Meet Irina Patterson | Live Events Artist & Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Irina Patterson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Irina, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I have a tendency to take risks. In 1992, I took a chance by moving to the US from Russia to meet my future husband, whom I only knew through our love letters. My friends told me I was crazy, but it worked out great. In the US, although I had an MD degree from Russia, I decided not to pursue that career. I had worked as an emergency physician in Russia. I knew it wouldn’t bring me happiness, even if the pay was good.
I took several tech jobs and, after working in corporate tech PR, I became a self-employed artist to pursue happiness and even more happiness.
And now, as a very in-demand event artist who turns gigs away because I cannot be in the same place simultaneously, I want to try so many other things related to creativity and art.
Money is not what motivates me most; challenging myself, working with interesting partners who inspire me, and helping others to achieve their goals are things that interest me more than money.
At the moment, I want to be a fashion illustrator at live events for Chanel, Gucci, and Dior.
I think I want that because I failed to become a supermodel earlier in my life and I still long for acceptance in the high fashion world.
I did try to stake my modeling claim in Miami Beach in the 90s. Now I know why I failed: I failed because I didn’t believe that I deserved it and lacked business skills.
Now, I believe I deserve anything I set my eyes on, and I am a skillful business owner who knows what she is doing.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2004, I was a Vice President at a small public relations firm located in Coral Gables. My job involved assisting clients in telling their stories, chasing reporters, and making sure my writing didn’t have too many English language errors. I just immigrated from Russia; my grammar skills needed some improvement.
What I was good at was telling a captivating story.
Our PR clients were all newly-launched online businesses. Most of them failed quickly, but before they failed, they spent generously on PR — the heyday of the new internet world.
As with any corporate job, my work in PR had a lot of paper-pushing and boring meetings, and I never had the opportunity to showcase my visual art skills.
I suggested a cartoon-based PR campaign for a tech company, but it was rejected with an eye-roll. It was a time long before the popularity of TikTok, Instagram, and memes.
I longed to have art in my daily routine.
One day, I attended an over-the-top corporate celebration at a venue the size of a football field, and I saw an artist painting away as part of the event’s entertainment.
I couldn’t believe my eyes! “Wow! Is that a job? I want that job!”
The next day, I had a side gig as an event artist. I didn’t need any training. I have been an artist since before I could even talk.
In just a couple of months, I had made enough money to quit my corporate PR job.

I have a habit of making myself happy through my work. I also love making others happy, which is not difficult because happiness is contagious.
When you are genuinely happy, it can rub off on the people around you.
Additionally, I take time to reflect, analyze, and make sure I’m always learning.

I am 63 years old. Twenty years of self-employment have taught me how to satisfy my creative needs and earn a living with that.
I know how to create special projects for myself, price those projects, find clients, pitch myself to those clients, and over-deliver on my promise.
The last one is easy; I only create projects that I would love to execute myself.
For example, I created this project that will take place at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, from 6 to 9 pm.
I will be guiding a self-portrait creation at their block party, mostly with adults but also with some children.
There is something about exploring faces that gives me pleasure lately; perhaps this fascination with faces is stimulated by my experiments with AI portraits.
I have been experimenting with AI art for almost a year now, and I do not know how to apply my AI art skills commercially.
For now, my AI art creation feels like having a conversation with a very intelligent friend or therapist.

I strive to tap into my clients’ emotions and deliver joy every time I interact with them.
Before anything else, I believe in asking questions and in understanding my client’s needs and desires.
With this approach, I have been able to create meaningful connections that have stood the test of time.
I have so many bookings that I have to give away to my colleagues because the event-performing business requires one to be in a single place at any given time. It is a good problem, and sharing my gig overflow with other artists feels good.

My work is my life; I am one of those people who enjoy their work activities so much that they don’t know what leisure is. I am a creator; I eat, sleep, and create.
If I watch something on YouTube, it is for inspiration or learning a new thing. I love talking about art and business. My husband passed away in 2010, and he is often on my mind. I was not able to find any man who could replace him. We didn’t have children.
The people I entertain as an artist are my imagined families. I treat them as if they were my own.

