A Colorful Oasis in Winter

One of the pleasures of holiday time is visiting studio shows and artist open house events. In Northampton, Massachusetts, the bright and beautiful showing of silk artist Pat Hayes' work is an annual treat.

Pat has been working with silk for over two decades, and is a master of the subleties of dyeing, painting and stencilling many types of silk.

Pat is also an art therapist who is a grant recipient of the Rays of Hope Walk Towards a Cure for Breast Cancer, part of the Baystate Health System in Springfield MA. She facilitates workshops with breast cancer survivors through Art from the Heart, a program she founded in 1999.

In recent years, Pat has teamed up with designer
Cassandra Holden to create one-of-a-kind high-fashion silk clothing that's artful and flattering to all...we like that!

Cassandra (right) and Lauren Matusko model Cassandra's latest creations in Donegal wool tweed.

Pat models the llama/wool mix hat created by me, with yarn contributed by Kathy Elkins of WEBS....which just happens to be right across the street from Pat's studio:

More about Pat Hayes      More about Cassandra Holden