KHADNEAL Patten started drawing at age four. And despite strong discouragement from his parents, who had wanted him to focus his energies on his schoolwork, he remained true to this persistent urge to use pictures to show his feelings.

“I started to draw from age four, and started to paint at age 10,” he said. “But from that tender age, my parents never liked the approach that I took. I was not doing any work, and they never appreciated that,” he explained. “So they decided to chastise me with belt, punish me and all them things,” he recalled.

According to Patten, the beatings subsided after a teacher at the first school he attended — Unity Primary — old his parents to stop from flogging him, as he would eventually settle down and do his schoolwork.

“It happen that a teacher told them to leave me alone because these things go in stages and I would (eventually) stop drawing, and start to do school work. And that is what happened,” added Patten.

He realised that he had an interest in subjects like Geography, History, Anatomy, and Religious Knowledge, but he still clung to his passion for art.

His commitment paid off. Today, his talent is well known in his native community of Strathbogie, Westmoreland.

Patten now earns a living by selling his drawings and paintings. “So far I can make a living from it, and I am not complaining at this time,” he said. “People get to know about me from my paintings that I have done. And they go and tell their friends, and their friends come and buy from me. Sometimes people from Negril come and give me work, and they take it and sell it to the tourists, and that is how I get business.”

He staged an exhibit of his works about four years ago, but because of a lack of funds, he has not had one since. The determined young artist is now seeking a sponsor to help him gain exposure for his work.