About Pat Brazill
This Is My Mission
My goal is to harness the power of repeating patterns in my work and to celebrate and keep alive these wonderful chain designs from the distant past.
A Quick Overview
Long before I made chain maille, I made lots of other art objects. As soon as I could grip a crayon in my hand and mush Playdoh into forms, I was drawing and making pots and little animal figures.
In college, I majored in art with a concentration in photography and graduated with a BA in Art. The truth is I loved photography, but my own photographs were unremarkable. Luckily, my darkroom work made up for it. I worked for many years as a custom printer, making other photographers’ work shine. I loved everything about the darkroom and printing photos.
My studio is not only my workspace, it’s filled with objects and books that inspire me. The photograph is of my mother, who loved wearing jewelry, hats and heels.
More About Myself
In my late 20’s, I moved to Manhattan. There, in one of those movie-moments, I had the good fortune of running into a college friend on the street who’d worked for me on a small photo project right after college. “You should be working where I work” she told me. “You’d love it.”
I did love it. Working at the New York Times Syndicate (The international division of the New York Times) was all anyone could hope for. I didn’t take photographs or make prints. Instead, I was part of a team that worked on finding images to go with breaking news stories happening outside of the United States.
My work at the Syndicate led to more fantastic opportunities. I was incredibly fortunate to work at Rolling Stone Magazine and Spin Magazine. Despite impressive job titles, much of the work I did was essentially administrative. But for a long time, being surrounded by a remarkable group of artists, editors, writers and the periodic musician was the best work experience and hands-on education a person could have.
As the Manager of the Art Department at Rolling Stone, a big part of my job was being in touch with the freelance illustrators, cartoonists and photographers. They were a gifted, clever, funny, hardworking collection of individuals. Along with the magazine staff, it was these artists that made my job rewarding. Among other things, I learned about meeting deadlines, making compromises, holding my own ground and not taking things personally.
But in the end, I didn’t stay in publishing. I loved the people and the manic energy, but my job was mainly sitting in front of a computer making sure deadlines were being met so the magazine would make it to press on time.
I made a dramatic switch. I left publishing for health care, where I convinced a tiny shop that made custom medical devices to take me on as an apprentice. I took the same train I’d taken to work previously. I wore the same t-shirts, jeans and high-top Converse sneakers. And often there was rock music blaring in the background. But it was a different world. It was mostly men and the shop was messy, dirty, noisy…and I loved it. I learned quickly and was good at my job.
This was part two for me in the world of work. I made art at night and on the weekends, but this didn’t feel far off from that. Most of what we made was “custom” – made to spec for a client. I was happy at the shop and perhaps might have stayed there forever if I hadn’t met my future husband. A smart, sweet guy who could make me laugh anytime, anywhere.
After we married, we relocated to New England, and it took me awhile to find my sea legs. Somewhere in there I had my chain maille epiphany.