Artist Pamela Hunt Lee

The last of the Pomegranates...

2012-01-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

It's The Same Composition

But It's a Different Palette.

I painted four of these pomegranate compositions, each a little different from the last. One is a collage...the one shown above.

There have been other pom paintings and some of them will now be framed and hung on a gallery wall which was commissioned for a new home in the Southern California dessert.

I am moving on to green apples which will be another part of the gallery wall. Check back to see how this all comes together.

A Visual Artist I AM...

2012-01-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

Not A Verbal Artist

I have a fascination with words, probably because I don't use them very well.

Sometimes my speech is a bit halting as my brain searches for the words I want to utter (it's kind of a clutter in there). But give me some brushes, a canvas or paper and I can pour forth the creativity without thinking (I guess the clutter moves aside). Words are wonderful things, primary communication, but art is the same. I frequently tell people, 'I am a visual artist, not a verbal artist'. I communicate through my work.

When a recent commission became a painting that required words on the canvas I began to think about other works I have created which incorporate words.

There have been collages which included newspaper and magazine clippings

and hand painted words on canvas, but now I am intrigued with applied letters, like in this small pomegranate painting:

So a twist develops in my work. Words and more words. Not all my work will incorporate words, or will it? Does this make me a verbal artist too?

More Pomegranates...

2012-01-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

Continuing the Pomegranate Paintings

2x2"

I am inspired by another artist who paints the same subject over and over, in a variety of sizes.

7x5"

I am working on a commission....an entire wall that will be several of my paintings, about nine to be more or less exact.

8x10"

There will be groupings of work, and one of those will be pomegranates, in various sizes, both watercolor and acrylic paintings.

8x6"

Check back to see more pomegranates and how the wall comes together.

Painting Pomegranates

2011-12-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

For The New Year

Do you know, pomegranates symbolize fertility and abundance?

They are one of the oldest fruits known to man.

Each pomegranate has exactly 840 seeds....really?

A pomegranate is actually a berry.

The syrup made from pomegranates is called grenadine.

It seems fitting to be sketching a painting pomegranates as we enter a new year.

Wishes for abundance to all.

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

2011-12-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

But The Fire Is So Delightful

And since we've no place to go,

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Some of us can only hope for snow.

Indifferent Majesty

48" x 30"

$ 2000

A few more hours at the work table to complete a couple little gifts.

Working with Pearls...

Then three days of family, friends and the joy of the season before heading back to the easel.

Time Lost and Found...

2011-12-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

It is the Season

The busy season. No time to get everything done. Frantic behavior seems to surround us.

So stop, take a deep breath, look out the window, smile, stretch, turn off your computer. And don’t clean the house. Get back to creating or what ever else it is that you love to do. That’s what it takes to create the rich life you deserve.

Sketching for A Commission

2011-12-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

And Getting the General Idea on Paper First

I took some time to get a bit of exercise on a rainy day in the desert, so it was into the gym and onto the exercise bike. Not my favorite way to exercise. I'd rather be outside where I can look around and see everything there is to see, but it was raining, and while I know I won't melt in the rain, it just seemed more expedient to go inside today.

Sitting next to me was a friend who asked about my palm painting and my preparation for a commission. " Do you make notes as well as drawings?" was her question.

Yes Yes Yes....I do. Not always detailed notes because so much of what an artist does to create is carried around in the head. And sometimes those notes become obsolete during the process as changes are made, so mine are fairly brief.

This discussion with my cycling buddy made me think you might like to see a few pages from my sketch book, with the notes. I get the general composition with positive and negative space delineated in the sketches, the palette recorded in the notes, always the date, and any other thoughts I think are pertinent to the process. It is all very general in the sketch book.

More Palm Tree Painting

2011-12-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

It's Still Cold In The Desert

And I am still painting palms, looking at palms, sketching palms. It's not only palm-mania in my studio but that is all I see right now....everywhere I look.

They are statuesque trees.

I even went to see a film called 'The Sex Life of the Date Palm'.

It's about time to complete this palm study and start sketching for the commissioned work.

Yes, It's December...

2011-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

And I am Painting Palms

This is a work in progress and is incomplete.

Lucky I am. I have a list of commissions. One of these is for a large acrylic on canvas palm tree painting and since I have always painted my palms in watercolor, I am working on a 'sample' canvas, pictured above.

Date Palm II

30" x 22"

Watercolor on Paper

I want to make sure the customer and I are on the same page, so to speak. They have seen my watercolors of palms and the giclee prints of these watercolors blown up to huge scale, but they wanted an original. I suggested an acrylic on gallery wrap canvas and it was agreed. So even though it is December and everywhere you look you see evergreens, in my studio it's all about palms.

Influenced by Things on the Farm

2011-11-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

Crops, Animals and More
The final post about 'A View From The Farm'
The final nod to November before the craziness of December.

Beyond The Fence

48 x 48

A couple other ranches are just north, so when looking that direction you see cattle grazing and it is those creatures and pasture land that inspired 'Beyond The Fence'. Carved circles in the paintings above and below are representative of the huge watering pivots on the land.

View To The Smith

48 x 48

A colorful, old red barn sits on one of those other ranches. The property was always referred to as 'The Smith'. Looking that direction you see a blue blue sky over the open land and it is this view that dictated the palette used in 'A View From The Farm' series of paintings.

Duncan Idaho

48 x 30

If you read the Dune trilogy you are familiar with the character Duncan Idaho who was inspirational in the naming of this particular horse, and it is said that the young boy, named Duncan, who lived on the farm at the time the horse was named was an influence as well.

Almond Blossoms

48 x 30

About 200 acres of the farm were planted in almonds, an orchard crop. The trees are expressive and interesting all times of the year, but late spring after pollination and the nut set the blossom petals create a delicate floral snowfall. How could this vision not be included?

Peach Blossoms

48 x 30

One row of Saturn peach trees grow in the middle of the almond orchard. It is difficult to see a difference between the trees however the color of the blossoms is an indicator. Almond blossoms are creamy white while the peach blossoms are a vibrant pink.

