Cheryl Mason
As far back as I can recall Art has been a major part of who I am. As a child I was always involved in the arts through school and in the community. I was fortunate to have wonderful teachers and mentors growing up who saw potential.And took the time to encourage and foster skill development. When faced with career choices I was fortunate to be able to follow a path littered with artistic endevours. I majored in music and studied the visual arts in college; Then, chose to pursue a career in performence arts, I was fortunate to find work in various shows and sing with several local night club bands. In the meantime, I painted and studied with several local well known artists and art professors. My paintings were sold through several local venues and in local art festivals.
After my son was born in 1988 I wanted to find a way to stay close to home especially in the evenings so I stopped performing as a singer and started to explore the Idea of song writing.In 1990 I sold my first song to ABC television where it was used on one of their daytime shows. Eventually it went on to be nominated for song of the year.
Working from home allowed me more time to paint as well. I decided to sign up for classes at the local college and finish up my degree in painting. In the mean time I was still selling my paintings through local galleries and festivals. Due to my ties with ABC television I was noticed and featured on Good Morning America and consiquently Entertainment Tonight.
As my son grew older it became increasingly important for me to stay closer to home. With this in mind I decided to start a open a small daycare center where I have fostered the natural creativity and love of art exploration and expression in young children since the early 90's. As well, they have kept the arts new and vibriant for me.
Painting is now my favorite form of artistic expression. And I continue to sell through local galleries and art festivals. As well as through our own online Gallery Patterson Fine art, and now I am excited to say on EBay. |