Born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Pamela Strautman graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in art, focused primarily in the areas of art history, fiber arts, jewelry and ceramics.

A move to southern California in 1976 led to a whole other career, first in mortgage lending and then in creating, improving and maintaining affordable housing with a local city.  After a few years in Santa Brbara, she landed in Santa Paula in 1980 where she resides to this day.

After retiring several years ago, she got involved as a docent with the Santa Paula Art Museum.  As a result of spending more time around art and artists, she began to wonder if any spark of her own, long dormant creativity could be revived.

In 2017, she took up pastel painting under the guidance of noted Ojai pastel artists, Jannene Behl and Bert Collins.  A lifelong doodler of people and animals, she quickly fell in love with the lush pure colors of soft pastels and the tactile contrast of velvety pigment applied to a rough painting surface.  Although landscapes and animals are her most typical subjects, she has recently been experimenting with still life and the human figure as well as dabbling in painting with acrylic.  She exhibits her work in the Santa Paula area at the Santa Paula Art Museum and the annual Santa Paula Society of the Arts annual show.  She is also a member of the Ventura County Creative Artists.  A group of local painters that organize shows in Ojai.