Oats

48 x 30

The year these works were painted, the farm was growing oats. As harvest time nears, the oats turn golden and wave gracefully in the breeze, far too picturesque and a must for inclusion in the series. 'Oats' became one of my favorite paintings.

Harvest

48 x 48

Some crops are cut and baled, and such is the case with oats. The bales are stacked close to the host field until sold and moved. The rows in the field and the stacked bales became a visual that just had to be portrayed in paint.

As the month of November comes to an end I have shared with you most of the paintings in 'A View From The Farm'. It was a challenging and rewarding project, one that ended up having a great deal of meaning for me. Hope you enjoyed seeing these paintings and learning a bit about this farm. Remember, many farms are available for tours and if you have not done so, I recommend you take a tour.

Places on the Farm

2011-11-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

Gates And More...

A View From The Farm series has two paintings with entry gates as the subject. One of these was inspired by The Flying M which is an adjacent ranch.

The Flying M

48x48

All of the paintings are made up of layer upon layer of pigment which has been blended, carved through, textured. Each canvas incorporates a photograph or photographs of what ever it was that inspired that particular painting. Elements from the photo are repeated in the painted part of the work. In The Flying M, there are carved M's flying through the sky and the name of the ranch is carved through the paint.

Hunt Farms Gate

48x48

In this painting, Hunt Farms Gate, not only is the ranch brand carved through the paint several times, but carved circular and straight lines are featured as a design element to represent the row crops on the farm.

Mamo's View

48x48

Over the years, the matriarch of the family came to be known as Mamo. Visitors often found her sitting outside in front of her farm house where she had views across a catalpa tree lined drive, a corral and numerous fields.

This project became a scrapbook of sorts, a preservation of a place in paintings, which was emphasized with the use of photographs embedded in the paint. Because of this there are areas on each of the canvases that give a sense of borders used in scrapbooks. An example of this can be seen in Mamo's View around the photo and more prominently in the two paintings shown below.

The Courtyard

48x30

As you drive further into the farm you enter a courtyard surrounded by stables and corrals, a remnant of the cattle ranch days, and the inspiration for this painting.

Betty Lane

48 x 30

Beyond the courtyard, behind the stables there is a short dirt road named Betty Lane. Betty became Mamo but the name for the road stuck. There is an area of agave's planted here which became a significant part of the composition in this painting.

Crossing The Fairfield

48 x 30

A canal runs through the farm carrying water used in the farming process. A rickety old wooden bridge crosses that canal and that bridge looks like it could collapse at any minute, however it seems to endure the traffic and continues to survive.

The Far Away Barn

48 x 48

After crossing the canal a dirt road leads up to The Far Away Barn, which is a magnificent old wooden structure with tall doors and open sides. It is a graceful yet imposing building that can be seen from miles away.

I am enjoying a visit to this collection of paintings, thinking of harvest, being aware of the farm and farming. It seems like an appropriate time of year to be doing this.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

More Farming

2011-11-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

A View From The Farm

Several years ago I painted seventeen canvases to represent farm land my family purchased in the '70's. At that time it was a working cattle ranch. My husband and I moved there in 1978 with our two young children and a dog. It didn't take us long to acquire a Shetland pony named Bucky, a cat or two, a Muskovy Duck we called Quacky Doodle, Canadian Geese named Silly and Candy, now and then responsibility for a calf whose mother had died. Eventually the cattle ranch became a farm with crops, rows and rows of crops. It is to be expected that the farm became an inspiration and that some of it ended up influencing my work.

During the cattle days, looking north from our home across the adjacent ranches and Lake Yosemite, we had unobstructed views of grazing and orchard land all the way to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. In the spring, depressions were filled with Butter and Eggs, a local low growing wildflower. Towering eucalyptus trees grew along Lake Road. To begin with I created this painting, A View From The Farm, that gave rise to the idea of creating a body of work which would commemorate and celebrate the farm. Of the seventeen paintings in this collection, eight are 48" square, eight are 48" x 30". Only this one is 48" x 60".

Nine of the canvases were inspired by places on the farm, barns, lanes, fields...

Eight of the canvases were inspired by things on the farm, crops, animals, gates....

My next few blog posts will show photographs of each of the paintings with descriptions of the place or item and why it was chosen as subject matter.

Check back to read about and see the paintings that make up the collection:

A View From The Farm

Harvest

2011-11-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

There is A Visual Beauty to Farm Land

Especially at Harvest Time

Harvest

From the series: A View From the Farm

48" x 48"

Acrylic and photography on stretched Canvas

Have you ever driven through or spent time in an area where crops are grown? The Central Valley of California is just such a place.

Driving through land covered with cotton, wheat, oats, barley, nut trees, corn, and tomatoes can be a visual treat. These are wide open spaces bustling with activity which changes with the seasons. Spring time is beautiful with new growth, Summer is hot with crop maturity taking place, and Fall is abundant with harvest. The tail end of harvest time is especially interesting to me. It's the end and it's the beginning.

Hay Stack

Stacks of hay, cotton and nuts which have already been cut or picked, sit along the sides of the fields and roads waiting to be moved and used.

Harvested nuts, covered and waiting

While the sky is not so blue it is understandable with all the tractors working the fields stirring up dust. Cutting, gathering, ripping, listing...it's all taking place.

Harvested Cotton waiting for a trip to the gin

Loaded trucks are cruising the roads taking their haul to packing houses and processors. Tractors, monotonously moving back and forth, are reworking the ground to prepare for the next season.

There's a rhythm to all of it, and there is a color to it as well, many colors. The colors we associate with Fall surround farming this time of year.

Corn Stubble

Have you seen where the food you eat and crops you use are planted, grown and then harvested? If not, I suggest you take a trip to a farm area just to see what is going on, and find a farm that will give you a tour. Not only will you experience a visual treat but you will have an educational experience.

