We recently connected with Pamela Joy Trow and have shared our conversation below.

Pamela Joy , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I recently received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, 
Creative Pinellas, and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners. I created “There’s a Crystal Clear Pond–The Unseen World of Water Pollution Coloring Book” which uses art and science to explore water pollution. It provides a creative way to encourage individual responsibility in keeping our waters clean.

The rhyming story and illustrations are of a little girl who pollutes a pristine pond and how the creatures who call the pond home, teach her a lesson. What was mind-boggling about this, is I wrote the poem decades ago when I first entered the visual communications industry. Who ever thought the story would be as relevant today as it was back then?

I asked my scientist friend, Jeremiah Tipton, Ph.D., to collaborate with me. He connected with Clare Dennison, Ph.D., director of the USF’s SEM Core Facility. Using a Scanning Electron Microscope, she created images of seven objects polluting the pond in the story. With Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), objects are scanned to achieve high-definition images, providing one-nanometer resolution, or 10+ million magnification. That’s roughly 1000th of the thickness of your fingernail.

The back of the coloring book shows SEM images of seven of the objects in the story, before and after being in pond water for three days. Readers participate in a game where you match the intensely magnified images to the story objects, before and after they have been in a pond for three days. A separate folded answer card is provided. Each revealed object has a QR code leading to websites and articles addressing that object’s impact on the environment.

Over the year of the grant, we delivered workshops to children, adults, and families at nine Pinellas County libraries. All those who attended received for free, the coloring book, the answer card, a pack of 12 colored pencils, and a sticker expressing their membership in “The Glenda Goldfish Clean Water Club”. After reading the story, Jeremiah took the participants through the science game.

I was so touched by the children and their response to what they will do to keep our waters clean. There’s a strong feeling of accomplishment for me…maybe I actually influenced a child to be aware of our environment…maybe one of them will be inspired to make a career in saving the environment…maybe one will find a solution to our environmental issues. Maybe. Just maybe.

If anyone would like to get the kit, it can be purchased at pamelajoytrow.com, for as long as they last.

Pamela Joy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a lifelong artist with a career spanning graphic design, illustration, and creative direction, I’ve learned the powerful impact of storytelling while designing campaigns for both businesses and non-profits. Even today, the majority of my artwork strives to convey a message that goes beyond the surface-level imagery, lending a deeper meaning to my creative expression.

My art is a celebration of color and intricate details, which I bring to life through various media, including acrylic and ink, digital work, and fiber. In 2008, I founded “The Art of Pamela Joy Trow”, a product-based business that transforms my paintings and illustrations into an array of captivating paper-based products, including greeting cards, art prints, stickers, bookmarks, and more. My company serves both consumers and wholesale clients and has allowed me to reach an audience of niche lovers, such as those who appreciate mermaids and the Day of the Dead. Having found my tribe, I strive to give back to the artist and crafting community by sharing my knowledge and expertise through a workshop series called “Getting Your Art Into Retail Environments.” This series offers invaluable information on wholesale, including how artists can develop their own product and greeting card lines and has already helped many artists expand their revenue streams. I am passionate about my work and committed to inspiring others to pursue their artistic dreams – artists and crafters can stay up-to-date on my workshop schedules by emailing me at info@pamelajoytrow.com.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Providing messages of hope, giving respite in joy at challenging times, and inspiring smiles from the inside out, drive my creative journey.

When I started to illustrate for myself, rather than commercial clients, I consistently created images with a message of resilience for women. Much of my work today continues to give hope to women on their journey in life. For example, “Of This Earth” is an acrylic & ink piece turned into greeting cards and art prints of. It shows a woman with hair made of bird-loving tree branches. “Of This Earth” is a metaphor for belonging. When you find yourself in a situation where you don’t feel like you fit in, just remember, you are…“Of This Earth”. I have a series of three Day of the Dead Catrina images with messages about our “best friends forever”, dancing when you don’t want to, and letting our spirit fly. I also, try to touch people in life’s difficult times. My “Lost and Found” is acrylic & ink turned into a greeting card and art print. It’s a different kind of sympathy card. It shows the back of a mermaid on a rock staring up at a star in the sky. The hand lettering around the image says, “I never ever lost you, I just found you in the sky”.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have lived in several places throughout my life. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, moved to South Florida with my family, started my career in Atlanta, GA, and later moved to Bend, Oregon with my husband. Unfortunately, after 20 years of marriage, I went through a divorce while living in Santa Fe, NM. The state of depression that I experienced during that time was intense and made it impossible for me to work. The fear that I dealt with was indescribable. I had to figure out the logistics of a cross-country move, alone, and learn a new place with its own unique culture. Starting over in my art was also challenging. When I finally arrived in St. Petersburg, where I had friends and family nearby, I knew that I would need to find a part-time job to rebuild my finances. However, it was impossible to find anything that paid what I had made before. After a few years of working outside my profession at only 10% of my previous earnings, I decided to concentrate on my product-based business. And, as they say, the rest is “herstory”. I am well aware that there are many women who can relate to my story, and it is those women that are my heroes.       

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pamelajoytrow.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamelajoytrow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.joy.trow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-joy-trow-932a3b12/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pamelajoytrow

Image Credits
Photo of Pamela Joy Trow by Dacota Maphis