Pam Haunschild, AFC   Nature and Wildlife Artist

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Being outside in nature is everything to me!  So it’s no surprise that nature is my subject.  In my paintings, I attempt to capture the essence of nature without copying it exactly.  I want to get past the obvious -- to get to the essence of why many of us find being outside in nature soothing to our souls.  Whether this is conveying the power behind a falcon’s gaze, the wonder of the vast number and variety of creatures that live in a tidepool, or the majesty of a salmon swimming upstream to spawn, I hope to capture something that will inspire viewers to connect more deeply with the natural world.

I find artistic inspiration from living on a wooded high-elevation property near Ashland, Oregon, as well as from having held several National Park Artist-in-Residence positions (Lassen, Glacier, and Lake Clark (Alaska)).  I work with both watercolors and acrylics -- often together in the same painting.  Much as nature is created through the addition and washing away of materials over time, my artistic process involves creating layers in my art.  I build textures in the paint, often using natural objects like leaves, stones, and shells.  Although later removed, they leave their impressions.  I often use paint in a way that mimics natural processes, e.g., washes of very wet color produce rivulets and wave-like patterns like those found in the ocean.  Stones texture paint in patterns that mimic wind-blown surfaces and geological layers.  The resulting paintings are colorful, highly textured, and semi-abstract, but the natural forms can still be identified.  

As John Muir says, I hope “Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees” when you view my work.