Our Mixed Media Art community is a diverse bunch; from all around the world, with different interests, reasons why we create and a wide range of skills.  Over the next few weeks we will be featuring a range of mixed media artists to tell their stories and share their artwork.

This week we are talking with Pat Upton – we will let her tell us about herself…

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I am Pat Upton. I live in Durham, North Carolina, USA. I have a husband, Eric, who is a retired fire captain. We have 2 grown daughters: Sarah, who lives in Wilmington, NC, and is a 911 operator, and Laura, who is currently living at home and working as a customer call representative at Eurosport, an online soccer supply company.  We are owned by a dog, Luna (a flat coated retriever) and a cat, Birdie (gray tabby).

I have only discovered mixed media and really art in the last couple of years! I am one of those people who thought if you can’t draw photo realistically, then you are not an artist. In finding mixed media art, I have found my outlet! I do have what I consider a whimsical take on most things; others may call it demented!

I have attached a picture of a piece that was created for a challenge.

I belong to a group called the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild. Once a year they have a challenge; this year it was called the Take 25 Challenge. The first 25 artists to sign up chose something that was required to be included in the piece (for instance, the letter ‘c’, a piece of broken jewelry, a nut (organic or otherwise), lace, etc). Of the 25 items, each artist must include 23 and was allowed to add 2 items not on the list. Paints, colors, glues and attachments were free. And there was no theme! Boy what a diverse mix of art! Truly wonderful! But mine as you can see, is again whimsical, nay, demented! The experience was tremendous fun and I will indeed join in again!

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Thanks for sharing your art with us Pat.

You can find out more about the Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild
from their Yahoo Group or their Blogspot blog.
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