Happy St. Patricia von Essche Day! A Birthday Shout Out To Treeba!

Awhile back a friend of PVE emailed some of us about her upcoming birthday, and of course I lost it. I've been having a nagging feeling that the day was fast upon us, and the friend had asked that we all blog on Patricia on her birthday. So I had to just e-mail Patricia and ask her when her birthday was coming. If I had just remembered that Anne Harwell of Annechovie had done a great interview on her fellow artist, I might not have totally ruined the surprise element.


For those new to blogging who may not know who PVE is, well she's is an incredible artist and generous spirit who has given many of her fellow bloggers the gift of her generosity in the way of her art.

I was new to blogging, and very surprised and flattered when Patricia first commented on my blog. She was a heavy hitter, once the design director for Ralph Lauren, and very well established as a blogger who writes the most beautifully evocative posts often illustrated by her work.

my closet

One day she sent me a beautifully wrapped package with TWO drawings! She saw the images that I had posted on my blog, and said that they had inspired her. When I asked for an invoice please, she said "No good deed goes unpunished. Please consider this a good pve deed."

Cholo The King of Comfort

When I wanted to post HERE about her to encourage other bloggers to shop early and get one of her drawings in time for holiday gift giving, she remembered I am a former New Yorker and thoughtfully sent the prefect drawing of Christmas at Rockefeller Center for me to use on the post.

As a busy mother of three adorable children, a writer, a working artist, a home keeper, well I was touched and amazed that she takes the time to do so many things for so many in the blogging community of visual vamps.



I have dug up a few images of some of the pieces many of you have received from Patricia, a sort of retrospective of her goodwill.


You'll recognize your piece, and I'm sure I may have missed some too, so feel free to post about her with your very own PVE original, and send me the link so I can share it with everyone.


And if you see your special PVE piece here, leave a comment for Patricia, or go on over to her blog HERE and tell her Happy Saint Patrica Day!


What I love about Patricia's work, is that she captures the essence and nuance of each one of us.


I know many of us have not had the pleasure of meeting her in person, so it seems magical that she tunes into us so well. It shows she really reads our blogs, and she really gets us. This is a gift for an artist, and a wonderful attribute in a human being.

A couple of my blogging friends have wistfully asked me what you have to do to get a PVE, I say nothing really, that Patricia gets inspired, and works from the heart.


They think I'm over simplifying it, but it's true. I also tell them to just to write to her and tell her how much they think of her work.


Each one of us who has been bestowed with Patricia's kindness cannot do enough for her.


Many, many blogs post about her, and many have their PVE banners proudly flying


I keep my PVE drawings always on my blog in my right hand margin so we can all look at them on it everyday, and of course one hangs in my living room, and the other in my office, and everyday when my eyes come across them, I smile and say a silent "Thank you Patricia!"



One of my dearest blog buddies really wanted a PVE. So I snuck taking a photo of a little corner of her pretty house when she wasn't looking, so I could send it to Patricia to make a drawing for her.
Can you guess whose charming home this is, now perfectly captured by Patricia?


So my darling blog friend Miz PVE, I wish you the happiest of birthdays, and forever more for me March 17 will be Saint Patricia's Day!

If I could paint and draw I would paint this for you Patricia
Or if I was a rich girl I would give you this Sargent painting!