ArtPrize

The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful, and the ennobling in man. J. Sterling Morton

My dad loved to plant trees. His love for trees inspired my husband and me to plant a tree everywhere we lived from California to Philadelphia to Denver to Germany to Grand Rapids.

One of my last memories of Dad was when we planted seedlings along the highway with my two oldest children. Somehow he had talked us into helping him plant hundreds of seedlings—an opportunity I didn’t exactly appreciate at the time.

Only a few short months later, my brother called to say, “Pamela, Dad died.” At the funeral, a speaker said that my father handed out dozens of seedlings to a group of children for their moms on Mother’s Day. That story warmed my heart.

As I think back over the memories of my dad, I realize how much he impacted me and my artwork. He taught me how to plant trees, and he taught me how to sketch on paper napkins after dinner.

I now use my artwork to plant seeds of healing. Over the past nine years, my work has represented heart and cancer patients, Congolese women and children, children on the autism spectrum, children enslaved in sex trafficking, and for ArtPrize Seven, my work will focus on hometown heroes. May my artwork inspire you to plant seedlings in your communities with the talents and opportunities that you have been given.

Love,
Pamela

PS I look forward to seeing you at my seventh year at ArtPrize in September! Hometown Hero will be featured at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

It was an honor to host Makoto Fujimura in my garden for tea. As we talked around the wrought iron table, a yellow leaf fell. Mako picked up the leaf and artfully arranged it on the table near his tea cup. It was a beautiful image—watching Mako embrace beauty.

I’m very grateful for Mako’s willingness to help me make the next leap in my creative journey. Meanwhile, I’m focusing on a little soul care.

See Mako’s reflections on ArtPrize and my work…