Dallas County
Clay Art and Watercolorist
Jo Pate works with clay at her kitchen
table, gathers driftwood, “squirreled” pine cones, mosses and/or Spanish moss
collected “from the great out-of-doors” she says. “Sometimes my ideas are seasonal (sports
seasons, holiday seasons) but the actual creation occurs when I have time away
from other responsibilities or I need to release stress.” She states that “the
act of creating angels joins creativity, activity and prayer.”
Jo started making clay angels in order to
stay at home with her handicapped husband. She decided that each angel would be
created to represent a specific theme or event, such as an angel of love, or
hunting, or whatever college or event a friend or client wanted Jo to
make. Her collection of nativity scenes
was the inspiration to create her own with clay.
Jo’s watercolor inspirations include
mailboxes, laundry, birdhouses, but not commonly painted landscapes or flowers,
and she will only paint “when I feel inspired.” Her rewards come with the
appreciation of her “art and/or faith” by others.
Jo’s inspiration comes from her husband.
Although he requires a great deal of attention, she said she “realized how
lucky I was to still have his presence and that God and angels had gotten us
both through his recovery and offered us the opportunity to live life to the
fullest.”