We recently connected with Pamela Mooney and have shared our conversation below.
Pamela , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
The first time I sold a painting was an unexpectedly incredible experience. I painted some flower paintings and entered one of these works in a local juried show. It is always a thrill to have my work seen in group shows and I look forward to these opportunities to engage with the public and perhaps also sell my work. However, this painting did sell! When the gallery told me it sold I felt sort of breathless and disoriented. I had never considered how it would make me feel to actually sell my work and have it out in the world, outside my immediate environment. The buyer was unable to pick up the work at the gallery so I offered to drop it off for her at her home. Walking to my car with a painting that was now worth a lot of money was such a joy and thrill. And it made made me a bit nervous and precious with it as it was now worth more than I could afford to replace! I never expected selling my paintings would make me feel this way – the feeling of accomplishment and creative power to make something unique in the world that not only was visually engaging but also had a not insignificant monetary value.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Pamela Mooney and I am a figurative painter living and working in San Francisco.. I am lucky to have a beautiful studio in a building which is filled with other artists as well as an art gallery on the first floor. I would say I first came to painting through drawing. From a young age I loved to draw. Early on I spent a lot of time copying the cartoons in comic strips that used to be on the back page of newspapers. From there I moved to using photographs as a reference. Over the years I have enrolled in quite a variety of art studio classes to learn how to transition from drawing to painting. I am currently building a body of work to present to a gallery, but in the meantime I enjoy showing my work in group shows and inviting art enthusiasts into my studio during San Francisco Open Studios.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As a creative I think one of the things you have to unlearn are all the skills you spent so much time learning! I have spent much of my time learning different skills related to painting and drawing. Sometimes these involve learning different “tricks”, like how to create a likeness in a portrait. Or sometimes just a straightford skill such as creating an underpainting before beginning a painting. But after learning these skills I think it is important to question these lessons and find a path forward that works better for you as an artist.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being part of a large community of art lovers and producers. I enjoy the conversations I have with fellow artists wherever we meet. I am lucky my studio is in a building with other artists and there is a gallery downstairs. When I get to my studio there are always opportunities to connect with others who share my passion as well as an opportunity to view work created by emerging artists in the Bay Area. Additionally I enjoy when art lovers come visit my studio. Hearing what they have to say about my work is fascinating as there are always different responses to the work. And finally I feel connected to artists from the past. Their work informs my work and I feel that my work is part of an art conversation that has been going on since the beginning of time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pmlamooney.com
- Instagram: pamelamooney22
