Norma Lee Pfaff — Artists Along the Bitterroot

Norma Lee Pfaff - Oils

Artist Statement

I was born and raised in Montana where I learned to appreciate nature around me at a young age. Art has always played a huge role in my life and after retiring, I picked up the paints and brushes that I packed around for years to pursue the art career I dreamed of as a child. When I'm not in the studio, I'm usually out with my camera, gathering reference materials to paint from.

I'm mostly a self-taught artist, however, workshops I've attended with various artists have helped in my journey. I've picked up techniques and practices I've been able to apply to my style of painting, plus, I've met some really great people.

Art like music, are both unspoken languages, and I'm passionate about both. Each brushstroke, each musical note, when put together, creates a story. The way I tell the story through my works of art represents the way I view life around me. In this fast-paced world, my hope is to slow things down for a bit, causing the viewer to take pause, if only for a moment and enjoy the visual interpretation I’ve presented in front of them. I'm happiest when I up to my elbows in paint!

My preferred medium is professional-grade oils because I like the richness I get from them. I've painted on different substrates but find that canvas is my favorite. Sometimes, I enjoy pastels for painting songbirds and have also done some watercolor, but oil is my primary medium.