Pamela Blaies
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September 2013 Volume 2 No. 9
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VISUAL LANGUAGE
contemporary fine art
Studio Visit with Texas Artist Pamela Blaies
Studio StudioVisit Visit Texas David Forks TexasArtist StillLife Artist Pamela Blaies
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Studio Visit Pamela Blaies
Discovering a Passion Pamela Blaies discovered her passion for painting a little later in life. She was married with two toddlers and an infant and they had just moved into a new home. For her and her husband it was exciting. The new house was larger and they could see that with a little renovation here and there, it would become their dream home. However, her little ones did not feel the same. They were sad about leaving the familiar, cozy nest of the only home they’d ever known to stay in a strange new place. To lift their spirits Pamela began to create murals on their bedroom walls. She found herself anticipating each morning filled with painting. After covering the walls of three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a playroom with scenes from Winnie the Pooh, princesses with purple and pink hair, rainbows, clouds and bubbles…wall space ran out. Compelled to explore this newly discovered part of her, she decided to try painting on canvas. This has evolved into a lifelong commitment to the pursuit of painting. Pamela has had the opportunity to study with talented and accomplished artists and has also discovered that self-study and experimentation work well for her as she continuously strives to grow as an artist. “Because I started a little late, I sometimes think with regret of the additional years I could have been developing as an artist if I had found my passion earlier. However, each time a non-productive thought like that enters my mind I remind myself that I can only go forward and take each day at a time. All of my experiences have brought me to the unique place I find myself and I wouldn’t trade a thing. But, I guess I still sometimes put a little pressure on myself to play “catch up” along my art journey. A single lifetime doesn’t seem to be enough to fit in all I would like to learn and all of the ideas I would like to explore. “
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Rose Garden Bounty
Between taking care of a busy family with teenagers and keeping up with a full time art career, she admits that keeping balance in her life is one of her biggest struggles. “For years I would paint in our sunroom, which has great north light windows and is located right in the heart of our home. I loved being accessible to my family when they needed me, but it often caused problems for my creative process and for our home life.” Finding studio space outside the home did not seem like the best solution, so she began designing and preparing construction for a new 400 sq. foot space to be a dedicated home studio. The project was finally completed last September. “I still get a rush of energy, excitement and inspiration each time I walk into my studio. It is a wonderful place to be and I feel so blessed to have it!” Now that she has a dedicated art space to enter at the beginning of each day and leave behind each evening, she finds she is able to more consistently carve out creative time. She recently completed a Petite Painting Project, where she created 100 paintings in 100 days. “I wanted to challenge myself. Kind of like a self-imposed ‘art boot camp.’ I just wanted to see where it took me. It was amazing! After painting every single day for several months, I learned some interesting things. Creativity breeds creativity – instead of running out of ideas for compositions, my inspirations seemed to increase. Setting a routine for creating made me feel less stressed about organizing my life in general. Also, by intensely exploring color, value, composition and technique on a day-to-day basis, I saw incredible growth toward where I want to be as an artist.” PamelaBlaies.com VisualLanguageMagazine.com - VL Magazine | 5
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Studio Visit Pamela Blaies
Pamela enjoys exploring the new inspirations she finds each day. She prefers to paint from life, so she can see the full spectrum of color and values as she works to capture the light effect. She often uses Chiaroscuro to create dramatic light on her canvas. But black paint is not part of her palette. She uses color mixes and complements for shadows and lowering color intensity. Pamela paints Alla Prima style, finishing a painting in one sitting. The time limitation of this wet-on-wet technique motivates an energetic pace to her work and helps to keep her inspiration fresh.
Having Friends to Tea
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Pears on a Chair
“When I am asked what inspires me, I can’t say that it is a certain subject or theme. Inspiration is an abstract concept and is difficult to explain or describe, but I guess for me it could be simply stated as ‘light.’ I am captivated by the effects of light and shadow in the world around me.”
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Studio Visit Pamela Blaies
Through dedication, study and hard work, Pamela pursues her art with enthusiasm. She is a member of Oil Painters of America, American Women Artists, Contemporary Fine Art International, Artists of Texas and Professional Artists in North Texas. You can see her work at the Dutch Art Gallery, in Dallas, Texas, Stinger Studio, in Georgetown, Texas, and at various solo and group exhibits throughout the year. Visit her website www.pamelablaies.com for a full listing of upcoming events and contact information.
Elegant Pear
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Oranges and Cobalt Glass
Dusk
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Cooper Teapot
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“One Blue Bloom�
Pamela is a native Texan. She was born in Irving, raised in the Houston area and attended high school in Georgetown. After graduating from Baylor University with a degree in Business Administration, she was ready to spread her wings and experience more. She skipped the graduation ceremony to catch the first flight to Europe to continue the fashion modeling career she enjoyed for over a decade. She is working toward becoming fluent in Spanish and loves to travel, but home is where her heart is - Texas. She now lives with her husband of 16 years and their 3 children in Colleyville, Texas, located in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. PamelaBlaies.com
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