Instructor Bio:
Pam-ela Harrelson

I have a long history of creating and teaching commercial art. From my work as an art director, graphic designer, illustrator, and college professor, I draw upon a vast knowledge of creativity, design, hand skills, and digital know how. To start, I graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising Art and a Master of Arts degree from Texas Woman’s University. I continue to work in the graphics field while I develop my body of artwork until I am able to devote all of my time to this notion. I am a lover of things from the past which includes toys, classic movies, fashion, design, art, technology, architecture, and other ephemera. I like to assembly bits and pieces of these elements into dimensionally constructed pieces of art whether it be large wooden, figurative captures or smaller handmade cards and prints. I like the process of creativity and bringing all of my history into cohesive, exciting works of art.

Education:
Bachelor of Fine Art Advertising Art UNT
Master of Art Graphic Design/Painting TWU

After obtaining a BFA degree, I began my career working in the Dallas area as an Art Director, Graphic Designer, and Illustrator. I worked full-time for five years at various ad agencies and design firms before starting my own graphics and illustration business of which I continued for many years. During this time, I served as a member and president of the Dallas Society of Illustrators where I helped organize and coordinate monthly meetings, juried national competitions, and workshops.

I returned to graduate school to earn a MA and began teaching a wide range of computer graphics, design, and art courses at multiple colleges and universities in the Dallas and surrounding areas. Today, while I continue to work in the graphics arena, I have a studio where I work as a fine artist exhibiting multi-dimensional, figurative creations and small hand crafted cards and prints.