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Three was the charm for artist Pamela Anderson, who was named the eighth Pfister artist in residence last month. Anderson applied twice before, but says from the beginning she had a particularly optimistic feeling this time around.

"I went into it confidently, and although part of me was holding back, I felt really good about it," says Anderson. "I am really grateful I didn’t get it the first two times, because when I look back, I see how much I have grown as a person and an artist and how much more I have to give to the experience now."

During the selection process for the residency, Anderson was diagnosed with breast cancer. Between the time of her application and moving into the Pfister Artist Studio, she underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

"I am not dwelling on it, but it has happened and is part of my story now," says Anderson, who will turn 60 in a couple of weeks.

Anderson, an abstract painter and designer, worked in banking and mortgage banking for 25 years before opening the Underwood Gallery in Wauwatosa. In 2011, she became a full-time artists and joined the artists’ collective Plaid Tuba in the Marshall Building. (Plaid Tuba transition into Material Studio + Gallery last year.) Anderson also runs a business called Contemporary Pull, with her husband, Steven Kaishian.

During her one-year residency at the Pfister, Anderson plans to paint two separate series, one called "Gilded" and one inspired by the diverse architecture of the "old" part of the hotel juxtaposed with the new addition.

"Whenever I came into the Pfister, I always loved all of the gilded features," she says. "It adds so much to the Pfister’s elegance and I’ve always loved Victorian things."

Recently, we met Anderson in the hotel's cozy Lobby Lounge for a glass of wine, snacks and a chat.

OnMilwaukee: As the Pfister artist, you have to interact with guests and the public while you are also painting. Do you think this will be difficult to balance?

Pamela Anderson: I will be fine with this aspect of the job. Material is a very public space, the studios are open, and people come in and out often. I often keep painting when I'm talking – it doesn’t bother me at all, I find it very freeing at certain times ... It’s like anything else in life, I’m at peace with the fact my paintings aren’t going to turn out perfectly. I accept that.

Before you start painting, do you have a vision or does it come to you while you are working?

It depends on the style. If I’m doing a really gestural one then it’s more about what comes out of the tool and my movements whereas other pieces are more contemplative. I generally start out with color in my head and the overall feel for what I want the piece to have and then I just keep layering and subtracting and adding and layering and at some point the piece informs me where it wants to go. It can go in different ways and sometimes I have to make a decision and pick a direction. 

Sometimes I screw up and make mistakes, but I don't often paint over my pieces anymore. Instead the current painting becomes the underpainting and I take it in a new direction. I used to consider these errors, but I don't anymore. It’s just part of the process.

Do you have prior connections with The Pfister Hotel?

I got re-engaged to my first husband in the English Room (the now defunct restaurant on the ground floor of The Pfister). I actually forgot about that, maybe on purpose, until recently. I also officiated a wedding about four years ago in one of the ballrooms. I have been here many, many times for parties, events, art openings and more. 

Do you have a favorite painting in The Pfister art collection?

Which painters are you most inspired by?

I am intrigued by shape, form and color, so Diebenkorn, de Kooning, Miro, Calder and Moreno.

A lot of celebrities stay at The Pfister, so if you could meet someone famous during this year, who would it be?

In my heart of hearts, it would be John Lennon. But of course, that’s not possible. Paul, who is coming to Milwaukee, would be great to meet, too. I’d even meet Ringo! Otherwise, Johnny Depp would be amazing and I’ve heard he’s fun to talk to. Most of all, I’d really like to meet Gloria Steinem.

Are you from Milwaukee?

I was born in El Paso. I could have been a gun-toting, big-haired cowgirl, but my parents moved to Kenosha when I was a baby. I lived there until I was 15 and my dad thought I was getting too wild and so we moved away from the "big city" to a small river town in Wisconsin called Hudson. I thought my life had ended, so shortly after we moved, I ran away and hitchhiked back to Kenosha where I lived with a drug dealer and a stripper. That’s another story, though. My dad and I were always very close and he hired two private detectives and they took me back to Hudson. Looking back, it was a great place to live. The best of both worlds really – a small town so close to the Twin Cities. I was lucky.

How has your work changed over the years?

The most important thing for me in recent years is I'm really starting to find my voice and I believe that continues to evolve until you die. I want people to see my work and immediately know it's mine and not a copy of someone else’s. Even though I've been very inspired by the masters, I want it to be my own – and that’s hard to do.

When I leave this world, I want to leave behind something really important and meaningful.