I have a friend who farms in Colorado. Take a look at her blog and you will get a peek into the life of a farming family. Boyles Family Farms

A couple weeks ago I visited an organic farm and restaurant in Baja California where they grow what they serve. The menu was interesting, the presentation was beautiful and the food tasty. They are sustainable farmers who believe what they do should benefit the land and the people around them. Here's a link to their web site: http://www.flora-farms.com/site/default.aspx They are located in a lush, palm filled valley and the restaurant sits in the middle of their fields, so you are surrounded by rows of growing edibles. It's colorful and unique.

Some of the farmers I know in the Central Valley are working large tracts of land, hundreds of acres, sending their production far and wide. They too believe what they do should benefit the land and the people around them. It's just on a different scale.

Whether you visit a small farm or a large farm, whether you visit in Fall or another time of year, you are in for a visual treat, an educational experience that is heightened by the visual.

It looks Wintry, but it is Fall.

2011-11-07T17:03:00.000-08:00

It Truly is Still Fall Time

Ignore the evergreen trees with lights that have begun to appear as decorations in parking lots. It's Fall for goodness sake.

Most retailers are still showing Fall fruit, pumpkins, colored leaves, everything in orange, golden tones, brown...Fall colors.

A few apricot and golden leaves are clinging like crazy to the aspen trees in the yard. They don't want to give up. You don't need to either. When passing by those decorated evergreens put yourself into a zen state of Fall.

The word zen, by the way, is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chan, which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyana, which can be approximately translated as meditation or meditative state.

Focus on the colors, the feel, the sights of Fall.

It truly is Fall.

The Book Signing

2011-11-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Good Time...Great Fun

At Spirit Gallery Friday night.

http://www.spiritinteriordesign.com/

Displays and signing of my book, See Where You Are,

See Where You ...

The Art of Pamela H...

Book Preview

We showed paintings and note cards too.

Met interesting people and had interesting discussion.

Thanks to all who braved the 20 degree, wintry night. Brrr..there is no doubt that winter is here. Additional thanks to those who made purchases.

Stop by Spirit Gallery to see my work and my book.
Spirit now has a collection of my Pine Cone note cards as well.

Book Signing

2011-11-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

See Where You Are

The Art of Pamela Hunt Lee

Truckee is hosting First Fridays beginning this Friday, November 4. From 5 to 8 PM various merchants will provide a bit of cheese and a glass of wine (or two) with activities and entertainment.

Spirit Gallery, which shows my paintings, has invited me into the gallery for a book signing this First Friday. I will be there from 5 - 7 PM with paintings, note cards, my book, and pen in hand.

If you already have one of my books and it is not signed, bring it by. If you don't already have one of my books I hope to see you there. We will sip wine, eat a bite of cheese, and....

Spirit Gallery

10009 W River St

Truckee, CA

530-587-0948

If you would like to preview See Where You Are, there is a preview link here on the blog, right hand sidebar, towards the top.

Hearts Made Of Stone

2011-10-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

I Paint Rocks

Most of you already know that.

Split Rock Triptych
In the private collection of Chip and Carolyn Herman

Those rocks I paint come in many different sizes, some considered pebbles and some boulders. Because I am enamoured with rocks of various sizes, I tend to pick them up and carry them home now and then, the ones I can. I have even had a couple tables made out of rocks, one weighed in at two tons, but that is another story.

Last week I was given a petite book titled, Heart Stones, by Josie Iselin. Yes, I have a small collection of stones shaped like hearts, but receiving the book prompted me to wade around in the lake for a chunk of time looking for more.

Look at the little tiny one sitting on the bigger rock. It's a perfect heart shape!

I found four new ones in about a half hour. This is just another reminder to See Where You Are (yes, that's the title of my book), and most of you know I believe you should look closely at everything around you and you may be surprised at what you see.

Reading about and collecting heart shaped rocks jogged my craggy memory about painting shapes, like hearts, to look like rocks. 'Hearts Made of Stone' are four small canvases that are exactly that, heart shapes looking like stone.

Hearts Made of Stone

There is a fraternity of stone lovers out there. According to Iselin we 'share an abiding respect for the Earth and her wonders'. It's true. That is exactly why I paint rocks and tell people that Nature is my muse.

Inspirational Time of Year

2011-10-17T17:36:00.000-07:00

It's The Light

Or maybe it's the clarity of the water. Or maybe it's both. Whatever it is, this time of year inspires.

The leaves on the trees begin to change color.

The light that is cast is golden.

Fall Aspen Leaves
40" x 25"
Giclee Prints 600.

The water in Tahoe is at it's most transparent, and by the way the color is almost unreal....shades of transparent turquoise. When it's calm the surface almost looks like jello, clear, clean jello.

Where I live human movement is almost non existent. It's peaceful, it's quiet. Nature is the emphasis.

All of this permeates life and self. It's an infusion of inspiration.

Aspen Mountain
30" x 15"
Acrylic on Canvas
800.

To see additional Leaf paintings Click Here

To see additional Tahoe Rock and Water paintings Click Here

Expression

2011-10-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Express Yourself

Pears and Apples

Palette Knife Painting

Sometimes it is so very easy to express yourself...with words, with deeds, with paint, paper, sticks, stones...whatever. Other times it seems so difficult. The other day was one of those difficult days, so I decided to experiment, do something different. Take an old painting that was a failure, gesso over, and pick up a palette knife! Something I have not done for many years. I like my brushes.

Detail: Pear and Apples

The pears and apples were still in the studio, so I started slathering on the pigment while observing the fruit.

Detail: Pear and Apples

The palette knife dictates application of solid color, simplified shapes, heavy application of the paint.

When all was done I realized I had enjoyed the process of expressing myself, but I do still love the brushes.

‎

It Really is Fall

2011-10-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Like A Light Switch

Mother Nature threw the switch. Last week I was kayaking and swimming in the lake. Today snow is flying through the air, and I refuse to believe it is winter.
It's Fall.

Looks a lot like winter...

As I mentioned in my last post, Fall fruits are showing up in the market, and making their way into my studio and onto the canvas.

Piles of crisp apples in the market....

My painting palette is changing.

Leaves on the trees are changing color.

