Dade County History Book

Patricia White Trenton, GA

Although Patricia, better known as Pat White, was born in Chattanooga, she lived in Middle Tennessee until she was in the fifth grade and it was there that she was first interested in art. Her fifth grade teacher of Giles County Elementary gave the class a drawing assignment of something of their choice, it didn’t matter what. Pat chose a picture of Long John Silver from her history book. Her teacher was so impressed with her drawing that she displayed the picture on the bulletin board out in the hall for everyone to see. Pat was so proud and from that point on she was continually pushing herself to do more and do better. While she was in the fifth grade her family moved back to Chattanooga, and then on to Dade County where she graduated from high school. As she made her way through school to graduation, her classmates were always having her do the drawings of the maps, frogs, ions, or whatever the assignments might be.

Pat met and married Larry White soon after high school. She had two beautiful little girls and a little boy that kept her busy for the next 18-19 years and then she went through a divorce that forced her to go out into the work world and she spent 11 years as a claims specialist at Provident/Unum Insurance Company. Therefore, her art work was put on hold for quite some time.

The only “formal” training Pat had was a half year in high school where her art teacher Mr. Root told her that trying to teach her art was like trying to teach himself. Pat gives God all the credit for her ability to paint, sew or whatever she may take a notion to do. She also does some woodwork when the inspiration hits her. Pat built a cradle, a rocky horse, a small chest of drawers and a rocking chair for her one and only granddaughter that was born in June of 2007. She has painted murals on the walls of various homes and the lodge halls in Trenton and Tiftonia.

Pat is a big fan of the artist Bob Ross and gives him a lot of the credit for her ability to paint. She learned a lot from watching him on his television series.

Pat has only had one painting reproduced into prints and that was a painting of the Dade County Courthouse. One of her proudest moments in the life of her art work is the fact that not long after the prints were run, some of them went to Hollywood. The film crew of “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” came to Trenton and the producer bought each one of the actors a print as there was a scene from the movie filmed at the courthouse.

Pat is also proud of the fact at one time she had a piece of work hanging in the office of the grade school principle. Mr. Mack had her do a painting of the old grade school building before it burnt but she is not sure where is has landed since the renovations have been done. She has art work scattered about here and there but has lost track of who and where. One of Her latest paintings was done for an attorney from Dalton, Mr. John Neal. He and his wife commissioned Pat to do a painting of the waterfall at Cloudland Canyon for their summer home at the golf course on Lookout Mountain. She also did some artwork on the walls of then mountain home. Shown in the photo is the painting she did for them along with a one of Alan Jackson, the country singer and a still life.

Pat does not claim to be a professional under any circumstances but she does enjoy her arts and crafts tremendously and she still has quite of few ideas of particular paintings she is wanting to do in the future.