Posted by Crystal Pepperdine, Founder and Executive Director of Flint Handmade
We have another guest post for our Second Saturday Giveaway!
Last year, I annnounced that whenever possible, our featured crafter from the same month of the previous year will do the interview and take photos with a new featured crafter!
This month, our
May 2011 Giveaway featured crafter, Nicole Stevens, interviews and photographed her friend and fellow crafter, Pat Merewether.
Check it out!
Article and Photos of Pat Merewether of Patsarts by Nicole Stevens of Curious Goods for May 2012 Flint Handmade Second Saturday Giveaway
Walking up to Pat Mereweather's house is like stepping into a favorite movie. A rambling farmhouse with gardens, a gargoyle perched atop a balcony...right away you know you're at the home of an artist.
The inside of the house is no different - a pile of books here, a stack of sketches there, everywhere you look your eye is drawn to some other painting or curiosity.
The second floor of the house is Pat's studio, with vaulted ceilings, skylights and two balconies. Her husband helped her design the studio so that she would have a space of her own to work.
Pat began crafting when her children were young and money was tight. She wanted to give them gifts, so she made embroidered books, dolls and costumes.
Loving idea of making 'something' from 'nothing' Pat began making gifts for other people, too. She added making candles and crocheted items to her ever growing list of skills. It amazed her when people began wanting to buy her crafts!
Eventually, she began using the name Patsarts when selling her goods. The name suits her, because she truly loves all forms of art.
One of Pat's current something-from-nothing projects is to take old wine bottles (collected from family and friends) and form beds in her garden for herbs and vegetables. The effect is eye-catching when the light glints off the bottles. Plus, it's a great way to upcycle a material that usually gets recycled or trashed.
Pat's garden is a craft project in itself! Everywhere you look you see another flower pushing its way out of the ground or another statue peeking out of the brush. The property backs up to forested land, so Pat has lots of space to create vegetable beds and intriguing little pockets of natural art.
One of the best views from Pat's garden is back into the forest - an old hammock covered in moss provides cover for the tiny flowers springing up underneath. It's those tiny details that Pat notices and the kind of thing that will probably show up in a painting some day.
Back in the house, Pat's love of nature and gardening continues. Tiny sprouts are carefully raised in teacups on the kitchen windowsill.
While Pat's studio at home is wonderful, with a retired husband and three active dogs, it's sometimes difficult to get any work done at home. Her youngest dog, Boo, is especially “helpful” when she's trying to work!
Luckily, Pat was given an amazing workspace at The Elms Gallery in Flushing. The building was once part of McLaren Hospital, but now is a set of workrooms and a full scale gallery.
Pat's room was once a lab, and is equipped with cabinets, a counter-top and even a sink!
While painting, Pat listens to a lot of music. She loves classic rock, but after reading about the Mozart Effect (the idea that Mozart's music can create short-term improvement at certain tasks) she listens to more classical music now.
Pat finds inspiration in music, books, nature and even her family and friends. Her workspace is filled, not only with her art, but with the things that invigorate her creativity.
The Elms Gallery opened in April and Pat had paintings displayed in several hallways. With more events scheduled, Pat is planning to do more paintings as well as some mixed-media artwork in the near future.
For the Second Saturday Giveaway, Pat has donated a print entitled “Blue Butterfly." The print is a part of a larger watercolor piece that is very special to her.
For YOUR chance to win the "Blue Butterfly" Art Print (valued at $15) by Pat Merewether of Patsarts, just complete steps A and B:
A) Follow Flint Handmade via the blog, Twitter, Google Reader or whatever newfangled "following application" tickles your fancy. Or, if you don't do the whole following thing, email us at flinthandmade@hotmail.com and we will add you to our email list.
B) Leave us a comment in response to this blog post by 5pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012 answering the following 2 questions:
1) How do you follow Flint Handmade?
2) What is your favorite 'something-from-nothing' art/craft project?
Please be sure to answer BOTH questions to qualify for the drawing.
The winner will be selected at random and posted on the blog within one week after the deadline. The winner will have 30 days to claim the prize. You must check back with the blog to see if you won!
We hope to hear from YOU and we hope you enjoyed our May Second Saturday Giveaway by Nicole Stevens of
Curious Goods!