Fall Aspen Leaf

16x20

Acrylic on Canvas

Baked apples and ginger cookies are coming out of the oven.

Yummy ginger cookies...

The house and studio are filled with delicious aromas.
And though a dusting of snow surrounds us, it really is Fall.

Fall Fruit

2011-10-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Apples and Pears

Three Pears on a White Cloth
8" x 10"
Acrylic on Canvas Board

Nature's fall fruits are beginning to show up in the market, and yes the summer fruit is still there, but the allure of the change in the season is too much to resist.

Naturally these Fall fruits end up in my studio and on the canvas.

Results of the Giveaway

2011-10-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Thanks to All!

To those of you you took the time to 'like' my Artist's Facebook page, thank you.

To Christine, whose name was pulled in the draw, congratulations. Beets Entwined is on it's way to you.

Have a relaxed, productive, creative weekend.

Giveaway

2011-09-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

The Annual Giveaway

Last year about this time I hosted a giveaway. This little apple painting was gifted to a woman in Colorado.

Two Pie Apples
6x8

This time I am giving away another small painting...

Beets Entwined
8" x 6"

It will slip into a standard frame or sit in a small easel on a counter top or on a shelf.

In order to be illegible for the giveaway random drawing all you need to do is get two new people to 'like' my Facebook Artist's Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pamela-Hunt-Lee/105911088658 If you search for it on Facebook, it is listed as: Pamela Hunt Lee. Let me know you have done so, and you are in the giveaway.

So get two new people to like my Artist's Facebook page and this beet painting could be yours!

The random drawing will take place next Friday and the results will be posted here on my blog.

To contact me CLICK HERE

Sketching in the Garden

2011-09-24T13:19:00.000-07:00

Seeing Where You Are

If you are in the garden you not only have things to see, but things to hear.

Mr. Jackson Pollock, my amazing Ocicat, and I were outside.

This was his time to wander and mine to sketch. I kept hearing small popping noises, like a twig breaking. Each time my attention would turn to the area where the noise was generated, but nothing was there. If you follow my Facebook page you know we have had bears here this summer, so I kept expecting to see some wild creature stepping carefully through the plants.

Second Year Bears playing on my lawn earlier in the summer

Eventually I realized the noise was coming from the wild peas rather than a wild animal. The peas have not only gone to seed but have dried and are beginning to drop their seeds. Ah....it is fall time, isn't it.

Wild Pea Blossoms

The plant grows wild in my yard, almost taking over some areas of the garden. Bright pink blossoms bloom on slender stalks.

Withering Blossoms

The flower withers, drops and a long green pod grows in it's place.

Green Pea Pods

Dried Pea Pods

As the summer progresses the seeds develop inside the pod and the pod begins to dry.

Open, Twisted Pea Pods

In the fall the pod twists open in a violent jerk, releasing the seeds. The sound this makes is similar to a twig breaking. So ok, I have a great imagination to think it might have been a bear, but they have been here several times. It made for interrupted sketching until I realized the cause, and it also made me realize we are definitely into Fall.

To contact me CLICK HERE

Beware of Scammers

2011-09-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

It Really Was A Scam!

Lake Waters I

Watercolor on Paper

Giclee Prints Available

I guess this isn't so odd, but truly, I was contacted by scammers. A few weeks ago I received an e-mail query about prices on two paintings that could be seen on my web site. Though the grammar was a bit odd, I answered politely. After several e-mails between us, with far too much personal information provided by the other side, I received a cashiers check for twice the amount on the invoice, and absolutely no return address on the envelop in which it arrived.

I had thought the entire episode strange and was wary, so up front I stated my policy was receipt of funds, certified, deposited by my bank prior to crating and shipping the work of art. I took the check to my bank who checked it for the invisible stamp that can only be seen by their special secret machine in the back room, and amazingly it was there. However the banker also called the issuing bank who confirmed the check was a fraud. Apparently several of these checks had been sent out and the issuing bank had received numerous calls.

I know there are several artists who read my blog....beware. We are all so visible with our web sites, Facebook pages, blogs, etc. Follow this link to read about art scams, what to look for, how to protect yourself. www.artscams.com And please share this link with other artists.

To contact me CLICK HERE or leave a comment on this blog post.

The Joy of a Commission

2011-09-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

What's the Best Part?

Is it receiving the commission?

Is it planning the commission ?

Is it the execution of the commission?

Or the completion of the commission?

For me it is all of the above. And this one is complete.

Now to hear the new owner's response.

To contact me Click Here

Delivery of Paintings to Spirit Gallery

2011-09-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

New Paintings to Spirit Gallery in Truckee, CA

Cracks
48x60
5000.
Shown at Spirit Gallery

Eight Pie Apples

8" x 24"

500.

Spirit has a new selection of my Produce and Tahoe Rock Paintings.

Dancing Eggplant

16" x 20"

600.

More Stylized Pears

16" x 20"

600.

Seven Cherries

6" x 8"

140.

Balanced Boulder Again

48" x 30"

2500.

Cracks and Splits Diptych
Each canvas 12x12
800.

Spirit Gallery
Truckee, CA

530-587-0948

Click Here to visit their web site.

Click Here to contact me.

Before the Fire

2011-09-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Before the Plates are Fired

When the glazes are first painted onto the plates the colors are muted.

The Finish is dull.

During the firing process the colors become intense and glossy.

Check back to see the entire set after fire.

Click HERE to contact me.

The Painted Plates

2011-09-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

Chargers

The commission is for 10 hand painted chargers.

They are all painted in the same palette.

They are all desert plants.

They are all slightly different.

Life Imitates Art

2011-08-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

Art Imitates Life

Caught In The Split

20"x16"

$600

Mimesis is a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings, which include: imitation, representation, mimicry, the act of resembling. In ancient Greece, mimesis was an idea that governed the creation of works of art, in particular, with correspondence to the physical world understood as a model for beauty and truth. Art Imitates Life.

Anti-Mimesis is a philosophical position that is the direct opposite of mimesis. Oscar Wilde believed that life imitates art far more than art imitating life.

