DPW Spotlight Interview: Pamela Gorecki

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 "Roses and Dahlias" go to Daily Paintworks and click on the link at the top of the page announcing their interview.

Enter to Win Pamela's Giveaway

From Pamela's DPW Gallery Page: 

I live with my sweet husband and a tiny dachshund named Slone in Redondo Beach within the sound of the sea. 

I like to paint everything - but mainly I try and notice the simple world around me. I also garden and am happiest when covered in mud and paint.

If we were all painting the world would be a more joyful place!

On Etsy I am PaintWaterandPaper.  I want my art to be affordable and to share it. 

Roses and Dahlias
(click to view)

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

What did you want to be growing up?  

Various things, but I ended up as an Aerospace Engineer because I believed it offered a chance for lifelong learning and I would never be bored.  But I always thought that being an artist would be interesting. 
 
When did your artistic journey begin?  

Probably when I was small. We would often go to museums. I played the piano and sewed. I have always appreciated beauty. As an engineer I always worked on first-of-a-kind things. Without an appreciation for art, craftsmanship, and the craftspeople involved I couldn't have made it.  All the really special engineers I met and worked with were artists. I am also a very visual person - I have to make a diagram of something in order to understand it.  I became more serious about art when I became a hardcore black and white photographer - medium format, darkroom, fine art silver gelatin prints - the whole bit. I learned a tremendous amount about composition, tonal values, and the small things that make a 5% difference in a finished artwork.  
 

Companions in Isolate Mystery
(click to view)

Did you have any long periods without creative expression? 

Yes. I had some years of loss, just like everyone else in life and my Husband and I had retired from work.  How did you get back on the horse?  I had always wanted to paint in watercolor - so I enrolled in a local class.  The class was terrible but painting was wonderful.  I tracked down a teacher at another art center and started classes there and kept painting. I painted everyday for seven years, and have met some good friends along the way. 

Which mediums and genres do you gravitate toward? 

Mediums - translucent watercolor, collage, charcoal. Genres - Anything intimate or thoughtful. Which ones don’t appeal? Mediums - Anything generated on a computer. Genres - Photo-realism, painted from a photograph. I don't get that.

Four Feet Three Inches
(click to view)

What was the process like of pinpointing your personal style or finding your voice?  

I think this is always evolving. I know it is for me because I love to try new things. It is like being surrounded by all of the beauty at Yosemite and needing to take all the standard photographs before you can find the images that are uniquely yours. 

Name an artist (or artists), well-known or not, who you admire. Why?  

I admire Charles Reid and Shirley Trevena. In both of their work there is a high degree of spontaneity and joy that is natural to the medium of watercolor. I also love Sargent for his ability to capture light and Turner. I don't know that the world has caught up to Turner yet.

Estate Sale
(click to view)

If you could offer one piece of advice to your younger, creative self — what would that be? 

It would be to learn how to draw. I actually think everyone should know how to draw, just like everyone should know how to type. 
 
Do you utilize any habits or tricks for winning the distraction and procrastination battle?  

No, this is terrible. Sometimes I just try to do something simple like work on my Etsy store or my DPW gallery; and clean my office. Or, do a pencil sketch of a drawing idea I have. 

Double Delight Roses
(click to view)

 In moments of self-doubt or adversity, how do you push forward? 

I once heard a TV chef say about pie crust that it is just a small amount of money involved in making pie crust. In other words, get over the fear of ruining the pie crust. So I tell myself that. It is just a piece of paper, and you can use the other side if you have to. 

What are some of your long and short term goals for yourself or your art? 

I want my paintings to keep getting freer/looser and maybe have some more quiet space in them.  Longer term I want to get better at painting outdoors. I would enjoy painting at Plein air conventions - primarily to enjoy nature and camaraderie with fellow artists.

Purple Irises
(click to view)

What does success mean to you personally?  

I believe I have genuinely touched the lives of a few people through my paintings - customers on Etsy. And, I have made enough money to pay for my paint and paper and brushes. I have over 300 paintings in peoples homes, adding a little bit of beauty.  That is enough.
 
What is one of your proudest moments in your creative life?  

I was in an art store and there were a lot of artsy people in the store, and I realized that I was an Artist, with a capital A. It is something you can't buy. 

Chicago Alley
(click to view)

Thanks, Pamela!

© 2022 Maddie Marine