Pam (Bourland) Ried
     (1948- )

    Welcome to my web site.

   I was born in Broken Bow, a small town in Nebraska.  My family consisted of my dad and mom and an older sister. We did not live on a farm but a lot of my family and friends did.  I grew up loving  horses and always wanted one; but never ever got one.

  From the time when I was very young I’ve always loved to draw.  I remember the first time someone really took a look at my talent; I had drawn a flying horse.  I think I was in the first  grade, and didn’t even know then it was called Pegasus.  I knew it from the large Mobil Gas sign that  would rotate around     and around; my dad paid 10 cents a gallon for gas back then (quite a change from nowadays isn’t it) and Dad didn’t have to pump it.

  When I was 12 we moved to Crete, Nebraska, which I consider to be my hometown.  They have a really good art program there, and I got to participate in   that program until graduation.  While I was in school, I was thought of as the school artist.  My art got me into many exciting things while I was in school,   from doing the program covers for musicals and to doing the backdrops for those musicals.  I did windows for homecoming, posters for football,   basketball & baseball games.  Designed props for formals and even designing floats for parades.  Which would come in handy many years later.
 
  In early 1965, two brothers named Joyce and Rollie came to my High School to meet with me about my art.  They were looking for a young artist to work   for them.  After visiting with me and viewing my artwork, they offered me a full scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute.  I really didn’t know what to   think about this, being just 16 years old.  I just didn’t want to be off on my own in Kansas City without my family.  I wasn’t mature enough to be out on my   own.  Joyce and Rollie are the two brothers that started the Hallmark Greeting Card Company.  As fate would have it, a few months later I got married,   had two beautiful children and I put my Art on hold to be a wife and mother.

  I got a job that paid really well, and allowed me to support my family, but my first marriage didn’t work out.  Later I would marry a man that loved me and   supported my artistic side.  I would just dabble in art for about 10 years doing pictures for family and friends.

  While I was working full time for a company that gave me a very comfortable living, I did quite well there and became very well respected.   My artistic   ability helped with that job too.  I look at things differently and I could figure out solutions to a lot of problems that would stump most people.  During this   time my employer thought it would be good to get evolved with the Community and do a little advertising about what we make in the U.S.  We started off   with walking in the Star City Parade, and then decided that we would do a float.   Which is why my doing such a thing in my early years helped me.  I was   called on to help with the design and with the help from other employees; we ended up with an absolutely beautiful float.  We won three trophies that   year: the Mayor’s Choice Award, the Children’s Trophy, and the Corporate Trophy.  Needless to say, that was the last year that any one entree could win   more than one trophy.

  I have a friend from work that raises Manchester Terriers for Show Dogs.  Recently, she was in charge of the Lincoln Dog Show and asked me if I would   do the pictures of the winners. They would get my artwork instead of a trophy.  That went really well and I have been asked to do this again.  I was fortune   enough to be around all these beautiful animals and was granted the right to photograph them.  I work off of photographs mostly, enhancing, and bring   out the animal’s different qualities.  I have to have something to look at to get the realistic look that I want.  You will notice that I have a lot of animals   displayed on my website.

  One thing that an artist can do that a photographer can’t, is to create a fantasy.  Say that you would like to see your self as younger, or even have a   completely different body.  As an example, you are a warrior or a princess; this is something that I can do.  I love old French post cards and like to   recreate those old photos, but by changing the look and style, I create a new body of work.  How would you like to be in one of these old photos?  Inspiration is where you find it.

  If you have a beloved pet that has past, and you would like to have them in a beautiful garden or maybe have them in the arms of an angel?  I can do that for you.   Recently, I illustrated the children’s book, “Sadie Dog”, written by Pam Hoffman.  There were only three photographs of Sadie, (a lovely Cocker   Spaniel with special needs) which I could use.  But through the help of Sadie’s guardian, Pam Hoffman, I was able to create enough pictures to illustrate the story of Sadie.  Please feel free to visit the sadiedogbook.com site, to learn more of Sadie, and of course to see some more of my artwork

    I work in pencil, pastel, acrylic, and ink.  I use many tools to get the desired affects that I want.  I do what is a mixed media where I use more than one of the above.

   You will also see that I still do horses.  My youngest son is a Marine, so you will also see pictures dedicated to the Marine Corps.  My son is also a Shrine Clown and I will have clown pictures later this year on the website. 

   I hope you have enjoyed learning a little about me, and I hope you enjoy my website.

  Pam Ried