Splits and Cracks

48"x60"

$5000

Could it be that what is found in life and nature is not what is really there, but that which artists have taught people to find and see there through art?

Or are artists moved to create what they experience whether they do so consciously or unconsciously?

For many years I have painted Lake Tahoe Boulders and while doing so have purposely stayed away from compositions that included split and cracked rocks. Recently during a critique of the past year of paintings I realized my work is now focused on these splits and cracks and further realized my life has been filled with splits and cracks and that this year of paintings is an unconscious representation of life. Art Imitates Life.

However, as an artist, it is my intent to encourage the viewer to see what they have not seen previously, thus encouraging Life to Imitate Art.

Can we have it both ways?

To Contact me click HERE

Passion To Create

2011-08-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

What Drives Our Creativity?

Serenity

16" x 20"

$600

This painting just came off my easel

As a painter and avid outdoor enthusiast I create stylized impressions of the natural beauty that surrounds us. I am enamored with the power, permanence, fragility and temporariness of nature. I present my view and understanding of what I see. This is what drives my passion to create. If you create, what is it that inspires you?

To contact me click HERE

Introduction to See Where You Are

2011-08-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

See Where You Are

The Art of Pamela Hunt Lee

Lake Waters VI

48" x 60"

Many years ago I received a gift of child’s crayon drawing with the words, “Be Where You Are” written in primitive, child-like block letters, across the bottom. I was captivated by the sentiment, so this framed drawing hung in my home for many years. I attempted to live the sentiment and found it inched its way into my art theory and practice, with a small twist. Not only, Be Where You Are, but See Where You Are.

Domino Rocks III

18" x 30"

We look at things every day, from the moment we get up in the morning until we go to sleep at night. We look at everything around us, but do we actually see these things? Our surroundings are filled with dramatic landscapes, lakescapes, seascapes, clear blue or cloudy skies, colorful sunsets, boulders, pebbles, trees, sticks, leaves, dainty small to spectacularly large flowers, and other unusual and amazing things we should all appreciate. So many of us look, without seeing, and many never even look.

Caught Rock Diptych

120" x 48"

Over the years, my work has become all about looking, seeing, observing and noticing our surroundings. Be aware, pay attention to the ‘big picture’ in front of you but also pay attention to the minutia, the detail: light, color, line, shape, texture. By creating paintings that are a close perspective of the subject, I encourage the viewer to take the time to pay attention to the detail of that subject whether it happens to be light patterns on rocks under the water’s surface, huge granite boulders balanced on one another, the prickly spines on a sculptural cactus, or the luscious produce found in farmers’ markets.

Nine Pie Apples

8" x 24"

Nature is my muse. The use of composition, light, color, line, shape, and texture, bring nature to life. In the book I just published, I share with you some of my art, inspired by the details of nature.

Be where you are and enjoy, but also See Where You Are.

Click HERE to contact me.

Published!

2011-08-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

See Where You Are
The Art of Pamela Hunt Lee

Cover Photo
Shallow Waters VII

48" x 60"

5000.

For several months I have been working on a book which deals with four of the subjects that influence my creativity: Tahoe Rocks, Tahoe Water, Desert Plants and Produce. The photos shown here represent art work in the book.

The book is done, published and available.

Tahoe Below the Surface - Mini II

12" x 12"

400.

You look at things every day, but do you actually see them?

Barrels and Fenceposts II

48" x 48"

In collection of Gary and Gayle Weaver

So many of us look, without seeing, and many never even look.

Andrea's Peach

21' x 16"

In the collection of Andrea Linneman

By creating paintings that are a close perspective of the subject I encourage the viewer to take the time to pay attention to the detail of that subject.

Now you can read about my inspiration and see a collection of work that has been created as a result of that inspiration.

See a preview of the book:

See Where You Are The Art of Pamela Hunt Lee | Make Your Own Book

To contact me click Here

Working on a Book

2011-07-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

For several months I have been working on a book about four of the subjects that influence my art.

Tahoe Rocks

Caught Again

48" x 36"

3500.

Tahoe Water

Tahoe Below the Surface - Mini

12" x 12"

400.

Desert Plants

Big Flowered Euphorbia

48" x 30"

3000.

Produce

Pomegranate

7" x 5"

150.

I have the first proof in hand and realize the book will be a completed project very soon. This has been challenging but fun, and it will be good to have completed. I will let you know when it is available.

To contact me click HERE

Scheduling, Golf and Art

2011-07-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

Over Scheduled

Does this happen to you? Studio time, shows, more studio time, more shows, desk work as a result of the shows and sales, house guests, oh, and then there is golf. Golf? How did golf ever enter life? It is time consuming, frustrating, evil, a personal challenge and a great deal of fun.

So for the last two weeks I have had two trunk shows of jewelry and paintings and two golf tournaments. Over scheduled?

Coral, Jade, Chinese Coin

One of the necklaces sold at the show

The trunk show was a wonderful success with sales of one of a kind, outrageous jewelry and paintings (thank you ladies). And as a result of the show I installed Shallow Waters VI in a beautiful mountain home high on the hill, overlooking Lake Tahoe. Click here to see the painting. Also hosted a private trunk show yesterday after another round of golf.

The level of golf played was not great but the partners were delightful and it was fun.

Time for a Break. From Golf.

So today I am taking my house guest out on the lake in a kayak to see the inspirational boulders and rocks that surround and pepper the bottom of our crystal clear lake. It will be relaxing and encourage me to get back to the easel.

And about that golf....

Completed Painting

2011-07-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

Domino Rocks III

Though I am now working on and with rocks of a different sort, I have been able to complete this small painting. It's an 18" x 30" canvas of a rock grouping off the Crystal Bay Point at Lake Tahoe. This is the third, and smallest, painting of this particular site where I spend time floating in my kayak or rowing by in my shell.

And the rocks of a different sort? Currently I am at the jewelry design table preparing for summer trunk shows, working with turquoise, citrine, jade, and sparkly druzy quartz in a wide range of luscious colors. Love these rocks!

