DPW Spotlight Interview: Pamela Munger

Each week we will spotlight a different DPW artist who will give away one of their best paintings.

To enter to win Pamela's painting, "White Floral" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

From Pamela's DPW Gallery:

In 2005, I picked up a paintbrush for the first time and have been completely obsessed ever since. The creative aspect is what draws me, therefore abstract appeals to me most, although I do enjoy painting a painterly landscape or still life now and then. I'm not into realism....obviously :) I'm more interested in color and light and breaking the landscape up into simple shapes. (click to read more)

Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.

In 2005, I got a paint set for Christmas and I did my first painting. That was the start of what I had been searching for - to satisfy a need to create.

Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?

I haven't stopped painting since that first painting. If too many days go by where I don't paint, I get very restless and sort of depressed.

White Floral
(click to view)

Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Pamela's interview.

What mediums and genres have you experimented with?

One of my downfalls as a painter is that I like to experiment maybe a bit too much. I do mostly acrylics but also oil and watercolor. I'm always trying out different surfaces and mediums and styles of painting. I admit that I get bored with one way of painting and trying different methods keeps it interesting for me.

Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?

I started painting abstracts awhile ago and that definitely stuck. I also developed a much looser and faster style that feels comfortable to me. I stopped trying to paint realism as it left me feeling bored and non-creative. The last few years, my semi abstract floral paintings have been selling well.

Untitled
(click to view)

Which ones are you looking forward to exploring?

I'd like to try so many more things, the options are endless! We plan to move in a couple more years and then I can have a bigger studio and explore doing some really large scale work. I have a strong urge to swing my arm wide with a big brush of goopy paint.

Who or what inspires you most?

I keep an eye on design blogs and what's happening in the décor world. Second to creating, I like to sell, so I do pay some attention to colors and designs that are trending. I've worked with several designers over the years and used to do a lot of commissions but have scaled back with those as they are time consuming. I'm also inspired by reading about the art world at large and going to galleries.

Blue Muse
(click to view)

What does procrastination look like for you?

Too me, painting is mostly about thinking about painting so even though it may look like procrastination as I sit in my chair with a far off expression on my face, it's really all part of the process. Which is to say, I don't feel that I procrastinate much in regards to my art. It's a priority for me, sometimes to the detriment of other things.

How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?

I arrive at ideas through so many different ways, same as other artists. Nature, taking photos, a certain slant of light, a certain color, etc. When you're looking at the world with an artist's eye, the ideas are coming constantly.

Beach Day
(click to view)

How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?

As I mentioned, I'm always trying lots of different methods in order to grow and keep it fresh and interesting to me. I can't paint just abstracts, or just landscapes or just florals. I would probably be a lot more successful if I could focus more but I try to strike a balance between doing what I like and doing what sells. I'm a self taught artist. I've taken only a few classes because I find that too much instruction really stifles me. I learn best by discovering for myself. So, I waste a lot of paint and have to do a lot of tossing out and repainting but along the way a little learning seeps in.

What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?

I love how painting can tell you who you are as a person. I'm learning how much courage it takes to grow as an artist, how willing you have to be to fail.

All Together
(click to view)

What makes you happiest about your art?

I did a large blue abstract painting a few years ago that I loved and had hanging on my wall for a few months. I sold it to a set designer for the show Mad Men and it was in season seven. That was pretty thrilling. To be able to create and then sell it online, it doesn't get much better than that. Thank you Daily Paintworks for being an awesome venue!

Thanks, Pamela!

© 2016 Sophie Marine