"I have been an exhibiting artist for almost 40 years, mainly producing large textural minimal pieces. Recently, I discovered my late father's woodcutting tools and rekindled my childhood passion for Japanese woodcuts and early European illustrations. This inspired me to explore printmaking, which I find to be very a democratic and an affordable medium for making multiples. However, I rarely follow rules or do things the way one is supposed to, I tend to do things my own way. So, these are not traditional prints. They are hybrids of paint, Geli printed color fields with stencils, my paintings are scanned, then using Adobe Photoshop and Procreate I digitally collage my drawings and paintings fusing them into a digital image which are then printed using archival inks and paper.

My new work is intentionally nostalgic and beautiful, reflecting with appreciation for the simple things in life. My personal experiences and emotions have always been reflected in my art practice, with pieces that document the joys of motherhood, as well as the pain and growth that came from experiencing cancer and divorce. Now, with a deepening concern for the world around me, I find solace in recording the beautiful moments observing nature in my small rural town of Ojai, California and recording my adventures on road trips. These works are like postcards from places I have been but will never find again.

Through my art, I hope to encourage a connection with nature and remind others that there is beauty and wonder to be found even amidst the chaos of modern life."

www.pamelagrau.com

www.pamgrauprints.com

www.instagram.com/pamelagrau

www.facebook.com/pamela.grau.3

Member: Ojai Studio Artists

Gallery: 10West Gallery 10 West Anapamu St. Santa Barbara, CA

The “Happily Ever-After Series” represents a new chapter in my creative journey, one that blossomed after meeting my partner, Ray Powers. Our union, as both life and creative companions, initially posed a challenge: Ray's preference for figurative art seemed worlds apart from the minimal, textural abstracts that had come to define my work. I began to rediscover the quiet beauty in everyday life — the birds, flowers, and trees that surrounded us. Sketches from our neighborhood walks evolved into prints of artichokes, sunflowers, blue jays, oak trees, and lotus flowers. A trip to Nevada City inspired a series on the Yuba River, and these joyful, intimate moments sparked further adventures. Our vacations transformed into artistic explorations, with photography becoming a new tool in my process. The images of things became like found objects, blending seamlessly with the textures I was drawn to. This merging of imagery and texture has carried through to my latest work, most recently inspired by our time together in Yellowstone National Park in August 2024. The result is a series that captures both the simplicity of nature’s beauty and the joy of shared experience, marrying the figurative with my deeper, textural instincts. This work marks not just a creative evolution, but a personal one — my own “happily ever-after.”