A Triple Necklace of Watermelon Druzy Quartz and Pearls

I approach the design of jewelry the same way I approach the creation of a painting. A woman's neck is the canvas, the stones are the creative materials used to enhance the canvas. Composition of the total piece is a critical part of the design, taking into consideration color, line, shape, and texture as I would in a painting. Shine, matt finish and luminosity of the stones influence the final design. All of these elements must work and flow together to present a visual that is unique and pleasing as well as comfortable and easy to wear.

Nature is my muse. Because I prefer natural materials, the stones I use are formed by the earth, water, and creatures that inhabit our planet. The shapes and colors are irresistible. From around the world, I collect unique and unusual stones and beads which may be carved, faceted, polished smooth, or left in the original state. Occasionally I include a found object or beautifully crafted item to punctuate the design.

Antique Tibetan Lantern side with various stones.

Options are important to me, so I create necklaces that can be worn long, doubled or tripled into a shorter version. Layering is also a feature of my designs. I advocate wearing multiple necklaces and bracelets that harmonize and play with and against each other.

Lapis and Sodalite

This is a long necklace that can be worn doubled as you see here.

Lemon Druzy Quartz with Golden Stick Pearls.

A second necklace of Lemon Pearls.

Options, beauty and ornamentation, all with luscious rocks.

To contact me click HERE

Painted Plates

2011-07-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

A Commission That is Slightly Different

I received a commission to paint dinner plates. This is something I have not done before, so I made some calls, did some investigating, and gave it a whirl.

Here is the first experimental plate.

Experimental because I see a few ways to handle the materials a bit differently to obtain some slightly different results that would be more pleasing to me. And I realize, as a cook and foodie who is always concerned about the aesthetics of the food placement on the plate as well as the overall look of the food and plate together, that my style of design and painting would better suit a charger than the actual dinner plate.

I can visualize a table of these plates (all a bit different but painted in the same palette) used as chargers. Now to convince the customer that they want chargers rather than dinner plates.

To contact me, click HERE .

Or leave a comment on this blog...

I'd like to hear your thoughts about the plates.

Never Trust A Painter

2011-06-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

Really?

Work on Domino Rocks Continues with the addition of underwater color and highlights.

A painter with a brush in hand, that is.

Seems to me, a painter will paint almost anything. I think it has to do with loving the process, watching a subject grow under the brush, working with the material.

I had an old camel back sofa once that needed to be placed in the middle of a room. The back was faded. Solution: paint the back. After a coat or two of gesso, that is exactly what I did.

The Top of the Table

I needed bed side tables and couldn't find anything I liked. Solution: nude furniture and a little imagination with some paint.

That old washer and dryer set that was baby puke yellow? Solution: get out the paint and brushes. It became a work of art and fun to use.

And just the other day I received a commission to paint eight dinner plates. Now this will be something different for me and loads of fun.

We painters just love to paint.

So don't stand still for too long next to a painter with brush in hand. You just might be the next canvas.

To contact me click HERE

Painting in The Studio

2011-06-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Domino Rocks

After spending time in and among the massive boulders on Lake Tahoe sketching and gathering inspiration,

I have focused on this particular rock group.

I call them Domino Rocks since they remind me of those little rectangle tiles also known as bones, cards, tickets, spinners and stones. Stones! These boulders are certainly not little ( I guess each one is several tons in weight), certainly not stones, but I like the idea of calling them stones.

These particular stones (actually very big rocks) also remind me of mah jongg tiles. And since I am heading out the door later to play my Tuesday game of mah jongg, what better subject to be painting than these Domino Rocks.

This is the beginning of my newest painting, Domino Rocks,

which is not finished. It is also about the third or fourth time I have painted these particular boulders.

Come back to watch the

progress and see the completed work.

To contact me with questions or comments, click HERE.

Inspiration and More Egyptian History

2011-06-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Kayaking and Rowing Among and About the Rocks

The weather has turned and the lake calls.

These massive boulders inspire thoughts and sketches.

I have under painted a horizontal canvas.

It's time to paint rocks.

And Speaking of Cleopatra...oh, I wasn't?

If you read my blog, you recall I mentioned, a few posts back, the tome I have been reading about Cleopatra and how the Egyptian and Roman information has overwhelmed me. So now here is more....

The Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, NV has just opened an exhibition of Egyptian artifacts:

To Live Forever

Egyptian Treasures from the Brooklyn Museum
http://www.nevadaart.org/exhibitions/index

This is definitely an exhibition to visit.
What additional inspiration will be found there?

To contact me click HERE

It's That Limited Palette Again

2011-06-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

More of the Same?

This painting was inspired by the aspen trees next to my deck that are so very slowly getting their leaves.

Hurry Up Spring

48" x 30"

Acrylic on Canvas

It is the restricted palette I have been using, influenced by the drippy, grey, cool weather. Hence the title of this painting, though a friend did point out that spring is almost over even though the plants don't seem to know that, or didn't until yesterday. Yesterday the sky was blue and the sun did shine! Has Summer arrived?

Seven Pie Apples

10" x 30"

Seven Pie Apples is a bit of the same palette with the addition of a blue.

Spring Pears
6" x 8"

And these pears are definitely the same palette.

But with the arrival of summer weather I was out on the lake in my rowing shell, working in the garden, and planning paintings with a new and different palette. Check back soon to see how weather and the change of seasons can influence a painter.

To contact me click HERE

Continuing with the Limited Palette

2011-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Different Subject, Same Palette

Spring Pears

6" x 8"

While in the market the other day I spied a juicy looking pile of pears. Not sure why I associate pears with Fall, but here they were in June. There are over 3000 different varieties of pears, and they are grown all over the world, so why wouldn't they be available now?

I have been reading a tome about Cleopatra in which the descriptions of banquets include pears, always cooked, never eaten raw, by the Romans anyway. And due to this on going reading, it seems like months of it, I find Egyptian and Roman factoids swimming in my mind, almost constantly, thus I was drawn to the pears in the market.

