Patrick Napoli
Artist
About me
My name is Patrick Napoli and I love to express myself through my art.
I’ve been painting since I was a child, and every piece of my artwork means something to me. Sometimes it does break my heart to part with my work, but I know it brings joy and serenity to those who have pieces of my artwork in their lives, and so that makes me very happy.
As a child I suffered an adverse reaction to a vaccination and so I live with a Disability. Being able to use colour and paint, and then to see the happiness on people’s faces when they see my work is so wonderful. This brings so much joy to my life. I am a happy person, I love music and I usually listen to music as I am painting, and I love happy bright colours. Blue is my favourite colour and you will see blue in many of my artworks.
Other passions of mine include dancing, bike riding and swimming. I have a beautiful, playful dog Zena, and I am a big fan of the Bulldogs football team. One day I might get to go to a game and meet the players – that would be an awesome experience! I love to visit the friendly staff at Family Funland and Griffith Star Bowling, and I really enjoy my regular games of ten pin bowling. This is just one of the ways I can get out and socialise – another of my favourite activities! The Griffith City Library is another one of my favourite local places to visit, and the staff there are always so nice to me too. I am so very lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life that care and support me in so many ways.
One very special moment in my life was in early 2018 when my Mum and I were Baton Bearers for the Queen’s Baton Relay in the lead up to the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. We had to train for the event, and it was all very exciting. Being chosen was such an honour, and this is an experience we will both treasure forever.
My life as an Artist
Over the years I have donated my artwork to support charities, I’ve won prizes for my work, and I’ve had many of my paintings displayed in various exhibitions.
There is a display of my work at the beautiful Cellar Door of Berton Vineyards in Yenda – which is just outside of Griffith, and really worth visiting. This is such a lovely place to showcase my work, and my family and I really appreciate the support of the Berton team.
It was exciting to win 1st prize in the NSW Cancer Council Competition for my ‘Daffodils’ painting a few years ago. And when I donated my painting ‘Two Frogs in a Pond’ to Griffith Can Assist in 2017, they were able to auction it off for $1,000. They do such special work in our community and it was such a pleasure to support them in this way.
Other paintings I have donated include ‘Pink Kurrajong’ to Pink Up Griffith, raising funds to allow the McGrath Breast Cancer Nurses to help those in need, and in 2020 one of my works went to auction at the Angelo Macri Memorial Dinner, raising over $1,400 for Cancer Research at Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital.
The team at the Griffith Regional Art Gallery have been great supporters over the years, and have allowed me to hold a solo exhibition, as well as place pieces into an exhibition called ‘Yield’ in 2019. There is nothing quite as exciting as seeing your own painting hanging in a gallery for others to visit and enjoy.
I hope you enjoy seeing my paintings on my website, and also out and about in my community. Being able to paint is very important, it brings meaning to my day, it allows me to be creative and expressive in my own unique way, and it feels so good to share my creations with others. If you would like to own one of my paintings, it would bring you joy I am sure, and it would also help me to keep buying the paints and supplies I need to continue my work. I am happy because I get to paint and because I have a wonderful family, great friends, and people who care for me.
– Written with the help of my Mum and friends.
