Art Imitates Life

Sitting down with Montana artist Pam Dolan. 

For Pam Dolan, the river has always been a healing place: a refuge for reverence, reflection, and familial connection through the highs and lows of life. Through her artwork, and former profession as an educator, Pam has shared her love of Montana’s most valuable resource—the natural world—with countless folks. From ceramic sculptures and furniture to oil and acrylic paintings, she captures the essence of nature and the tranquility of the river, to include trout and fly fishing. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down for a conversation with Pam to learn more about her story, her artistic process, and her inspirations.

Carson Sprague: Where you are from?
Pam Dolan: I was born in Bozeman. Lived here for 20 years until I met my husband who was a working cowboy. We traveled all over Montana, living mostly in rural areas, but we moved back to the Gallatin Valley in 2005. Growing up, my dad always took my brother and I camping and fishing, so from an early age, being along the river was part of life. My dad was not a fly fisherman, but we caught lots of fish with lures and whatnot. I grew to love the wild places and rivers.

CS: What inspired your career in the arts?
PD: I always liked art. In high school, I drew, painted, and threw pots. I had some great art teachers. I started college at MSU, and later went to Western Montana College in Dillon, where I got a degree in elementary education and a minor in art education. I got my Masters in Art from UM. Throughout college, and then while living on ranches across Montana, I expressed myself through landscaping and wildlife art. When we moved back to Bozeman, I started fly fishing in the nearby waterways.

CS: So you were always creating art?
PD: Yes. Through high school and college, and then I taught art and shared that love with my students for 15 years. When I resigned from teaching, my husband built me an amazing studio in our backyard. That’s my space to create now.

CS: Why did you leave full-time teaching?
PD: Well, my adult daughter became ill and needed my help. I wasn’t as focused on teaching, and I sort of lost my fire for it. I didn't want to be a grumpy teacher, so I decided to resign. While I miss my students, there are parts of the job I don’t miss.

CS: Tell us about the various mediums you’ve pursued.
PD: I love ceramics. I started in high school and college and later taught courses here in Belgrade. Trout became a focus for that, as well, hand-building sculptures with clay. I like using found materials for furniture: chokecherry, black birch, and willow twigs. I haven’t been making mosaic tables recently, but I have some tiles that I need to work with, but I like doing it outside, so I’m waiting for the weather to get nicer.

CS: What attracted you to those mediums?
PD: Some people are just painters, or just ceramicists, but I love variety and dabbling in different forms. Ceramics offer functionality, as do the twig tables. Twig furniture is somewhat historic and was really popular for lodges in Yellowstone Park during the early 20th century, and I thought that it would be fun.

CS: What was the appeal of creating fishing-inspired art?
PD: It’s the personal connection with my dad. Growing up fishing, being on the river, catching a trout and holding it in my hand. The sense of calm and stillness juxtaposed with the excitement of landing a fish. Moving back to the valley reconnected me with my roots and my relationship with my dad. He was awesome.

CS: Is there any one medium you’re particularly fond of these days?
PD: You know, I think I love painting. Whether it be landscape or wildlife, I don’t really have a preference. I kind of go back and forth to what feels inspiring in the moment to paint. I like variety, but most of my time is spent painting.

CS: Do you have a favorite piece that you’re most proud of?
PD: It’s called “Brook Current,” on my website. It’s a big brook trout splashing in blue water. I love that one. It was one of my first oil paintings, when I was still learning to mix the paint and show the motion of trout in water.

CS: What do you like to do in your free time?
PD: I like to be outside, be it camping, fishing, hiking, or gardening. I have grandchildren now, and they are so much fun.