We had the good fortune of connecting with Pamela Harmon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pamela, what inspires you?
The unending diversity of the colors and shapes found in the natural world continually inspire and refresh my creative engine. I also find the power and meaning of a single word can provide focus and inspiration when facing a blank sketchbook or canvas. The interplay of these two creative catalysts can be found in most everything I create. I may add a word or quote to a canvas before applying other elements and allow that to influence the visual direction. The choice of subsequent layers, colors, and textures are casually directed by that, and even once covered, are still influencing the creative vector of the piece. The fluid nature of our surroundings strongly affect, and are easily identifiable, in most all of my works. My abstract landscapes are loose and filled with movement–capturing the fleeting, temporal moment, that cannot be recreated. My more geometric, colorful abstracts express interaction and dynamic juxtaposition of shared space and relationships. The quarantine has turned an outside-first view to a more introspective, interior/exterior observational environment. To clarify, in this context interior and exterior don’t refer to indoors vs. outdoors, but on deconstructing objects and interactions that I took for granted. There were months where the weight of the pandemic seemed to suppress my traditional inspirational sources. Recently, the pleasure of simple in-person, socially distanced conversation reinforced the joy and need for real social contact, even though it was in a overwhelming context of strangeness (“this shouldn’t be so odd”) and dread (“when will this be over?”). Knowing that I am so fortunate to be able to pursue and express these thorough art has reinforced the importance of inclusiveness, communication, sharing inspiration, and finding new joy. These contradictions and subtleties inform the latest pieces I’ve been creating, as this new creativity emerges

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am truly grateful that I have been able to live a life sustaining myself with jobs that had an element of creativity and art. I have a past filled with incarnations that range from working as a hair colorist while developing a side business designing unique personalized jewelry , clothing and accessories. I’ve always done paintings by commission but it wasn’t until ten years ago before I focused solely on the discipline of abstract art. A late discovery but a rich one as I can use many of the skills I’ve developed in my lifetime.. The passion I have for this medium has led me to business opportunities including production rentals, home staging and corporate art. I’m most proud of the 12 large scale abstract paintings I created for the newest MGM Grand Hotel in Macau China.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Fortunately LA has so much to offer, that even amidst a pandemic you can easily fill a week of interesting things to see, do and eat.

I think a great day would be to start with a drive out to the beach and head up PCH . We could stop at Malibu and have a walk on the beach or sit and watch some surfers ride the waves.
On the way home I’d take Topanga Canyon so they could enjoy the scenery and maybe stop in at the thrift store there.
Once over the hill I’d head east to Glendale and drive to the top of Forest Lawn where we could admire not only the beautifully landscaped grounds, but an incredible view of downtown LA and the valley.
If all of this wasn’t enough I’d drive to The Americana and head to the rooftop to see a movie at the pop up drive in for fun.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout and my deepest gratitude to my husband Andy , whose unconditional support and encouragement have been constant and unwavering through the good and not so great times for over a decade.

Website: pamelaharmon.com
Instagram: @pamelaharmonart
Facebook: pamelaharmonart
Other: https://www.chairish.com/shop/pamelaharmon

Image Credits
Owen Kolas Rick Floyd

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