
Still Waters Run Deep
by James Dyment
A studio artist at the Brush Art Gallery and Studios (aka “The Brush”) for more than a decade, Pamela Wamala is an artist who has mastered the art of self-promotion, a skill with which many artists struggle. At one point, she vowed to support herself solely on her desire to create.
From the age of five, she painted with her maternal grandfather and later, during her time at Wilmington High School, was one of three students selected to complete an independent study with artist-inresidence Scott Prior, from whom she gained valuable insight. Prior’s art has been collected by museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. At age 16, Wamala’s desire to become an artist was also influenced by the art she saw while visiting a friend who had moved to Europe. She recently shared the names of some artists who have inspired her: Hopper, Rothko, Frankenthaler, O’Keefe, Sargent and Parrish.
Her upcoming exhibition, “Peace of the Sea,” has been planned for exhibit at the Whistler House Museum of Art since September 2012. It’s a collection of suites inspired by the ocean, waterfronts and marshes, and is both traditional and abstract.
Wamala’s painting process is usually a combination of plein air, photo references and experienced imagination. “Currently I enjoy moving into the semi-abstract realm with some of my painting suites,” she said. About her choice of medium she added, “I was smitten with the effects of soft pastels, particularly on archival sanded surfaces. Since that time I have ventured into utilizing a variety of wet mediums with the pastels to create interesting textures. This process re-opened my interest in working with oil paint, my primary medium during college.” Wamala is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
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