Pam Haunschild in her studio
About artist Pam Haunschild:
In her artistic practice, Pam explores nature. She goes beyond realism and provides a different, very powerful vision of her natural subjects that deepens the connection between the viewer and the natural world. Her distinctive style is colorful, highly textured and semi-abstract, but the natural forms can be identified. She works in watermedia — both acrylics and watercolor, often in the same painting. She builds complex, textured layers, often using natural materials that leave impressions in the paint.
Although she had a scholarship to attend art school when she was young, she went into academia instead. After a career as social science professor at Stanford and University of Texas-Austin, Pam turned back to her first love and has been painting full time ever since.
She has been fortunate to have been selected as artist-in-residence at three National Parks: Lassen (CA), Glacier (MT), and Lake Clark (AK), and continues to be inspired by her time there. She has also received several private and two key public commissions: to produce the 2019 Britt Festival playbill cover and poster art, and to design and coordinate the painting of a native plant mural at Southern Oregon University. Her work is held in many private and public collections, including the National Park Service.
She has had her work shown as part of several juried one-person and group exhibitions and has won awards for her art, including an Award of Distinction from the Northwest Watercolor Society for her painting “Octopus Garden”. She was juried into the Watercolor Society of Oregon and is also a member of several other arts organizations. She has been on TV and radio, and her paintings have been used in Southern Oregon literary journals and catalogue covers.
“Salmon Swim” mixed media watercolor by Pam Haunschild
Pam Haunschild, Artist’s Statement:
Being outside in nature is everything to me! So it’s no surprise that nature is my subject. In my paintings, I attempt to capture the essence of nature without copying it exactly. I want to get past the obvious — to the essence of why many of us find being outside in nature soothing to our souls. Whether this is conveying the power behind a falcon’s gaze, the wonder of the vast number and variety of creatures that live in a tidepool, or the majesty of a salmon swimming upstream to spawn, I hope to capture something that will inspire viewers to connect more deeply with the natural world.
I find artistic inspiration from living on a wooded high-elevation property near Ashland, Oregon, as well as from having held several National Park Artist-in-Residence positions (Lassen, Glacier, and Lake Clark (Alaska)).
“Tidepool VI” mixed media watercolor by Pam Haunschild
I work with both watercolors and acrylics — often together in the same painting. Much as nature is created through the addition and washing away of materials over time, my artistic process involves creating layers in my art. I build textures in the paint, often using natural objects like leaves, stones, and shells. Although later removed, they leave their impressions. I often use paint in a way that mimics natural processes, e.g., washes of very wet color produce rivulets and wave-like patterns like those found in the ocean. Stones texture paint in patterns that mimic wind-blown surfaces and geological layers. The resulting paintings are colorful, highly textured, and semi-abstract, but the natural forms can still be identified.
As John Muir says, I hope “Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees” when you view my work. –Pam Haunschild
“I just got back from my trip to the coast and wanted to write to say what a pleasure it was to meet you. And I am so honored to be represented by your beautiful Fairweather Gallery!” Pam
Fun fact:
A series of Pam Haunschild’s tidepool mixed media paintings were selected for the Wetlands Conservancy Ode to the Tides Art Show and Sale.
Read more at https://wetlandsconservancy.org/stewardship/ode-to-tides-art-exhibit/