Category: Fine Art

My favorite time of year

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LIQUID AMBERCan you feel it?  That crisp coolness in the morning, the rustle of the breeze, fall is settling in. Just like clockwork the Liquid Ambers over at the farmers market have started to turn and I am happy that summer is starting to say it’s adieu.

That is why I love the beginning of September a time of transition from the hot humid summer to the coolness of fall, and a new color pallet for me. Since the Liquid Amber is the first tree to herald in this time of year I thought it appropriate to paint it.  It is also the harbinger of the busiest time of year for me as a local artist.  Just one month from the Prescott Area Artists Studio Tour. I am busy in the studio painting so you all have a fresh supply of beautiful art to see.

I love this new piece because of the beautiful contrast between the orange and purple, two complimentary colors.  You know me and my love of purple, it is my new neutral.  Purple goes with many of the colors I choose to paint with. A bit of purple in a painting is a wonderful thing…

I hope you are all out there enjoying this wonderful time of year. To find this painting and many more visit my Galleries.

Hope to see you at the Studio Tour Oct. 5, 6, & 7.

Pam

Foral Abstraction

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“Go With The Flow”   24″ X 24″

Some of you can remember when I did nothing but acrylic abstracts, mostly pours and I worked in metallic.  It was fun and it dipped my toes into the world of abstraction. They were mostly non-representational.  I am glad I went that route in my journey to find my own voice.  It helped me loosen up.

Now days I create contemporary acrylic paintings full of movement and energy.  Most of them are landscapes, but sometimes I get that yearning to become more abstracted in my work and this is such a painting.  I have been doing a lot of floral landscapes this spring season. Heading into the summer months I have gradually moved back toward my monsoon landscapes, but before I transitioned I had to create a pure abstract following in the tradition of the floral. I call it “Go With The Flow” because of the pure exuberance and feeling of freedom I experienced while creating it.

It’s hot off the easel and I hope you enjoy it.  If you want to see me do more abstracts like this give me a shout out. You can see more of my work or start your collection with a free download HERE

Have a great weekend and how about those MONSOONS,

Pam

5 Steps to Curating a Show… how I put my Best Art forward

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Deciding what pieces to show

When I do a show, which I do a couple of times a year, it’s an opportunity to meet new people who may have never heard of me or seen my work. It is vitally important that they see my up to date work and my best presentation.  So curating a show starts weeks and maybe months in advance.

  1. Create a body of work… Each January I set to work deciding what direction my art will go in the coming year.  I have many customers that come back year after year and they need new and fresh images to look at. So I sit down and map out what I might be painting seasonally.  This year I decided that I would do a Spring Collection that consisted mostly of floral paintings since I hadn’t created any in a few years. Now that summer has arrived I will be doing a series of new monsoon paintings, and as fall approaches I bring in a series of paintings that pop with reds and oranges and yellows.
  2. Paint in different sizes… When doing a show I want to have something in several price ranges from the seasoned collector to the new person just starting out  collecting my work.  So I have small painting 8″ X 8″ up to 30″ X 30″ or larger.  I also provide cash and carry items to bring the collector to the display, note cards and small prints are easy ways to start a conversation about my art.
  3. Hang paintings in the same color palette together… This year I found that many of my paintings have cerulean blue in them, it is one of my favorite colors, and also blends well with my other favorite colors, purple and teal.  When a person walks up to a display they want a cohesive feel and having a similar color palette will provide this.
  4. Have one large painting as the star… I make sure the painting is facing my audience. I need a focal point to draw in the viewer as they approach my space.. It maybe a jumping off place for conversation, or it may become the inspiration for a commission or help the viewer to see themselves with one of my paintings in their home.
  5. Make sure your paintings are ready to hang and displayed properly… I choose not to frame my pieces, instead I use 1 1/2″ gallery wrap canvas with sides painted in complimentary colors, and a UV coating to keep them archival.  The are ready to hang with D rings and wire. I also include a “Certificate of Authenticity” giving the copyright and medium and title of each piece. I firmly believe that every inch of your painting, front and back, should shout “I am a professional”

