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"John and Charlie", 40" x 30", Oil on Canvas
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Name:
Pamela Dennis Hall
Current
City: Fredericksburg, TX
Website:
pameladennishall.com
When
and how did you first become seriously interested in art?
I
have always been aware of the beauty around me and tried to translate
what I see into
art.
My father used to bring home reams of used paper from his work, and
I would turn
over
to the unused side and draw what was around me. My love of horses
and dogs
turned
into countless drawings. My first “solo show” was in first
grade, when my teacher
asked
me to draw other students for an open house. Knowing that others
could respond
to
my work became further incentive to create.
What
is your training and what medium(s) subject matter do you work in?
Art
classes on weekends at the Cleveland Museum in grade school, and the
opportunity
to
take weekend classes at the Cleveland Art Institute during high
school gave me a solid
background
in drawing. Going to an art institute after high school was frowned
upon by
my
parents, who wanted me to have the security of an art education
degree. At Ohio
State
University, I found that by majoring in figure drawing, I could add
some studies in
realism
to the enormous pressure to create abstractions in my other studio
classes.
Through
workshops with artists such as Daniel Greene, David Leffel, and many
others, I
learned
about materials and techniques that enable paintings to last for
years to come.
My
favorite medium is oils and subject matter is portraiture….human,
dog or equestrian.
What
do you try to express in your work?
I
try to create not just portraits, but paintings with an emphasis on
composition and light.
Light
fascinates me…it can be a small spot of sunlight on a leaf, the way
light travels
across
a subject’s face, or falls on a subject washed with sunlight from a
nearby window.
I
want to go beyond the likeness, for each portrait subject offers
chance to honor a
person’s
spirit and character for family and friends for years to come. As a
life-long
lover
of animals, I see the opportunity to show what makes them unique and
the special
character
that makes them an important part of their owner’s lives.
What
artists/professionals have been your biggest influences?
There
are so many! Sargent always comes first for me. Sorolla, Van Dyke,
Vermeer,
Landseer…and
on and on. A contemporary favorite is Burton Silverman. His
portraits
have
such insight and solidity.I think Daniel Greene showed his workshop
students that an artist can work better with some structure to the
way paint is mixed and handled. Before that, I was mixing colors
here
and there, with no real method. Being able to really see color and
mix paints to be
the
color I was seeing was a big step forward. David Leffel saw poetry
in the smallest
things…his
ability to share that with his classes was inspiring. Carolyn
Anderson and her emphasis on letting edges go was also an influence.
What
do you do to gain new inspiration for your work?
I
can just take a walk, go out to visit with my horses and watch then
grazing, and just
naturally
doing what they were intended to do, or look at my 5 dogs in my
studio with
me,
and get ideas for paintings. A neighbor just bought a Charolais bull
and he is on the
list.
What a magnificent animal! I am always trying to make each new
painting a step forward in technique and
expression,
and if I am feeling stuck, looking through works of artists, or
taking a
workshop
can be a boost. The Metropolitan Museum is a must for trips to New
York
City.
What
would you like to be doing ten years from now?
Painting
portraits of people and animals with ten years of added insight and
experience.
Do
you set goals for yourself concerning the making of your art?
Yes,
I am always trying to improve my technique and my ability to make a
painting what
I
envision.
Are
you happy with your job choice as an artist? Do you have any regrets
in this
career
choice or things you would have done differently?
I
love being a portrait painter. It offers a unique chance to know and
relate to clients.. I
am
now painting the 2 year-old child of a client I painted when she was
a teen. The
connection
with people means a great deal to me.I would definitely do things
differently. If I had a chance for a “do over” I would go to the
Art Student’s League and study instead of going to college.
Any
fun or interesting facts about yourself that you’d like to share?
Fifteen
years ago, I moved to a small ranch near Fredericksburg, TX. It gave
me a space
to
do exactly what I wanted to do, near a town with well known art
galleries and an
artist’s
school that hosted workshops all year. Having a space for all the
animals I love
and
the rewarding job of caring for them and their environs is a built in
source of joy.
The
only vacations I require are trips to museums!
Best
piece of advice for other artists?
Don’t
doubt yourself, and never think you have reached your goals.
You
can nurture an astute inner critic, and hear other’s positive and
negative comments
about
your work and use both to further your goals.