Since I like to paint produce with the actual fruit in front of me, these two luscious beauties ended up in my basket, in my studio and then on the canvas. Because I still have the limited palette used on the aspen trees, I dashed out this little painting using that palette.

Spring Pears is currently being shown at Village Interiors in Incline Village, NV.

To contact me click HERE

Restricted Palette

2011-06-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

Using a Restricted Palette

Where I live we are still dealing with cool to cold temps, sun-rain-snow. The plants are trying to send out their spring growth but it is a slow process this year. Finally little, brilliant green leaves are showing themselves. Daily I check my plants and have been inspired by this new growth.

After sketching, it was into the studio to select a palette and begin a painting. I wanted to give warmth to the composition so I selected cadmium yellow, then an opposing color garbazole violet, which is a cool color though it is a combination of red (warm) and blue (cool). For the fresh spring shade I used chromium green oxide and titanium white for light and highlights. This was my restricted palette.

Spring Sunset

30" x 10"

Acrylic

I find that limiting the palette creates a visually interesting, harmonic painting. This particular work almost shimmers and gives the visual effect of the longer daylight hours or sunset in Spring.

To contact me, click HERE

Viewing Art is Like Being In Love

2011-05-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

Could this be True?

Research suggests viewing works of art can stimulate much the same response as being in love. That is the conclusion of a series of brain-mapping experiments conducted by a professor of neurobiology and neuroaesthetics at the University College of London.

“Looking at art triggers a surge of feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine into the brain and results in feelings of intense pleasure,” says Professor Semir Zeki. “We have recently found that when we look at things we consider to be beautiful, there is increased activity in the pleasure reward centers of the brain. Essentially, the feel-good centers are stimulated, similar to the stages of love and desire.”

To contact me click HERE

Embracing Failure to Experience Success

2011-05-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Failure Teaches Success

Seven Pie Apples

One of my sons, who is a painter, asked me about the quality of my work, saying something like, "Mom, how do you consistently create these paintings?"

My answer was to quote the above Japanese saying as well as telling him to allow yourself to have failures. We learn from our failures. If a painting isn't working and you consider it a failure, learn from it and move on. Each work leads to the next.

A few months ago, a friend who is also a painter came to visit bringing with her the gift of a small painting.

Blaine's Lavender Apple

Being intrigued with her palette from the moment the painting entered my home, I decided to let it inspire my next produce painting, knowing full well this could be a disaster. Using my techniques and my own style I plunged in and you see my completed apple painting here.

I consider this painting a success. But if I had not allowed myself the ability to experience a failure, I would not have ended up with this painting.

Detail of Seven Pie Apples

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?

Vincent van Gogh

Colorful Palette

2011-05-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Choosing Color

Vine Ripened with Mexican Tiles

6" x 8" Acrylic on canvas board.

150.

Yesterday I delivered these paintings to Ryrie's Art and Home in Reno, Nevada.

Pasilla with Mexican Tiles

6" x 8" Acrylic on canvas board.

150.

Ry's is a gallery, shop and framing business inspired by color. It is a place of wonder, enchantment, a visual treat.

Red Hot with Mexican Kitchen Tiles

6" x 8" Acrylic on canvas board.

150.

My recent palette selection has been one of color; bright, intense color.

Five Pie Apples

5" x 7" Acrylic on canvas board.

125.

So these new little paintings, filled with color, fit into Ryrie's vision for her gallery.

Five Reds

16" x 20" Acrylic on stretched canvas.

500.

Ryrie and Katie, the Byologist and Arteologist of the gallery, are filled with energy and joy. Theirs is a palette of bright intensity which flows into the shop. They have chosen color.

Peaches and Apricots

8" x 10" Acrylic on canvas board.

175.

Visiting Reno? Live in Reno? Make sure you visit Ryrie's Art and Home.

6135 Lakeside Dr Ste 133
Reno, NV 89511

(775) 827-5757

Caught Rock Diptych

16" x 8" Acrylic on canvas board.

250.

If you see a painting here you would like to own, give them a call or contact me by clicking HERE

An Opportunity

2011-05-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

This is an Opportunity to do Something for Someone Else

Orchid

10" x 8"

Acrylic on Canvas Board

Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery http://www.monkdogz.com/ is the sponsor of an auction of small, original art works to benefit the people of Japan who were affected by the earthquake and tsunami. All proceeds (100%) will go to Red Cross of Japan and Niigata Back Up Center. You can read more about the auction at this link: http://www.monkdogz.com/artfund/index.htm

Full Moon over Lake Tahoe - Crystal Bay

9" x 9"

Watercolor on Paper

If you are an artist, you will want to donate. If you are not you will want to bid on the work.

I have just donated these two paintings.

Serendipity

2011-05-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

It Was Good Fortune

Three Star Fruit
5" x 7"

A generous person who has a star fruit tree left a pile of these edibles for anyone to take. Help myself I did.

The colors of the fruit mimic my current palette, so how could I resist? The shapes are unique, so how could I resist? The lights and darks are appealing and luminous, so how could I resist?

Resist I did not. Not the taking or the painting.

Serendipity is such fun.

To contact me click HERE

A Diversion

2011-04-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Little Canvases

After completion of 'Big Flowered Euphorbia'

Big Flowered Euphorbia

48" x 30"

I needed to create a few small canvases.

Hot Red with Mexican Kitchen Tiles

Red Hot with Mexican Tiles

6" x 8"

Five Pie Apples

5" x 7"

Not only for a break from spending hours and hours in front of one painting, but because Ryrie's Art & Home, in Reno, Nevada has requested a new shipment.

http://www.ryriesartandhome.com/

Three Star Fruit

5" x 7"

These alla prima paintings are quick and fun to paint. They can sit on a counter or table in a small easel, or they fit into a standard frame.

Click HERE to contact me.

Big Flowered Euphorbia

2011-04-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

Big Flowered Euphorbia

48" x 30"

I am asked, over and over how an artist knows when they have finished a painting. I cannot answer for others, but for me it becomes obvious. It is visual and intuitive. There is nothing more to be added to the canvas.