I am currently in the process of doing these exact steps as I get ready for the

Les Femmes des Montage Art Show and Sale July 14th

10am-4pm

At the Hassayampa Inn’s Marina Room

 

 

Reaching Your Highest Potential

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REACHING UP

Reaching High 24″ X 24″   TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PAINTING

As you know I love to paint inspiring and up-lifting pieces.  I thought these Cone Flowers were just right for that kind of motivation.  Stretching themselves to reach to the sun, they are the tallest plants in this garden.  Just like these Cone Flowers we should be reaching ever upward, seeking to have a most productive and joyous life. Being the best we can be, and living the life of our dreams.  It doesn’t matter what stage of life we are in, we can always look forward to greatness, joy and abundance.  Whether that means we volunteer our time to help others, travel to places we have always wanted to go, or seek new talents, we can always reach our highest potential.

Go out this week and find the time to do something wonderful.

Pamela is an Art workshop instructor, and a motivational teacher.   To find her CLASSES and  to enjoy her Positive-Energy ART

Becoming a Painter

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iria internet

“Iris”  16″ X 16″  Learn More About This Painting

Hi Friends,

I didn’t start painting until I was 40 years old.  Some people might think that a true painter would be innately born to be a painter.  Maybe I was but life didn’t present me with the desire till I was older.

My father was a wonderful painter and professional artist, I would sit hours by his side and watch him paint.  He would teach me about color, perspective and composition. Yet I never put them into practice. I idolized him, and then he was gone, at fifteen I became broken when my father suddenly died.  I never picked up a brush after that for the first half of my life.

My husband was in the Air Force and he was up for transfer to another base. So we visited Kirkland AFB near Albuquerque, New Mexico.  A friend I was working with suggested I visit Ghost Ranch, where Georgia O’Keeffe painted.  My epiphany came when I walked in her shoes in the beautiful New Mexico soil. It brought up the long shackled desire to paint.

It became my passion and the Yin to my Yang of self-preservation while working in the field of Child Welfare. It became my joy and my spark to igniting a creative life.  My father was at my back spurring me along.

That is why I believe it is never to late to find your passion. If it is visual art then pick up that brush, mold some clay or weld some metal. Join your local art’s guild find some classes or workshops, find the joy in life.

Never stop finding your true calling.

Pam

 

My #1 question? What’s yours?

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PRESCOTT SUNRISE, 16 X 16 ACRYLIC ON 1 1:2 GALLERY WRAP CANVAS, $320.00 BY PAMELA DUNMIRE

“Prescott Sunrise”   Learn more about this painting

Hi Friends,

Today is a question and answer session.  So I will try to answer the #1 question that people ask about my art and let you ask me some.

People always ask,  “Why do I paint what I do?”

Short answer is that it makes me happy, but the long answer is more complicated. My previous career was in Social Work; twenty years working with families, with a Masters in Counseling Psychology .

I saw that people who had broken spirits rarely picked themselves up. A single reflection of hope, in many cases, could be the trigger to make all the difference. Art became my solace after a long day of helping others who were stuck in a mire of self-destruction and hopelessness. It brought normalcy and hope to my life, so why couldn’t it bring this to others? If I were able to help a person move into a positive direction simply by viewing my art or teaching them how to create their own art they could look at life differently and change their lives for the better.

It is little wonder I try to find that spark of hope in all I do. As an artist the themes of hope and positive energy carry through all my work. I choose to paint art that is full of movement, positive-energy, and color to uplift my spirit and the spirits of others. Through my workshops I teach others to find wholeness through art.

So there you have it… I paint to heal grief, disappointment, and failure. I paint to give hope to others. I paint to help people have a joyous life.

So ask away, and then let me ask you how my art can help?  When it comes to picking art for your environment, what is your single greatest challenge?

Have a great day and continue enjoying life to its fullest.

