Today we’d like to introduce you to P.L. “Pat” Brooks.
Pat, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Doodling was a favorite pastime as a child. Rather than coloring in a coloring book, I tried to copy the art without tracing. It turned out that I was pretty good at drawing what I saw. Then my Ah-Ha artist moment came when our family received a book of Norman Rockwell prints along with his story. I was mesmerized by his ability to take ordinary scenes of life and capture the mood with humor. So I experimented with cartooning scenes from my own experiences.
Art classes were not available with my single, working mom’s budget. So, I continued to doodle, when possible. When I needed some specific rewards for some of my young speech pathology clients, I used my cartooning skills to create them and was rewarded when the clients enthusiastically embraced them and performed well.
After my M.B.A. graduation and starting my career, I was able to use my cartooning and illustration skills to develop training guides, presentations, flyers, posters and such, adding humor in what was often VERY dry material.
A few years ago, I received some professional watercolor training from Rolande Reverdy Moorhead, an internationally renowned artist. This training expanded my horizons into fine art, and with the help of other local artists, I began to exhibit my work. Subsequently, I have been most fortunate to become a multiple, award-winning artist.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
It would be FABULOUS to say that my art evokes a feeling of triumph over adversity or that my work inspires people to take up a cause. Frankly, my work doesn’t do any of that.
Creating fun, detailed pieces gives me JOY. Life is complicated, and it is a wonderful stress reliever to take a JOY break; to lessen the load in a hectic, fast-paced world. Hopefully, my work evokes a sense of fun and joy for others.
If you were to categorize my work, it might be Contemporary Eclectic Humorous Art. My subject matter varies, as does my medium of choice – which is currently watercolor. For fine art pieces, I like to take local wildlife, in a natural setting and tangle them up using Zentangle like patterns. I created a scene with an alligator who was sunning himself beside a pond. His toothy smile was blue. No doubt from the fertilizer floating on top of the pond. “Bluetooth 1.0” won an award at a Gold Coast Watercolor Society Show and was promptly stolen from the Coral Springs Museum of Art. Can you say “Gator Fan”?
Other fine arts work that I create are everyday moments cartooned to depict settings like a crossing guards standing in the crosswalk with shiny umbrellas called “Rainy Days and Mondays.“
Other types of art that I create murals (along with How to manuals), compiling, editing and illustrating a family cookbook (sold a few), writing and illustrating children’s books (in process), a compilation of short stories, mini hand-lettered and illustrated posters and aphorisms, greeting cards, announcements, Humorous Biographical Depictions (HBDs), and so on.
You might have noticed that my artistic creativity is varied. It keeps the imagination engaged.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
An artist has to be true to their own nature and what drives them creatively. Create for yourself first. If others get your work, all the better. Unless you are doing specific commission work, stay true to your creative calling. It keeps you from being frustrated, and certainly keeps your work focused. Continued education and experimentation will broaden your artistic horizons, and your work will continue to reflect the growth.
Success for me is measured ALL sorts of ways. The more obvious measures are ribbons and awards at fine arts shows and exhibits along with commission work. However, the more important measures are somewhat obscure. Like feedback that someone enjoyed spending time with one of my pieces; when a person tells me that they have saved each of my one-of-a-kind cards; when I am told that one of my murals helped sell their house; when someone tells me that one of my illustrated and hand-lettered posters boosted their day; when someone shares that one of my poems made them LOL; when a grandmother tells me that my cartooning class helped her bond with her grandchildren; or I receive a cartoon from one of my students. The list goes on and on… How do you measure someone’s smile or fond memories that one of my works evokes?
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Fortunately, I belong to several local artist organizations that have shows and exhibits during the season. I am a charter member of the Weston Art Guild, a member of the National League of American Pen Women, the Gold Coast Watercolor Society, and the Plantation Art Guild. The shows are ongoing, and anyone can access the websites for each of these organizations to find out about show dates and times. Additionally, you CAN go to www.calligraphersguild.org for Washington (D.C.) Calligraphers Guild and see my winning envelopes from 2013-2019 for the Graceful Envelope Contest (P.L.Brooks, Weston, FL). One of my winning envelopes was published for the GEC retrospective in Scripsit magazine.
My work can be supported in several different ways. Attend a show. View, like (or love), or comment on my work posted on Instagram or Facebook. If I am really fortunate, you may want to own one of my pieces or, in the future, purchase one of my publications.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @plbrooks04
- Facebook: Patricia L. Brooks, Weston, FL
- Other: www.calligraohersguild.org P.L.Brooks, Weston, FL
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition, please let us know here.
