Patrice Nelson loves the hunter/gatherer element that collage has brought to her work and life! Always seeking, exploring and experimenting with texture, color, materials and creating the personalities each piece takes on.

As a wife and mother of four, her work is very reflective of her life in the way of fun, spontaneous whimsy, with a bit of chaos all without taking things too seriously. “It pleases me to put a smile on someone’s face with my work. I am touched should they want to take it home and make it part of their life.”

Patrice Murphy Nelson was born in California in 1960. She and her three siblings were raised between her father’s tall Texan relatives in Fort Worth and mother’s Scandinavian family on the lakes of Minnesota. Her family moved many times during her childhood, making transition and meeting new friends a way of life which was not always so easy. Fortunately, art, as did athletics, came naturally which eased these changes. She spent her high school years either in the gym, playing sports or in the Art Department. She was the “go to” girl for the school’s artwork, creating large-scale backdrop murals for dances, concerts or banquets. Also designing posters, sketching and cartooning for the school newspaper.

Patrice studied art and design at Minnesota State University Moorhead, while also competing four years in volleyball. Back then, she was ardent about both areas but followed the opportunities that came with coaching volleyball.
She lived out west in Reno, Nevada and Truckee, California for a number of years and had the opportunity to work within the gift industry for a wholesale apparel/gift company. Coordinating production, working the gift shows, while also illustrating gift catalogs and selling her designs for other paper and card companies. Life did not always cooperate with her plans and dreams to stay within the art world, but she held the vision for it.

With many life experiences under her belt, she makes her home in Chester, CT. with her encouraging husband, Jeff and four children, ages 6-22. Life is rather eventful at the Nelson household and she feels blessed with her family, friends and to be living in such a beautiful, eclectic and art rich community. Patrice is a previous student of Lyme Art Association, Wesleyan Potters, The Art Cellar in Clinton and Guilford Handcraft Center. Her love of collage started about six years ago and she now works out of her studio in Niantic and loves every minute of gathering, painting and tearin’ it up.”

She continues to be sought after by friends and members of the community to donate her artwork for art auctions or create posters, invitations and program covers for special functions and events. This is Patrice’s premiere exhibition of her work and she is thrilled to be a part of the Left Bank Gallery.