Pam

 

Spring… rebirth, renewal and resurrection

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iria internet

“Iris”  16″ X 16″

As the seasons change so do I, winter barely left us when I was waiting for hints of spring, I have an Iris garden just off my deck, surrounded by my  creek and this is where I look each year for signs of spring.  Now Iris are one of the few flowers I can plant that our pesky Javalina don’t seem to have an appetite for.  Daffodils are the other spring flower that is not on their menu.  So these two flowers are planted everywhere in Prescott .  When the leaves start popping through the earth, just like clock work around the spring solstice I know spring has sprung.

This became my inspiration for a spring collection, which is all about flowers this year; specifically Iris. So from now through May you may see a lot of flowers blooming on my website.  A fresh inviting look full of promise and hope for an amazing 2018.  Isn’t that what spring is all about, rebirth, renewal and resurrection.

Original Boutique Art  (only 1 available)  Shipping free in the US

“Iris” Original Acrylic Painting

16" X 16" X 1 1/2" Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas sides painted teal and ready to hang.

$320.00

 

Creating Atmosphere

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STORMS A COMING

“Storms A Coming”  9″ X 12″ Acrylic on Vellum

This is one of my early morning studies where I was practicing technique. I wanted the feel of a storm coming yet the sun was still shinning through that sucker hole as my meteorologist husband would say.  So the painting is bright and colorful yet the sky is threatening. It definitely makes the colors pop and the shadows interesting; a favorite of  many of my followers.

It is a practice of mine to work on vellum paper to warm up in the studio before I start my day of painting.  It keeps my skills honed and allows me time for experimentation. This is an example of atmospheric experimentation,  I wanted my sky full of drama yet a landscape full of promise. Spring flowers popping up from winter rains.  Though we are experiencing extreme draught in our part of the world I am ever hopeful that God will nurture our arid lands.

This painting is matted and ready to frame total area 12″ X 16″.  A great value since I sell them far below my canvas work.

“Storms A Coming” Original acrylic painting on vellum.

Painting is 9″ X 12″ matted to 12″ X 16″ Ready for your own unique frame.

$65.00

Creating Early Morning Studies

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SPRINGTIME ON THE MESA

“Spring Time On The Mesa”  9″T X 12″W  Acrylic on Vellum

I started a practice at the first of the year to force me to hone my skills and bring me into the studio and away from the office.  I have found that this art business of mine renders me more time in the office doing marketing than in the actual studio.  I must get an assistant, but I digress.

I call this practice my early morning 10 to 15 minute study. I have a pad of Vellum that I use strictly to create quick studies.  I work the first 10 minutes of the morning laying down on the paper what ever comes to mind. This practice really is a marker as to how I am thinking that day and the mood I am in. I never finish the study in one sitting but instead put it aside and pick it up again the next morning.  The next day my mood may have changed and I may go in another direction with the study. Eventually I finish it and may find I like what I have created so I will mat it and sell it way below what I charge for a normal acrylic painting done on gallery wrap canvas. The customer ends up with a Boutique Art Original at a much lower price. That is how many of my new customers have started their collections of my work.

This practice loosens me up and allows me to experiment with new techniques so I am constantly getting better. It also quickly gets me ready for a day of work in the studio.

So what do you do to start your day?

“Spring Time On The Mesa”

9″ X 12″ original acrylic painting on vellum paper, matted to 12" X 16" and ready to frame.

$75.00

Morning On The Mesa

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Morning On The Mesa

“Morning On The Mesa” 12″ X 13″ Acrylic on Gallery Wrap

Wow, this is my first post of 2018 because of six weeks working on a Wizard of Oz set for our local Youth Theater.  As their set designer I have been busy down in the basement of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Prescott, AZ creating a large, 7′ X 12′ story book that will be the backdrop (Center Stage) for the show.  But more about that on a later post.

So you can image how exciting it was to finally paint for fun today.  So I choose some of my favorite colors, purple and teal, and used their softest hue for each by adding white and formed a pastel palette.  Then I took my favorite subject a desert mesa and added a river (always wanting to quench my thirst) then drew my inspiration from memories.  A soft, dreamy painting of a sunrise, that mirrors my expectations for a new beginning to 2018; a year of possibilities in the studio for teaching, showing and selling art.

I am so glad to be back in the studio creating one panting at a time…