Today we’d like to introduce you to Pamela Diaz Martinez
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I always knew I wanted to be an artist but wasn’t sure how to make money doing it. No one in my very large, extended family had taken the artist path so I had to figure it out myself. So, I am originally from New Mexico but grew up in Arizona. I attended Northern Arizona University for my undergrad degree in Education with an Extended Major in Studio Art and then Arizona State University for my Master of Fine Arts degree in Drawing and Painting. Right after grad school I moved to California to pursue art. But, to make money, I worked at every arts institution that would have me. I ended up teaching at the high school and college level doing adjunct work teaching Color Theory, 2-Dimensional Design and Painting. Meanwhile, I met a shoe designer and took a detour to work in Fashion for several years. In 2015, I pivoted away from working in Fashion and moved to Atlanta to teach art while focusing on expanding my Drawing and Painting exhibition record.
Over the years I have learned that I love contemplative spiritual spaces like the famous Italian, Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo in the early 1500’s and have since dedicated my art life to making spiritual artwork rooted in Biblical text. As a result, in 2023, I opened my own art space in Atlanta dedicated to spiritual contemplation for the public; titled: Dunamis art space.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being an artist is never a smooth road. I cried myself to sleep often not knowing when I would make money or be able to pay my bills. The artist path is definitely not for the faint of heart. You have to believe in yourself when others don’t, which is most of the time. Sometimes you don’t even have enough strength or belief in what you are doing because the rejection emails keep coming or even worse, silence. Weirdly enough, all the pain is worth it. Thank God, the human need for expression is stronger than all of the rejection or lack of movement in an artist’s career. However, if I really pay attention and never give up, I have noticed that once in a while there are little signals that tell me to keep going. I try to pay close attention to those.
Just in case you were wondering here is a list of the Artists’ Common Struggles:
Not enough money to make the kind of art you want to make and still live life.
Not enough places to show your artwork, there is a lot of competition.
Creative Blocks happen often.
Emotions can swing from an inferiority complex to a superiority complex often.
Negative emotions about the art world system and wanting to isolate in your studio happen often.
Confusion exists about building a personal brand of art.
Do you need a social media presence?
Finding time to do all the applications to get your art out in the world and knowing which ones to do.
Should you do residencies or not?
An art career is a marathon not a sprint, learning how to have a work life balance is a real struggle but worth it if you have been called to this path.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a draw-er! I love the act of drawing a bit more than painting, but I love painting as well. As far as my specialty, hmmm…I specialize in abstract, non-traditional Biblical drawings about God and I am most proud of the fact that my artwork is addressing very profound questions that we all need to think about more than we do in our very unstable world. Additionally, the aspects that set my artwork apart from others is that it is funny, edgy and pushes a lot of buttons within a topic that most people run away from. I believe art is meant to be provocative on the deepest level and shouldn’t just match the couch, but it can do both. Who doesn’t love art that matches the couch? Let’s reach for the stars, every household should have art that is a fire starter.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There’s a funny meme about how to get involved with arts and it goes…. “Support the arts, date an artist.” No, but really, I would love to do collabs with creatives of all types. It would be very supportive and enriching if we artists reach out to each other more frequently. It’s so easy these days to send a DM or email. If you are not an artist and want to get involved, follow local artists that you like on social media, see when they are having a show, and then inch your way into the gallery. Tell your friends about the show and then buy some art that you enjoy. The art scene isn’t as scary as it seems. You can ask for a deal, we all want to sell art and we need the support of non-artists or else our art will stay in a little bubble. Also, good art looks better in person than it does in photos, so go see some shows in your city. If you want to support me, follow me on social media @pameladiazmartinez and come to my shows, buy some of my art and let’s start a dialog about it all.
Pricing:
- $4000 Satan is a Punk ( red puffy drawing)
- $2000 No 54 Spring Has Sprung ( arrows,cats and flowers)
- $4000 for No 55 The Preacher (drawing of a man surrounded by his followers, includes shoes, and locusts, wild honey drawings)
- $2500 Pieza De Resistancia ( yellow light cover, drawing of Father, Son, Holy Spirit)
- $5000 What Our Lord Saw From The Cross Revised ( Includes drawing, puffy feet and puffy hearts and pedastal)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pameladiazmartinez.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pameladiazmartinez/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.diaz.martinez.california
