Pat Berryhill-Art in the Afternoon feature

Hello again and time for the next artist- too talented for words, well actually, I'll share quite a few-Pat Berryhill! She has so graciously jumped in to participate in the April event just last week after one artist had to back out. Phew and double phew! You'll also get a chance to see her upcycled couture clothing in June, but that will be another post.

So here she is, featuring her one-of-a-kind altered, jewelry that just exudes all kinds of vintage, ephemera-laden, yummy-ness. Do not miss out on seeing her fabulous work!

Pat Berryhill, Altered Jewelry
www.magpiedreams.net
She is an unapologetic collector of crap...a junk junky...a human magpie. Yet there's junk in her trunk. And in her closet. And in the shed. And under the house. Old buttons, vintage photos, orphan earrings, broken necklaces, cracked dishes, discarded clothing,doors, windows, dressers, boxes, shells, feathers, rocks, marbles, doll parts, glass eyes, and bones. This affliction started at an early age, when she would stuff all her toys and treasures into her clothing. Like some weird little 5-year-old leprechaun, She was always gathering booty for her pot o' gold. Then, while the other little children played ouside, she would spend the afternoon arranging and rearranging her stuff. Over forty years later, she is still constantly picking up flotsam and jetsam wherever she goes. School? Work? Who cares? Her husband groans every time she drags another "find" home. Her friends dump their trash at her front door. Her brothers shout "Pretty! Shiny! Caw! CAW!" every time she picks something up off the street. She had to become an artist before her junqué habit threatened to take over her life. As an artisté, not only does she get to express myself creatively, she gets to use recycled junk, which is environmentally friendly. Her work comes from life experiences, good or bad. Every piece tells a different story.