Pat LaBrecque, Artist

A native of New Hampshire, Pat grew up in Nashua, and spent her summers with her family on Silver Lake in central New Hampshire and with her grandparents in North Woodstock, NH. In North Woodstock, she spent summers of discovery with her siblings and cousins exploring the woods, swimming in The Cascades of the Pemi,
and on family picnics in Franconia Notch. She loved draw even then, especially
trees, wildflowers and farm animals, and was especially thrilled one year when her grandfather presented her with a ream of drawing paper from the Lincoln Paper Mill.
The camp at Silver Lake was another source of lasting inspiration, grand family cookouts, fishing, swimming, boating, long lazy summer days catching frogs and turtles to draw. With memories of a childhood too good to leave behind, she and her husband have returned to Silver Lake as their summer retreat.

In 1985, Pat received a BFA in Visual Communications from the University of
Wisconsin, Milwaukee. There she met and married her soul mate, Dennis, a sculptor.
While in Milwaukee, the two shared a studio and immersed themselves in the
beauty and artistic energy of that wonderful city.

Pat and Dennis moved to Goffstown, NH in 1990, along with their three children
and built the house they presently live in. Situated on 25 acres of open fields,
it was an ideal place for farm animals. Over the next 15 years, the family
raised angora goats, Cotswold sheep, donkeys, horses, chickens, a pot belly pig,
and several cats and dogs. At one time there were over one hundred
animals on the farm. The children have grown and moved on, and the animals
are gone, except for one cat. With the child rearing and farming experience
behind her, Pat now has lots of time to devote to art.

Pat has been a versatile artist (all over the map, as she says), but is focussing
her energy from this point forward on painting. She has recently joined the
NH Plein Air Group and is studying with several area painters. In 2006,
she and Dennis opened Black Brook Gallery in their home, where they will
be hosting several events and shows throughout the year.