Pam Smilow
I consider my process as a painter to be close to that of a jazz musician. I improvise, building on every stroke I do, starting with the gesso and adding layer upon layer of color and texture. For my content I draw heavily on childhood memories, personal experience, intellectual curiosity, and my travels throughout life. Love of nature has also been a big inspiration for me. When I make a painting, I seek to create a place of beauty, a sense of refuge from this chaotic and sometimes troubling world. My hope is to inspire, to leave an additional ounce of beauty, and to encourage myself and the observer to do better and be better in the universe. I love the simplicity, the immediacy, the directness of art. I take great pleasure in enriching an environment and in fact, see the interior as an extension of my palette—likely a result of growing up in a Frank Lloyd Wright community. I aim for my art to brighten up a space, uplift it with color and light, and integrate–promoting happiness, well-being and healing.