AT THE age of 24 Pamela Legg is the youngest of a group of Chard artists currently exhibiting at The Gallery café bar and bistro in Holyrood Street.
Originally from Yeovil she left school at 14 and took a correspondence diploma course in art from the London College and, together with tips from her father who paints for pleasure, she has developed her own style using a variety of media painting wildlife and cartoon style artwork.
Her love of animals led her to volunteer at the RSPCA shop which she now runs four days a week while continuing to pursue her love of art.
Pamela’s work has sold at other exhibitions she organised herself and can also be seen at The Secret Garden in Chard and Bilby’s in Crewkerne.
WHAT do you like about Chard?
It’s not too big to the point no one knows anyone. It reminds me of Dad’s Army where you walk down the street and you see local shopkeepers all the way along, everyone knows everyone. There are nice walks around the area, which is very scenic and inspirational and there are places like Forde Abbey close by.
WHAT do you like to paint and who are your influences?
Mainly wildlife subjects, especially exotic animals. I would love to go abroad on a painting safari. I have done some portraits and I like scenic work but I like cartoons as well. I went to Perry’s Cider at Dowlish Wake and drew the old cart there. I like the work of wildlife artist David Shepherd but I also like the masters such as Leonardo and the Pre-Raphaelites.
HOW do you like the gallery you are currently exhibiting in?
I think the exhibition is good, there is a nice selection of paintings and some sculpture too. I came to see the David Braxton exhibition they had here and think it’s a very relaxing place. It’s nice that they have a restaurant too because that brings in people who are not necessarily here to see the art.
HOW does learning art by correspondence work?
Everyone is surprised when they find out I didn’t have to go to London. They sent me a folder of lessons and when I had done the work I sent it to the tutor who would record his comments and criticisms on tape. I can cope with criticism, my dad is my biggest critic. When I am doing my painting I get so involved so it is good to have a fresh eye.
HOW did you get involved in the RSPCA shop?
I started there as a volunteer when I was 18-years-old then a job became vacant and I took it. It takes a lot of time up and I asked to only work four days a week or I wouldn’t have time for painting, I just didn’t feel like it after a day at the shop.
IF you could meet anyone from history who would it be?
I would like to have met Leonardo or Michelangelo and see what they were really like in real life, rather than the portrayal you see on TV or read in a book.
DO you have any other hobbies?
I am also interested in music, that’s another field I would love to go into if my circumstances were different. I have never been taught but I would love to play the piano. I did a little guitar years ago but I never got very far.
WHAT type of music do you like?
I like classical piano but I also like rock music. No particular band really, like a lot of artists I just like music.
IF you won the lottery what would you do?
I’d probably faint! I would go on a holiday round the world. I have been to Rome and fell in love with Venice but I’d like to go to India and try to see some tigers, and China because I like oriental art, it’s so completely different to art here. And I’d like to go to America. I would want to look after my family too.
WHAT is next for Pamela?
I have applied to art college in Bournemouth to do cartooning and animation so I hope to be going down that line. If not I will do whatever job would allow me to continue painting.
WHO are your cartoon heroes?
I love the Looney Tunes. It’s what I grew up with, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, it’s my sort of humour. I like Aardman animations too. I would love to work there. Through the Adult Learning I did a five week course on Wallace and Gromit style animation with plasticine. I made the models and took the digital images then they did all the computer work for me. I always look really closely at how they make Wallace and Gromit and can’t figure out how they do the raindrops falling on a character. I’d love to know how it’s done.
WHAT three things would you want on your desert island?
A lot of women say makeup and stuff but I would want pens and paper. I can’t have Ray Mears to show me how to survive so it would have to be his book and some posh chocolates, Thorntons are nice.
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