Meet Patty Middlebrooks of Meaning-Full Art in San Pedro

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patty Middlebrooks.

Patty, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’m an Accidental Artist, Eternal Optimist and Lover of People and Life’s Grand Adventures. I bet you’re wondering, “What the heck is an accidental artist?” Well, here’s my story, stick with it, it’s a good one!

CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL CRAFTER – On my journey to becoming an accidental artist, I started out as a “multi-passionate” crafter dabbling in all kinds of creative endeavors: jewelry making, paper crafting, book binding, paper making, paper marbling, rubber stamping, scrap-booking, card making, chalk painting, soap making, glass fusing, rock painting… you name it, I probably tried it! I guess you could say I was a serial crafter who never quite found her creative true love.

GIVING UP – I had given up on cultivating a creative life in exchange for raising a family of three boys and becoming an entrepreneur. Life was busy and there was no time for creative play, so I packed up my inner artist and all my art supplies and stowed them away in the “attic of life”.

FAST FORWARD – Fast forward 21 years… My boys are grown and we decided to fulfill a life-long dream of moving to Southern California and living at the beach. Settling in was very easy and life was amazing… but very quiet. One day it hit me – now what?? I’m 52 years old, in the second half of life and have nothing but time on my hands – YIKES! Who am I? What do I really want to be and do when I grow up??

REINVENTING – I decided to take this quiet time to be curious about myself; to reflect, do some soul searching and unpack those boxed stowed away long ago in the attic of life. I loved rediscovering what I had packed away! It was a joy reviving the parts of me that had been dormant for so long. I reclaimed so many wonderful things I had long forgotten about myself … my child-like spirit, untamed curiosity, wild imagination, love of risk taking and adventure, playfulness, creative spirit and my inner artist.

So, what’s a girl to do with all this reviving, rediscovering and reclaiming? Take an art class and search, once again, for her creative true love of course! That is when I discovered and fell in LOVE with Mixed Media Art.

This class became an unexpected voyage into my heart and soul as well as the world of mixed media art. This accidental adventure taught me so many things: I learned how to simply PLAY with paint, paper, stamps, stencils, markers … and have FUN! I learned how to let my heart lead the way in the creative process; to experiment, take creative risks, be outrageously curious, make impulsive creative decisions, let my child-like spirit and imagination run wild, and give my inner artist permission to proudly create. My creativity was unleashed and so was my joy! I painted, shredded, stenciled, smudged, smeared and stamped, making perfectly imperfect art like my heart depended on it, because it did!

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES – Now my fun, messy, beautiful, satisfying, creative life includes the opening of Meaning-Full Art, my studio, gallery and classroom. It is here where I create whimsical art and offer classes in water marbling on silk and paper as well as fluid acrylic painting pouring – all which require NO previous art experience of any kind!

In the studio, I play, paint, craft, giggle and do my happy dance. In the gallery, I sell my art and the art of other like-hearted artists. In the classroom, I share what I have learned about cultivating a creative life, and teach others how to play with paint and paper to create art they love.

I am so grateful for this grand adventure, feeling blessed and amazed by life’s abundant gifts. Life is good!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As an artist and entrepreneur one of my struggles is maintaining a balance between creating art and doing what is needed to run a successful business. I love doing both, but I tend to get caught up in the daily operations and marketing of my business. I have to be very intentional about protecting my time in the studio getting my hands dirty, having fun and creating art.

The biggest challenge for me is marketing my business so that people can find me and learn about what I offer. As an artist located at Crafted Port of LA, the challenge lies in getting people to come to San Pedro to discover this hidden gem. Crafted is an amazing Arts and Crafts Experience Center & Marketplace. It has 30+ studios, galleries and shops where you can meet the Artists, Makers and Craftspeople behind today’s hottest creative trends. Customers can shop the marketplace, take classes, visit the onsite Craft Brewery and grab culinary delights from visiting food trucks. We have special events throughout the year for all ages and we are pet friendly! It’s truly a fun creative experience for the whole family and worth the trip from anywhere! While the foot traffic at Crafted is increasing, my daily challenge is in spreading the word and getting people to find me at Crafted!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Meaning-Full Art – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
After opening my business, I quickly realized that people desire experiences more than they want to buy more “stuff”. After this realization, I switched gears and now I primarily offer creative hands-on art experiences where people can come together with friends and loved ones, learn something new, have a very successful outcome and take with them a fun memory as well as a work of art they are proud of.

One of the things I have quickly become known for is my “DIY – Water Marbling – Silk Art Experience”. People LOVE this experience! It’s easy to do, is great for all ages and abilities, and takes 20 minutes to create a unique and functional piece of art.

When people come to Water Marble on Silk with me, I teach them how to float paint on the surface of thickened water, create a design in the paint, then dip a six-foot-long piece of silk into the design they created. Once the silk hits the paint, the design is transferred onto the silk instantly and permanently. They take the silk home with them in a zip lock bag, dry it, iron it and then enjoy it. The silk art can be used as a scarf, table runner, window covering, wall hanging, bed sash, belt, head scarf, beach cover-up… the possibilities are endless!

Also gaining in popularity are my fool proof “Fluid Acrylic Paint Pour” classes. If you can pour, stir and blow through a straw I can teach you how to create a beautiful painting on canvas – no paint brushes required! I offer 3 fun-filled acrylic paint pour classes – “Ocean Inspired”, “Ocean Sunset”, and “Flower Power”, as well as an “Abstract Necklace Pendant” class.

No prior art experience of any kind is required for the experiences I offer, and all ages and abilities are welcome! It easy to make an online reservation on my website or just walk into the studio and start creating!

I have the privilege and pleasure of providing these amazing experiences for people looking to get together and connect by doing something fun and creative TOGETHER. Every weekend I get to play with parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, couples, out of town guests, friends and co-workers as they gather around the marbling tank or studio table to exercise their creativity, have fun and take home a work of art as a memento of their time together. A truly Meaning-Full Art experience!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I am so excited for the future! I plan to expand on the” Water Marbling Experience” by offering more items to marble on – neckties, bowties, sarongs… as well as “Marbling on Paper” workshops. Marbling is such a beautiful centuries old art form that is so much fun to do, and results in an amazing outcome every time. I am confident that once people try water marbling they will fall in love with it and want to come back for more.

Pricing:

• Water Marbling – Silk Art Experience – $39, 2 for $70, 3 for $100

Contact Info:

• Address: Meaning-Full Art
  Located at Crafted Port of LA
  112 E 22nd Street Studio #101
  San Pedro, CA 90731
• Website: www.meaning-fullart.com
• Phone: 303-903-3491
• Email: patty@meaning-fullart.com
• Instagram: @meaning.full.art
• Facebook: @meaning-fullart1

Getting in touch: VoyageLA 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.