I am a creative idea person. I just pitched a new idea for a high-end fashion store.I proposed to organize live fashion sketch events at the store, believing it will significantly increase sales. Once we effectively execute this strategy in one store, we can replicate it in all other stores. Due to the scale effect, even a slight increase in sales at each store will have a significant overall impact. I love to generate ideas were I can apply my experience as a live event artist. I love collaborations and partnerships.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Day 1: Start your exploration of Miami with a trip to iconic South Beach. Take a stroll on the beach, feel the sand between your toes and meditate. Be sure to grab an ice-cold mojito from one of the beachside bars before cooling off with a dip in the ocean.

Day 2: Get up early and head to Wynwood Walls, the outdoor art gallery that has transformed this Miami neighborhood into an Instagram paradise. Explore the street art-covered walls and take pictures of all your favorite murals. Afterward, grab a bite at one of the many eateries nearby before checking out the nearby Perez Art Museum Miami.

Day 3: Take a day trip to the Everglades National Park, which is home to an incredible array of wildlife like alligators and herons. Go on a nature walk and a canoe tour, have a chance to witness some of Miami’s most spectacular sunsets from a lookout point in the park.

Day 4: Stroll down Ocean Drive, one of Miami Beach’s most famous streets. Pass by the iconic Art Deco buildings, talk to strangers!

Day 5: Spend a day exploring the vibrant culture of Little Havana, take in the scents, sounds and bustling energy of a Cuban community. Taste some traditional cuisine, such as plantain chips or croquetas filled with yuca,

Day 6: Before you say goodbye, stop by one of Miami’s hidden gems: the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Meander through lush gardens, take in the awe-inspiring beauty of this Renaissance-inspied estate. With its remarkable sculptures, and exotic plants that bring to life the scents, sounds and colors of an old-world paradise, you’ll surely feel like royalty.

Day 7: On your final day in Miami, take time to reflect on all the wonderful memories you’ve made. From the vibrant nightlife to the stunning beaches, my Miami is full of surprises and wonders for those who take the time to explore. We locals sometimes take for granted the amazing assets that make our city so special. As you say your goodbyes, take a little piece of Miami with you and use it as inspiration to follow your dreams!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Facebook Group Buy Nothing, Coconut Grove

In my neighborhood, there is a Buy Nothing group on Facebook called “Buy Nothing, Coconut Grove.” This group is part of the Buy Nothing movement, which is bringing a modern twist to the traditional concept of sharing among neighbors.

I believe that each neighborhood has its own Buy Nothing group on Facebook.

As someone who was raised in Soviet Russia where people had very little, I remember that sharing was still a big part of our lives. I feel delighted by this group’s actions to decrease waste and spread happiness by sharing. Plus, we get to know more about neighbors and feel less isolated.

Here is a wonderful story that happened yesterday.

I found out accidentally that Ferne, a very active and talented craftswoman who is advanced in age, was waiting for a dumpster truck to come and take away her dollhouse masterpiece from a storage unit.

Ferne showed me a black and white photo with the caption, “Rosedown Plantation — a magnificent statement in an Antebellum Southern Classical Greek Revival tradition.”

She said that it’s six feet long and two feet wide. She doesn’t have a place for it and doesn’t want to continue paying for a storage unit.

I realized that we needed to post an offer on ‘Buy Nothing, Coconut Grove,’ and we successfully did so.

In a matter of hours, we had responses. Several people wanted the dollhouse!

We felt Colleen deserved the house the most because she said,

“@Irina if you’d be open / no one else wants it we’d love to have it in our store! We custom-make furniture in our manufacturing facility right here in Miami.

Our Showroom is also one of the few remaining 1924 historic buildings. We bought and restored it in 2004.

1601 NE 2nd Ave if interested. It use to be the only hotel in the area back in the day where new immigrants would stay after getting their papers at The Freedom Tower.

I know things on here are not to be resold so we can put your info on it and your story. We always have wanted to hold historic tours here and this would definitely add some color! This truly is a TREASURE!!”

Yes, the TREASURE indeed! It was saved from the dump!

I love this success story about the dollhouse; this museum-quality craft was saved by the neighborhood. I am hopeful that it will live long and be passed down to future generations.

I plan to meet Colleen and visit her furniture store. I feel a strong connection with her, despite never having met her in person.

I will always remember this story about the dollhouse. It reminds me that people can do wonderful things together.

Website: https://g.page/balloon-art-and-face-painting-by?share

Instagram: https://instagram.com/irinapatterson and https://instagram.com/miamifunartist

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miamifl

Other: TikTok @dancemakesmealive https://mylifeandart.typepad.com