Makers Among Us....Sammamish Artist Pamela Holderman

Meet Pam Holderman.

Her goal is to get your attention, to get a chuckle out of you, and maybe to shift your thinking just a bit.  This artist, working in acrylic, mixed media, plaster, and joint compound, is all about texture, layers, and the inspiration all around her. 

Pam describes her work this way: “I love texture, color, found objects and humor and how they influence each other. Buttons, book pages in old fonts, and postage stamps are my favorite found objects”.  She start with texture found in either joint compound, plaster or layered papers. Then she builds layer upon layer of color, texture and pattern to give new life and meaning to ordinary objects. Often words are given second life and find their way into the piece to weave an extra bit of meaning. Usually the piece dictates the way it wants to go. Pam has learned to listen; “My original idea morphs into something entirely of its own design by its completion. I just need to get out of the way and let it happen”.

Pam holds a BA in Studio Art from Scripps College, where she was a sculpture major and loved weaving.  She was a Thomas J Watson Fellow and studied art in Europe for a year.  Her techniques started to develop when she explored photo transfers and began adding found objects to her work.  She is  an artist who always has a hundred ideas going in her  head.  Currently she is obsessed with santos and crows and they regularly appear in her work. 

This is a maker who shares her gifts extensively.  She is a published artist in print (Somerset Studio, Create with Me ) and in online art sites (www.Emptyeasel.com), she markets her work on Etsy, has a popular blog with tutorials and she teaches children through an after-school art program.  She has been an elementary school  art teacher, art docent, and active with chapel arts at her church.  Pam’s work is in international private collections.

Pam will be among the artists of the 6th Annual Sammamish Arts Fair on October 13th and 14th, with her mixed media works and a twinkle in her eye.  Fair details can be found at at http://sammamishartsfair.wordpress.com/ and Pam’s work is showcased on her website at http://pamelaholderman.blogspot.com.