Meet Pamela Scharbach
I’ve been called a nihilist before. Maybe it’s because I don’t understand — or perhaps don’t accept — the arbitrary rules humanity has agreed upon. Rules that seem to buckle under the weight of privilege and wealth. Rules that apply selectively, conveniently. But I don’t think I’m a nihilist. I believe in something much deeper. I believe in the messy, powerful beauty of doing what’s right — even if it doesn’t look the way it’s “supposed” to.
That’s where The Chaotic Good comes from.
It’s not just a name — it’s a way of being. A creative ethic. A spell. A defiant prayer for beauty, freedom, and meaning in a world that often tries to tidy those things into boxes.
I paint the way I live: guided by conscience, not convention. I break rules that don’t make sense, but I care deeply about what matters. I use acrylic, gouache, and latex. I follow the rules that serve the work — longevity, durability, lightfastness — because those aren’t arbitrary, they’re real. I want my work to last. I want it to be good. Technically, emotionally, spiritually.
For many years, I was just practicing. Studying. Gathering. Traveling. Living across cities, across continents. Painting murals in public spaces, making work that quietly crossed borders and found homes in other countries. I didn’t yet know what I wanted to say — only that I wanted to say it well.
Now, I’m ready.
Now, I want the work to speak.
I believe art should reflect the time we’re in. Not just style — but soul. I want my paintings to hold memory.
To speak to this moment. To give future viewers a glimpse into now: what we felt, how we rebelled, how we hoped.
I want to make portraits of people that go deeper than likeness — portraits that tell the truth of what it meant to be that person in this time. I want to build work with edge, with reverence, with bite. Something vintage in spirit, modern in vision. Something you feel more than you see.
The Chaotic Good isn’t just my altar project. It’s a reminder: that art can be both sacred and unruly. That compassion doesn’t require permission. That making, in its purest form, is resistance. And that painting — like life — becomes more meaningful when we dare to say something real.
This is the new chapter. The one where I speak louder. Paint clearer. And begin again, but with fire in my hand.
Let’s Work Together
Every project begins with a moment of connection. Whether you're imagining a commissioned portrait, a site-specific mural, or something entirely your own, a consultation is a chance to explore what’s possible — together.
Share your vision, your questions, or simply a sense of the feeling you want the work to hold. Pam will guide you through the next steps with care, clarity, and creativity.
This is the beginning of something meaningful.