan, Vincent Malta and Jack Farogasso, well known illustrators. They taught me figure drawing, painting, and the importance of value, color, saturation and linear perspective. I learned anatomy as it relates to the figure from Beverly Hale, curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The League library had an extensive collection of drawings by Charles R. Knight. I studied Knights drawings and background scenes at the American Museum of Natural History, which helped me learn to draw animals.
I graduated from the Arts Students League in 1974. After graduating, I continued to attend daily sketch classes at the League. I spent much of my free time either visiting museums, primarily the Metropolitan Museum of Art or sketching animals at the Museum of Natural History. I worked briefly at the Museum of Modern Art; and became one of the first women art members of the Salmagundi Club in 1975. I exhibited at the Salmagundi Club, and was accepted into the Whitney Museum of American Artist's Studio Program located on Cherry Street in NYC. I exhibited paintings in group shows at the Lincoln Center, 1971, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, 1975.
I married and moved to Waverly, NY in 1983. My husband, also an artist, and I turned an old barn behind our house into an art studio. We received grants from the Tioga County Council of the Arts; annually, from 1994 to 1996 for presenting art programs to the public. In 2005, I returned to horseback riding and executed several pastels on the subject of people working with horses. September of 2009, I exhibited at the Bank Show, Tioga County Council of the Arts in Owego, NY. My paintings were exhibited at the Center for the Arts of Homer, NY from May 2008 to February 2009. I exhibited work in group shows at the Corning Council on the Arts in 2009 and 2010. Furthermore, I am a member of the American Professional Artist League in New York City, Tioga County Council on the Arts in Owego, The Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes in Corning and Susquehanna River Archaeology Center, Waverly, NY. My biography is listed in several Marques’ Who's Who publications beginning in 2006; Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in Education, Who's Who in the World, and in 2009, Who's Who in American Art.
Side Note: In 2001, I graduated from Excelsior College, cum laude. Earlier, from 1979 through 1982, I attended Hunter College, majoring in biology with the intent of becoming an occupational therapist. That was put on hold, but in 1999 I began taking college course work at Excelsior College; graduating with a degree in psychology and a minor in biology.