Patricia Allingham Carlson Lights Up the Night and Brightens Our Days
Patricia Allingham Carlson describes herself as a happy person, a diversified artist, an experimental watercolorist, an engaging YouTuber, a dedicated art teacher and a naturally curious nature lover. She is also a lifelong painter whose work, “Lights at Night,” was selected to be the Signature Image for the 93rd Annual Phillips’ Mill Juried Art Show.
“I was so honored to learn that my painting was selected, especially when you consider the tradition of the show, and the caliber of the artists in our area,” she says. “When you are accepted at this level, you have arrived.” Before painting “Lights at Night,” Patricia took note of some of the paintings that won in the past, and was drawn to one in particular that captured the energy of the Mill during a gathering. “It was so pretty, and I wanted to try a similar kind of scene at nighttime,” she explains.
She knew she wanted to convey a feeling of being there, at the Mill, at night. “I wanted to convey the feeling the Mill exudes, that air of mystery and history,” she adds. “I paint what I like and how I see the world. And I see the world in a lot of colors, many of them bright."
For as long as she can remember, she has painted what she likes and what she sees and how she sees it. “I can remember being five years old, down on my hands and knees painting tulips and thinking to myself, ‘Tulips aren’t three peaks, that’s not the way tulips look.’ I painted them the way they looked, although I didn’t have actual paints until I was 12. All that was available to me was a box of Crayola crayons. But, boy, did I use those crayons.”
She hasn’t stopped painting and presenting images of the world as she sees and imagines it — in various colors and textures, working at times in mixed media and collage, as well as watercolors. While her career has spanned several decades, she is as much in awe of the power of art to interpret the world around us now as she was when she began. At times, she looks at artwork and is amazed to see how "mood and atmosphere develop just through paint and paper."
Patricia is both an accomplished artist and an educator with a degree in Art Education from Penn State University. She has taught art to adults and to children from home, in area libraries and in schools. She has also been a special ed teacher. “People respond through art,” she notes.
During the pandemic, she transitioned to online teaching but found it challenging. “I missed my classes. Then I discovered I could reach more people and share my insights, techniques and tips with others on YouTube,” she says. “It’s been a great outlet for me, and my YouTube channel is growing.” She is particularly proud of this video, which takes the viewer on a journey through the sites of nature, with original music by her son Adam.
“It’s a promotional thing, something that takes time to build, but I like to keep busy and try new things,” she says. With nearly 2,000 subscribers already, she has clearly found another way to engage people in art.
“When you are painting out your feelings and emotions and the way you live your life, and then it touches someone, that is a wonderful experience.”
Patricia is active at M&H Custom Framing and Gallery in Warminster. She is a long-time resident of Central Bucks County, and currently resides in Hatboro with her husband, David Allingham, and their miniature poodle, Jazzy.
