Pam Haunschild Biography
In her artistic practice, Pam explores the natural world through a personal and highly expressive lens. Rather than depicting specific locations or animals, she creates unique interpretations of nature that deepen the viewer's sense of connection to the living world. Her distinctive style is colorful, textured and semi-abstract, while still allowing natural forms to emerge. Working in watermedia -- primarily acrylic and watercolor --Pam often incorporates natural materials into the paint surface, creating layered works rich in texture and organic presence. Her paintings invite viewers to look at a natural world shaped as much by emotion as observation, with each piece offering space for viewer reflection and contemplation.
Pam was born in Chicago. She has lived in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California, and currently splits her time between Ashland and Bandon, Oregon. She had a scholarship to attend art school when she was young, but went into academia instead. After a career as social science professor at Stanford and University of Texas-Austin, Pam turned back to her first love and has been painting full time ever since. She educated herself by taking a lot of classes and workshops, and did intensive study and mentorship with several nationally known watermedia artists, developing the distinctive visual language that defines her work today.
Pam's art has been further shaped from having been selected for three month long National Park artist-in-residence positions -- Lassen (CA), Glacier (MT), and Lake Clark (AK). She also finds inspiration from living on a high-elevation wooded property in the mountains of Oregon and her ongoing involvement with conservation organizations.
Pam has done several commissioned projects. Two of the largest were to produce the 2019 Britt Festival playbill cover and poster art, and to design and coordinate the painting of an 8x12 foot native plant mural at Southern Oregon University. Her work is held in many private and public collections, including the National Park Service.
She has had her work shown as part of several juried solo and group exhibitions and has won awards for her art. She is a signature member of the International Society of Experimental Artists and the Artists for Conservation. She has been on TV and radio, and her paintings have been used in Southern Oregon literary journals and catalogue covers.