Pat McLean-Smith

• Website: http://www.tomorrowsgirls.org/

Pat McLean-Smith, is a multi-disciplinary artist. Using acrylics, oils, fabrics and yarn, she creates mixed media works on canvas. Using acrylic yarn, Pat creates hand-crafted crochet dolls and crewel embroidery portraits. Her creative endeavors often reflect but are not limited to the African-American community. Pat believes that fiber is a wonderfully dynamic medium. Free from any notion of patterns but armed with a lifetime of technique. The process of creating with fiber is instrumental as a driving force in her art. Her dolls whether they are artistic creations or toys given to children, always transcend the materials they are made of to become more than objects. They are named, talked to, imbued with personalities, and sometimes seem to have a will of their own. As art, dolls have many of the same qualities as sculptures and yet they can be held, moved, and many can be posed. This makes them seem more intimate as we interact with them. Pat’s mission is to create a space of learning and exploration where art is accessible to everyone.