Inspired by a TV show in which a man built his farmstead with wooden matchsticks, Pat tried his hand on building a small model of country Church in 1977. He was a fresh graduate at that time but oblivious of the fact that his hobby would turn into an everlasting passion which would eventually attract visitors from all over the US and other countries too.
Pat has built more than 60 intricate structures using over 3 million wooden matchsticks. Matchstick Marvels have been seen on ABC's Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, Home and Garden TV, Public Television, Ripley's Believe It or Not, and High Definition TV . Additionally, Matchstick Marvels have been featured in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Reminisce, AAA Travel, Wood, The Iowan, Country America , Farm Bureau, and Workbench.
It's an honor have Pat for an interview with us. Catch it below amidst some of his great works:
Pat, let's start with a brief introduction of yours.
I am currently 58 years old and have been making matchstick models as a hobby for nearly 35 years. I am employed professionally as a career counselor with Iowa Valley Community College District. Other details about me are covered on matchstickmarvels.com.
Have you always wanted to become an artist? When did you realize that you're meant to be an extraordinary artist?
The questions make me laugh because it is difficult for me to see myself as an artist. I am a woodworker for sure. I describe much of my work as art. People call me an artist, yet most of the art world takes little notice of my work. I think the medium I use is too novel or unusual. I have always loved art, yet my professional career as a social worker and career counselor helped feed my family. Otherwise I believe the old cliché about the starving artist would fit perfectly. I think my hobby will be a great retirement activity!
Enlighten us with your wonderful artwork.
I refer to myself as a little boy at heart. I love machines, architecture, and tangible historical artifacts. As a result of these interests, my matchstick works includes a wide variety of machines, buildings, and sculptures that people of all types find interesting. Visitors to the museum find different models interesting. If you ask 10 people which models is their favorite, you typically get 10 different answers. Some of the pieces are scaled models of real things; some of the models… like the Crooked House… are whimsical and leave me free to piece them together without concern for replicating things perfectly.
Would you like to describe your creative work process?
The process and techniques have developed significantly through the years, but… it remains the same. By that I mean I have found much simpler ways of creating different shapes and speeding the process to create more elaborate models, but I have found no way around handling each of the 3.5 million matchsticks one at a time as the pieces come together.
Do you remember your first creation using matchsticks?
The first creation was a small country church that stood no more than 6 inches tall and was built with around 500 matchsticks. There is more information about that on the website. I have told the story many times about being a woodworker as a child building furniture, tree houses, and all kinds of scooters, rafts, etc. Growing up on a farm and having access to my dad’s shop and tools was a wonderful thing as a kid growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Although I drove my father and older brothers crazy with things like not putting tools away, they were always supportive of my creations.
On an average, how many hours (or days) does it take you to complete one creation?
Typically I will spend 1000 hours per year building models. That is equivalent to a ½ time job or working 20 hours per week year around. I usually pack these hours into a 8 or 9 month period during the winter months, typically between the months of August and May. The dry climate during the winter months is the time for gluing tens of thousands of matchsticks together when there is no humidity to overcome
You've created so many wonderful models using matchsticks. Which one is your favorite?
LOL! Usually the one I am making at the time is my favorite. As I said, I am a little boy who cannot stop making models. Example: Our family was vacationing in Washington DC when I was sitting on the retaining wall on the eastside of our capitol building. As I marveled at the architecture and detail that makes it the iconic structure it is, I decided then and there that I would come home and make a scaled model of the building. I felt I had to have one of my own. The 1/65th scale model of the United States Capitol is one of my favorites, but is it my very favorite? What about the models of the Wright Brother’s Flyer, or the USS Iowa battleship, or Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, or the space shuttle Challenger… The list goes on. As I said before, ask that of 10 different visitors to the museum and get 10 different answers.
Do you have any dream project?
I do not have anything specifically in mind, but do have more ideas than time. I would like to do additional models with a Star Wars theme, T-Rex dinosaur, a fictional castle like that of Disney World, a model of the Saturn V rocket with Apollo capsule, and scale models of the Monitor and Merrimack to name a few. I would also like to make a large-scale matchstick Fantasy Airship of my own design!
Share the best compliment you've ever received for your work.
The greatest compliment ever was from Edward Meyer, Vice President of Exhibits at Ripley’s Believe It or Not who said: “Pat Acton is the best matchstick model maker in North America. Quality-wise and skill-wise, he’s the best in the world.”
What has been the most fulfilling moment for you as an artist?
The grand opening of the Matchstick Marvels museum in 2003, and winning the 2007 Iowa Tourist Attraction of the Year award.
Many other artists and our readers would draw inspiration from you. What message do you have for them?
I am uncertain that I am much of an inspiration. I do not have any sound words of wisdom or theories for motivating others. I will say that this started as a hobby for me, it remains a hobby, and despite different people’s advice on how to make money and turn it into a business, I have kept it simple and devoted my time to creations that are of interests to me and that I can invest myself in fully. It will forever be my hobby and relaxation.
Patrick, thank you for being with us. It was a wonderful experience learning so many things about you. Our best wishes are always with you! :)
To see his full portfolio, you can visit Patrick's website.
Patrick on Facebook.
I think that is great that he is also a counsellor. He does what he loves, and helps people find what they love as well.