creative studio

About

GOTTA HAVE HEART

GOTTA HAVE HEART STUDIO

Melissa Pate Underwood
mixed-media artist-storyteller-photographer​

Must one have heart?  Or must one have art?
Which one gives us purpose, connects us to the world, and makes us feel alive?  

For me, it is not a question of one or the other, but rather a deep need for both.  The ability to listen to my heart, follow my heart, and express my heart in a way that will allow others to see my vision and feel my passion, drives my work.

I grew up a collector and continue to be a collector of the sentimental and the ordinary, in any form written or visual.  Anything that provides a story about life’s journey is a keeper.  Likewise, I have always been drawn to mixed-media and collage which naturally allow for multiple layers and endless texture.   As a photographer, it is often the juxtaposition of shape, line, form, and ideas that I find most compelling. 

GOTTA HAVE HEART is the intersection of my passions and visions in one studio.

I hope my art makes your heart happy and if you gotta have it, my heart will be happy too.