Pat Kramek was born in Edinburgh in 1954, to a Scottish mother and a Polish father from Wies Siewalka near Lublin. A connection with art was established as a very young child, upon opening her first paintbox; the selection of colours and consistencies offered an intoxicating and absorbing fascination – a cocktail of sensory experiences. She went on to study art at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee, and has since worked in the textile industry and also in education. Pat roots her painting in seascapes and landscapes, drawing inspiration from her background as well as the landscapes around her – she now lives and works in Ayrshire. Even on the days where inspiration is not present in the first breath of day, it takes over as the painting process begins. Using a palette knife is crucial in achieving colour division and sharpening clarity in the paintings – she may begin with a preconceived idea of how a painting might develop, but in paintings, like in life, accidents do happen and so the painting becomes a spontaneous and dramatic journey.