This second instalment of Interview with the Pros is with guitar, motorcycle, and acrylic artist Pamelina H.
Welcome to our second instalment of Interview with the Pros. Today’s interview is with the fantastic Pamelina H. This lady has been inspiring rockers and art enthusiasts alike with her fantasy/realism acrylic paintings.
Alina Bradford: How did you get started creating the art you make now?
Pamelina H: A lot of the art I do these days is on guitars. I dated a guy back in 1986 who was a guitar player. He asked me to paint his axe. Then his bandmate asked me to paint his. It grew from there. I began getting commissions from builders and music stores. I decided to go to the source and made contact with the major manufacturers - Fender, Ibanez, Gibson, etc. I began painting graphics for both Fender and Ibanez immediately on a large scale, while doing smaller commissions for other companies.
AB: What is your medium? Why did you chose it?
PH: I work with acrylics for several reasons. It's quick-drying, non-toxic and doesn't react with solvent-based mediums.
AB: Tell us about what you paint. (Subjects, styles, genre, impressionism vs, realism, etc.) Why?
PH: I like to work in a couple of different styles. I enjoy photorealism, but not in the traditional sense. I like the idea of creating images of unreal subjects and making them look as real as possible. I also enjoy creating graphic designs and often I combine the two styles in a painting.
AB: What kind of schooling did you take to get to this level of style?
PH: Having grown up with an artist mother, I began learning techniques at an early age and was always encouraged to paint. As far as structured learning goes, I've only had high school art. I was lucky to have a brilliant art teacher in high school. After that, I learned by studying other art through books, museums, and art shows. Lots of reading!
AB: Can you walk us through the steps you take to create a work? (Inspiration, reference, glazes, brush work, layer work, varnish, etc.)
PH: Inspiration comes from every direction. Something I read in a book, a pattern seen in a plant, a photo may provide inspiration. I use photos whenever possible to give me a good idea of how something is built, how light reflects, etc. I've become skilled at air brushing because it was necessary for painting guitars & motorcycles. Now that that industry has matured, I'm able to use very little airbrushing and rely more on traditional brush skills. When painting a guitar or motorcycle and using the airbrush, I lay down a base coat with AutoAir water-based enamels because it adheres well to the underlaying base coats. All my detailing is done with Liquitex acrylics because it has finer pigments and allows for greater detail. Most of my work is then clear-coated for protection.
If I'm doing a painting on illustration board, I work with acrylics from start to finish. I've just begun learning about glazes which I use in my canvas paintings.
AB: Do you have a story you would like to tell about being an artist?
PH: There are so many to tell! When I was 17, my mother got me an appointment with the owner of a graphics company. After looking at my work, he said I did what he called 'family art'. My family tells me it's good, but it's really not. He told me I'd never make a living from it and I should choose another profession. I chose instead not to listen to him. (It’s) 30 years later and I've supported myself with my art throughout my adult years and am doing well with it.
AB: How do you publicize your work?
PH: Until recently, I relied on the major companies that I work for to do all the advertising and publicizing for me. (They have much bigger budgets for that than I do.) 2 years ago, I met a fantastic publicist, Denise Dorman, who I now rely on to get my name out there. She's done a wonderful job of getting recognition in the public, whereas Fender and others got me great recognition within the music instrument industry. I also maintain an extensive website, www.pamelina.com, which I constantly update with new work to keep people coming back.
AB: What is the priciest work you’ve ever sold? (If you don’t mind.) Why did it sell for that price?
PH: Some of my guitar work is now selling for as much as $30,000 per guitar. Not that I see a dime of that, but it helps bring up the value of the rest of my work.
