NOTE: This post is originally from 2016. I think I intended to add more details about Pat Sanchez's life. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to work with her more. She passed away shortly after I took photos of her and her work. I think my lasting impression of Pat was that she was a generous spirit. She was a talented artist who was more than happy to share her enthusiasm and her wisdom with others. Original draft of post: Today I met with Pat Sanchez. Pat is the "gourd lady." She is known for carving gourds and adorning them with pine needle weaving and natural materials to create beautiful sculptures. I had Pat on my list of Tracy artists who I wanted to photograph, but when I went back to paid work, I put the whole project on hold. The reason that I met with Pat today is that she is dying. Pat was recently diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer and given six months to live. With the encouragement of some of her artist friends, I decided to ask her if she would be willing to allow me to photograph her in her studio now. When she agreed, I was truly honored. When Pat was sixty-one years old, her son, Michael Anthony, died. At the time, Pat was a nurse at Camp Sacramento. Someone was teaching pine needle weaving at the camp, and Pat decided to try. As she worked the needles, she found that she forgot her pain just for a moment. Each time she tried weaving again, Pat found that she could get a little bit more relief. As the time grew longer that she could absorb herself in her art, she had found her passion.
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April 2022
AuthorTiffanie Heben is a photographer who has been inspired by the artists in her community |