In the 1970s a favourite teacher at secondary school taught Patrick the basic skills of leather carving at a time when the hippy aesthetic was booming and everyone was wearing tooled belts. Patrick developed his art in the family basement, tooling away carved leather bags and belts for friends and acquaintances. When Patrick left school he packed away his carving tools and got on with his career as a professional actor. After moving permanently to Waiheke Island in 1998, Patrick decided to revisit and improve on his long forgotten carving skills. Patrick draws much of his inspiration from his immediate environment. Favourite designs include native New Zealand flora and themes from traditional kōwhaiwhai and raranga designs.