Artist's Statement

I love making things.

I hate writing.  I believe in “productive procrastination”, or at least I practice it. 

In honor of 2026 SOS theme “RE”:  a long overdue REvision of my Artist Statement.  Updated and too long.

I’m a decades-long Somerville Open Studios participant.  Bead crocheted jewelry, other jewelry, other fiber art, metal work, multimedia… whatever I feel like doing.

A REtired engineer who “gave up the day job” in early 2007, survived the leukemia adventure of 2008-2009 with a bone marrow transplant.  (Thank you, Dana-Farber, and anonymous then-young man in Europe.)  

ABOUT THE ART

“Pat does fabulous beadwork” – mostly bead crochet, but other techniques as necessary. Wirework developed to use with beadwork...  "That's neat! can you make an earring out of it?"

My beadwork is an extension of my fiber-work.  Usually, instead of fancy lace with accent beads, I make "boring" fabric structures covered in beaded patterns. I crochet with thread; the beads are along for the ride.

I was not a beader who discovered crochet; I was a crocheter shown bead crochet in a Bulgarian village, August 1994.

“I didn’t lose my marbles – I traded them for beads!” -Pat Iverson, 1995

A co-founder of the Beads Without End artists' cooperative, I collaborate to push the boundaries of color, pattern, and form in bead crochet

Contrary to popular opinion, I was not born with a crochet hook in my hand. My lifelong fascination with textiles, crafts, and structures comes from growing up surrounded by makers of lovely handwork. As a child, I embroidered, crocheted, knit a little (knitting didn’t “stick” until college), wove a little, sewed. Lots of other craft projects.  I colored outside the lines. I have terrible handwriting.

Traditional rug hooking:  Painting with wool on a burlap type backing, using a hook.  Tufted pile structure. "Mom was a hooker for a long time, and she got me doing it too."

I’m fascinated by form and structure.  As a pre-schooler, knit cables & textures intrigued me. (Oh, the fancy knit pillows on Mrs. Hart’s couch!)  Discovering the public library’s book on flat pattern design as a teenager was mind-opening. I continue to use those concepts and marvel at the similarities of 3-D design across different media and techniques: whether building forms by piecing fabric; or building stitch by stitch or bead by bead; or by cutting metal and bending and stretching it.  

Metal is like fiber; sheet metal is just like woven fabric, except different.  Metal forming is magic.  

I “mangle metal” at Artisans Asylum.  Vitreous enamel is fun.  I need a lot more practice welding.

Color – I find that every new medium or technique I try causes me to see, use, and appreciate color in a different way.  Combinations that worked in beads didn’t necessarily work in weaving - maybe it's “pixel size”.  

Publications featuring Pat's beadwork include Carol Wilcox Wells's "The Art and Elegance of Beadweaving", Interweave "Beadwork" magazine, and Lark's "500 Beaded Objects".