plaia

Patrick Plaia

Wild One, 2003

Fuji Crystal Archive print

image 12 x 8

Patrick Plaia lived the first part of his life in South Bend, Indiana in a working-class neighborhood. South Bend at the time was heavily influenced by the auto industry and Patrick worked in factories during breaks from Indiana University, where he studied Audio/Visual Communication and Photography.

Patrick moved west to California and then Oregon in 1973, in his early 20s. He lived on a small farm in the Oregon Coast Range where he married and raised a family. He farmed and worked in the forest for several years, following work contracts throughout the Pacific Northwest.
In the early 90s, Patrick moved from the Coast Range to Eugene, Oregon and started working in the construction industry and a commercial/industrial carpenter. He still pursued his lifelong urge to travel, always with camera gear for shooting during off hours. His travels took him to Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and for four years to Antarctica, where he headed a crew building the new South Pole Station complex.

In 1994, Patrick joined The PhotoZone Gallery group which gave him a venue to show his photography. He also attended Lane Community College to learn studio lighting and commercial photo techniques. He has produced studies of nudes, dancers and still life in the studio as well as portfolio work for other artists.

Patrick now lives in Eugene with his wife, Helen. His most recent work has been in color landscapes, and has sold in galleries and at art fairs throughout the Northwest.