So now, after what seems like months of working on this painting, it is finally complete. At least I think it is. I will live with it, walking past, looking, absorbing. I might make a small correction or addition here and there, but I think it is done, and I have signed it....a sure sign of completion. This is the way I handle the visual, intuitive decision that the work is done.

Big Flowered Euphorbia
48" x 30"

To contact me, click HERE

Current Exhibition

2011-04-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Long Beach Museum of Art

Art Auction XIV

Where Imagination Takes Flight

Big Flowered Barrel

Beginning today, this painting will be on exhibit at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Accepted into this juried invitational, my painting will be shown April 21 through May 21. On May 22, the museum will host an auction where all the works will be available for purchase.

More information: http://www.lbma.org/exhibits.html

To contact me, click HERE

99 Bucks Painting

2011-04-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

Fence Posts

Six Fence Posts

7" x 5"

This is it. The painting I submitted to

99 Bucks.

It was a successful event. If you missed it this year, it will happen again next April. There were approximately 400 canvases, and a crowd of over 800 people. Sales were brisk, it was a frenzy. What a great opportunity to purchase wonderful little original paintings at a very reasonable price.

A quote from the woman who purchased my canvas: " I love this painting!"

Click HERE to contact me.

Great Event

2011-04-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

99 BUCKS

It's that time again.

Great fund raising event for the Artists' Council of the Palm Springs Art Museum.

5"x7" canvases, each available for $99.

Saturday, April 16

Hotel Zozo

Palm Springs, CA

4:30 - 7:30

I will be working Gallery #9, so stop by to see the art, make a purchase and say hello.

Who knows, you might even purchase my painting.

All work must remain anonymous until after the sales, so I will show my painting here next week.

Additional information:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=176988802351092

Click HERE to contact me.

The Easel

2011-04-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

A Necessary Tool

Work continues on this painting.

An easel is most often used to hold up a painter's canvas or large sketchbook while the artist is working. The simplest form of an artist's easel, a tripod, consists of three vertical posts joined at one end. A pivoting mechanism allows the centremost post to pivot away from the other two, forming a tripod. The two non-pivoting posts have a horizontal cross member on which the canvas is placed. An easel can be full-height, designed for standing by itself on the floor. Shorter easels can also be designed for use on a table. Easels are typically made from wood, aluminum or steel.

Canvas on the easel. Completed the flowers. Will add in the thorns next.

There are three common usages for easels:

Studio easels are meant for use in the artist's studio with limited need for the easel to be portable. Studio easels may be simple in design or very complex including winches, multiple masts and casters. I have both but use my wooden, double masted easel almost exclusively when I am working. It is like the one on the right in this photo:

Field easels are meant to be portable and for the creation of plein air work. These easels are usually mid-sized or small, have telescopic or collapsible legs and are based on the tripod design.
Display easels are meant for the display of finished works. These easels tend to be very simple in design with less concern for the stability needed by a working artist and can vary in size and sturdiness depending upon the weight and size of the object to be placed on them.
Mini easels are similar in design to display easels but scaled down to accommodate smaller paintings such as my canvas boards like this Star Fruit Painting:

Three Star Fruit in a Blue Bowl

5"x7"

Acrylic on Canvas Board

Upcoming Events Where My Work Will Be Shown:

99 Bucks takes place this coming Saturday!

More about this event in my blog later this week.

Long Beach Museum of Art

Art Auction XIV, Where Imagination Takes Flight

April 21-May 21

Pigments and Paints

2011-04-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

What's the Difference

Additional paint has been applied to the canvas.

The background has been color corrected.

Back into the studio for more painting.

Pigments are used for coloring paint. Most pigments used in the visual arts are dry and usually ground into a fine powder. This powder is added to a vehicle (or binder), a relatively neutral or colorless material that suspends the pigment and gives the paint its adhesion. For the paintings I have been showing here on my blog, the vehicle is acrylic medium. Pigment plus the vehicle equals paint.

Acrylic Paint is liquid and/or liquefiable and after application to a substrate is converted to an opaque film. I use acrylic paint to add color and/or texture to canvas, to create paintings.

Ok, so I refer to the use of pigments and paint interchangeably. I talk about the pigments on my palette, applying the pigment to the canvas. I also mention the paint on my palette and applying the paint to the canvas. Technically, I should be saying paint, but the word becomes redundant, and I like the word pigment, so even though there is a difference between the definitions of these two words I use them interchangeably.

Plein Air Painting

2011-03-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

Working in My Outdoor Studio

This painting progresses...

See additional photos below...

Though I do not consider myself a plein air painter, I seem to be one these days. That is a result of my temporary studio location in an interior courtyard which has four walls and no ceiling. It has been an interesting challenge to work with sun, heat or cold, and wind conditions in the studio. When the wind is blowing it is difficult to work due to fibers and dust flying around through the air and getting caught in my pigments. The baking sun does just that to my paints, so they dry more quickly and anyone who uses acrylics understands they dry rapidly enough on their own. When it was cooler I worked in the afternoons. Now that the days are much warmer (97 degrees today) I must work in the early mornings. Ok, I'm not really a plein air painter, but I am dealing with some of the same conditions.

Here is a bit of information about plein air:

En plein air (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃ plɛˈnɛʁ]) is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.

Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism. The popularity of painting en plein air increased in the 1870s with the introduction of paints in tubes (resembling modern toothpaste tubes). Previously, each painter made their own paints by grinding and mixing dry pigment powders with linseed oil.

It was during this period that the "Box Easel", typically known as the French Box Easel, was invented. It is uncertain who developed it first, but these highly portable easels, with telescopic legs and built-in paint box andpalette, made treks into the forest and up the hillsides less onerous. Still made today, they remain a popular choice even for home use since they fold up to the size of a brief case and thus are easy to store.^[2]

French Impressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, and Pierre-Auguste Renoir advocated en plein air painting, and much of their work was done outdoors, in the diffuse light provided by a large white umbrella.

The popularity of outdoor painting has endured throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century, and has made a resurgence today.

To contact me, click HERE