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Raised in Connecticut, Patty spent the first 18 years of her life riding horses, loving art and all of nature, and feeling a strong sense of
gratitude and compassion for all living things. In the late 60s Patty married her best friend, Dale, quit college, traveled America, and
experienced the challenges and struggles of war time and separation during the Viet Nam years. After Viet Nam, always defined by a
strong sense of family, life for Patty and Dale settled into raising three children on a small farm filled with animals, nature and love.
Horses, art, and fishing wound their way around each other as Patty began illustrating equine books, painting and sculpting
commissions in exchange for horse training, and bartering with the farrier for lobster Dale caught off the Connecticut coast. When the
children were small, Patty opened a ceramic studio named "Little Hands" for the creative little hands of her children. There in the
basement Patty taught and sold ceramics at craft fairs throughout New England. Later the studio was renamed Fog Hollow Studio as
part of the Naegeli's Fog Hollow Farm named for the valley that the farm was nestled in. Now the farm and studio are situated atop a
hill that looks into a valley and where Patty is inspired by the horses in the valley. Amid the life-living the Naegelis were doing new
adventures made their way into their lives. Patty says, "Life seems to take you where you are supposed to be." When her children were
about half way to being grown, a call came and the voice at the other end said, "I understand you're Irish." Patty confirmed and the
caller said, "Good, you've got a job." It was as a Therapeutic Recreation Director in a health care setting and it marked the beginning of
a journey that would lead her to her work in hospice. All along the way, however, she continued to express her impressions of nature,
life, the beauty of spirit and courage through her art. She returned to college as a "mature" student, earned a degree in art, as well as
credentials as a chaplain, all the while illustrating, exhibiting, and selling her work and caring for people. Since 1997 Patty has worked as a
Hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor and continues to teach, illustrate create and exhibit her work. "I love what I do, and I do
what I love." She considers her most cherished life achievement her family, her greatest accomplishment her ability to integrate art,
caring, nature, and humor into her life's work, stating often, "I do what I love, and I love what I do."
As for her oils and watercolors, there has developed a rhythm to much of Patty's work. Repeated images of the subtle details of living,
often gentle, quiet, mundane subject matter on first glance, is interpreted through the paint to express profound meaning as the viewer
discovers how it pertains to and influences what moves us along our paths toward peace, acceptance, and gratitude. " What matters in
life and in art, is not the end product so much as the process - the joy, the journey, the struggles and challenges, and the gentle gifts and
successes we are given if we are open to receive them along the way. We tend not to value the road we walk getting to where we think
we are suppose to arrive. Too often we look beyond to an unknown destination and miss what is with us and where we are in the
moment." We are so busy living live - seeking life like a carrot dangling in front of us, and all we see is the carrot. "In my work and in
my life I savour the "process" of living in every breath. I have tremendous gratitude for nature and what it has taught me about both
life and death, about taking time and being still, deliberately and gently, reverently breathing. And I have immeasurable appreciation
for the cherished souls I have met through the years of caring for others. I have gratitude for their gifts to me that far outweigh what I
might have offered them. Our crossed paths have enlightened and enriched my soul. And the experience has made me aware that I
don't create for fame, achievement or immortality. I create simply because to create is a part of my soul. When I hold a pen or brush,
or feel cool, then warm clay, it is blissful. I know there is hope, there is joy, there is challenge, there is wonder".
gratitude and compassion for all living things. In the late 60s Patty married her best friend, Dale, quit college, traveled America, and
experienced the challenges and struggles of war time and separation during the Viet Nam years. After Viet Nam, always defined by a
strong sense of family, life for Patty and Dale settled into raising three children on a small farm filled with animals, nature and love.
Horses, art, and fishing wound their way around each other as Patty began illustrating equine books, painting and sculpting
commissions in exchange for horse training, and bartering with the farrier for lobster Dale caught off the Connecticut coast. When the
children were small, Patty opened a ceramic studio named "Little Hands" for the creative little hands of her children. There in the
basement Patty taught and sold ceramics at craft fairs throughout New England. Later the studio was renamed Fog Hollow Studio as
part of the Naegeli's Fog Hollow Farm named for the valley that the farm was nestled in. Now the farm and studio are situated atop a
hill that looks into a valley and where Patty is inspired by the horses in the valley. Amid the life-living the Naegelis were doing new
adventures made their way into their lives. Patty says, "Life seems to take you where you are supposed to be." When her children were
about half way to being grown, a call came and the voice at the other end said, "I understand you're Irish." Patty confirmed and the
caller said, "Good, you've got a job." It was as a Therapeutic Recreation Director in a health care setting and it marked the beginning of
a journey that would lead her to her work in hospice. All along the way, however, she continued to express her impressions of nature,
life, the beauty of spirit and courage through her art. She returned to college as a "mature" student, earned a degree in art, as well as
credentials as a chaplain, all the while illustrating, exhibiting, and selling her work and caring for people. Since 1997 Patty has worked as a
Hospice chaplain and bereavement counselor and continues to teach, illustrate create and exhibit her work. "I love what I do, and I do
what I love." She considers her most cherished life achievement her family, her greatest accomplishment her ability to integrate art,
caring, nature, and humor into her life's work, stating often, "I do what I love, and I love what I do."
As for her oils and watercolors, there has developed a rhythm to much of Patty's work. Repeated images of the subtle details of living,
often gentle, quiet, mundane subject matter on first glance, is interpreted through the paint to express profound meaning as the viewer
discovers how it pertains to and influences what moves us along our paths toward peace, acceptance, and gratitude. " What matters in
life and in art, is not the end product so much as the process - the joy, the journey, the struggles and challenges, and the gentle gifts and
successes we are given if we are open to receive them along the way. We tend not to value the road we walk getting to where we think
we are suppose to arrive. Too often we look beyond to an unknown destination and miss what is with us and where we are in the
moment." We are so busy living live - seeking life like a carrot dangling in front of us, and all we see is the carrot. "In my work and in
my life I savour the "process" of living in every breath. I have tremendous gratitude for nature and what it has taught me about both
life and death, about taking time and being still, deliberately and gently, reverently breathing. And I have immeasurable appreciation
for the cherished souls I have met through the years of caring for others. I have gratitude for their gifts to me that far outweigh what I
might have offered them. Our crossed paths have enlightened and enriched my soul. And the experience has made me aware that I
don't create for fame, achievement or immortality. I create simply because to create is a part of my soul. When I hold a pen or brush,
or feel cool, then warm clay, it is blissful. I know there is hope, there is joy, there is challenge, there is wonder".
ARTIST'S
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
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Family life
