Artists and writers should create based on their experiences. Much of my art has been influenced by where I live.
Patti Genack
Travelers will find the beautiful mountain town of Beulah, CO less than 30 minutes by car southwest of Pueblo on Colorado highway 78 (SH 78). While part of Pueblo County, the landscape and vibe of the area is considerably different from the City of Pueblo. The residents of Beulah are friendly, creative, and independently-minded people. A significant proportion of talented artists call Beulah home. Many of the artists are professional and for others it is more of a hobby, but everyone enjoys it immensely and they love to share it with the world!
The Beulah Valley Arts Council hosts the Beulah Valley Arts & Crafts Show every summer. In holding with tradition, the 2019 Fair took place on Saturday, August 3 and Sunday, August 4 on the grounds of the Beulah School of Natural Sciences. A relatively new addition to the fair includes a car show on the first day (Saturday) of the fair. For many years a significant part of the fair has included the Juried Art Show and family friendly food and live entertainment highlighting local musicians all weekend long.
Glass bead maker (lampworker) Patti Genack was the featured artist for this year’s show. Since 1998 Patti has created miniature works of sculpted art from melted glass. Known especially for her glass horses, Patti has honed her skills and expanded her repertoire over the years to include parts of or entire bodies of local, non-local, and fantastical animals, Mexican masks, and multiple section sculptures of characters like Puss in Boots. This year the Beulah Valley Arts Council (BVAC) granted me the privilege and pleasure of creating a short video about Patti and her artwork. Patti said, “Making art keeps me happy. It makes me a nicer person.” I am certain that many artists and creative people of all types share similar sentiments. While I wouldn’t call myself an artist, expression is important for me also. Expression is important for individual and social well-being. Creating intricate glass pieces of artwork gives Patti a deep feeling of satisfaction. Though not included in the finally video, Patti said that she in inspired a lot by Beulah, history, diverse cultures, and her love for animals—especially horses.
The video about Patti and her art is available to watch below and on YouTube. In the video she creates a small fantasy owl bead in under 18 minutes, but with the magic of editing that portion of video is less than 4 minutes long. She also created the necklace she wears in the video (and the video’s thumbnail image). Thank you to the BVAC, Patti Genack, the creators of the background music included in the video, and you for watching it. I hope you enjoy the video and share it with others who may enjoy it!
You can see more of Patti’s work and contact her via Facebook or her website, GlassHorseRanch.com.
