Patrick Bertels makes his home in Bellingham, Washington, where he lives with his partner of twenty years and their two dogs. Born the ninth child in a family that would eventually number eleven, he grew up in a home where reading was an obsession, and verbal sparring was a blood sport. His passion for the arts was expressed in a youth immersed in dance classes, music lessons, and drama camps. When the time came to choose a profession, Patrick passed on the hard knock life of an actor or dancer for the more practical occupation of hairstylist. Behind the hydraulic chair, he has honed his ability to fashion his unique observations into witty anecdotes.