Creativity is in the Genes
The Art of Pamela Mathers Banks and her Parents
Date installed in Rines Gallery: August, 2026
Meet Pamela Mathers Banks, seen here in her Wellesley High School Senior year photo.
First Parish parishioner Pamela Banks passed away in the early spring of 2026, and she took with her too many stories untold—from a life filled with wonder and literature and adventure and intellectual pursuit. And while she seemed, in her later years, somewhat reserved, to those who knew her it was only outwardly so. Perhaps atop her long list of pleasures was art, and it is through the art that her parents, and she herself, created that we begin to understand the technicolor eyes through which she saw her world, and the nature and beauty in it.
On a cold winter’s day, Pam reached out to Ellen and me, and asked if we’d come over to her Weston home to sort through her parents’ artworks, and help plan the move of a selection to her Cambridge apartment. There was so much around! Woodblocks, etchings, oils, watercolors, florals, landscapes, and portraits of a young Pam in pastel. Much was housed in a large, studio-like room that featured an oversized desk—her father’s, likely—covered with drawings and architectural plans in various degrees of finish, along with many other tools of the trade. Clearly this was the place in which both the professional and artistic creativity of Joseph S. Banks and Virginia Mathers Banks flowed.
Too overwhelmed by it all to notice at the time, Ellen and I discovered only after Pam’s passing that several art pieces bore the clear PMB signature of Pam herself, a secret she, in her modesty, must have decided to keep close. And as it turned out, we now find ourselves, for the time being at least, custodians of this art
legacy, and we’re delighted to be able to share some of it with you.
Please note: It was Pam’s wish that her friends, and others with whom the work may resonate, might take a piece or two to enjoy and remember her by—and in exchange, might make a contribution to the causes she strongly supported. If interested, we’ll be happy to explain how a donation can be directed to those charities through Pam’s estate. Reach out to FPC Art Committee member Larry Grob at 617-817-3123, or at lagrob@mac.com for details. Thanks for your consideration.
We hope you enjoy the Banks family art as much as we do…
Sincerely,
Larry Grob and the First Parish Art Committee
▼ Scroll down below for paintings and image details. You can click on the image to enlarge and see more detail. Close the detailed view and return to scrolling by clicking on the ‘X’ to the upper right of the enlargement.
Sunflowers in Tinted Glass Vase
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Oil painting on board
The confidence and boldness of this oil painting struck us right away. There’s carefully composed gracefulness to the flowers’ arrangement, and the large areas of foreground and background are subtly worked and toned to complement the floral subject. Nice work, Virginia. Van Gogh would have been proud!
Rothenberg, Germany
(The Town Clock)
By Joseph S. Banks
Wood block print
Part of a lovely series of woodblock prints made by Pam’s father, these show the rendering possibilities of a bold palette and contrasting darks and lights. The image style is simple and direct, and excellent perspective draws us into the scene.
Tabletop Still Life with Fruits
Virginia Mathers Banks or Joseph Banks
Oil paint on board
Honestly, this piece is hard to attribute, given that the style of outlining objects appears in paintings by both Pam’s father and mother. One thing, though, is the possible influence of well-known NYC impressionist Joseph Solman (1909-2008), given the solid representation of the subjects and ‘off’ perspective.
Dancing Birch Trees
Attributed to Pamela Mathers Banks
Oil paint on canvas
Pam knew her trees, and was well within her rights—and abilities—to make them dance. Waving in the wind, as birch are wont to do, this small contigent seems to be frolicking in the breeze. And by the way, don’t the clouds seem to be following suit?
A Gathering of Owls
Attributed to Joseph S. Banks
Watercolor and ink
From front to back, the expressions of these owls range from pique to curiosity and beyond. Stylistically this engaging painting appears to land safely in the camp of Pam’s father the artist.
Moonlight Fantasy
By Joseph S. Banks
Etching
In moonlit silhouette a pair of wild trees appears to be jousting in this signed etching by Pam’s father.
Harbor Scene at Low Tide
Attributed to Joseph S. Banks
Watercolor
Pam’s father worked mostly in watercolor and prints. This is likely a New England harbor scene, several of which were on display in the Banks’ Weston home and Pam’s Cambridge apartment.
Marblehead
By Joseph S. Banks
Etching
One of several etchings by Pam’s father, this view features a trio of sailboats making their way upwind off the Marblehead coast. Prominent rocks capture the predominant seaside topography found on Boston’s North Shore.
Flowers in Rounded White Pitcher
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Acrylic or Gouache on paper
No identifying signature, unfortunately, but nonetheless a nice example of Pam’s mother’s style. She captures the freshness of this floral bouquet with a fine handling of detail and softness, and uses line work to focus attention and add an impressionistic touch.
Irises (?) in a Curved White Pitcher
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Oil paint on board
This robust oil painting best displays a style seen in several of Pam’s mother’s works. She appears to have painted the flowers, and then before the paint dried, used a narrow, dull edged tool to ‘scribe’ lines outlining the flower shapes. In other works, she has accomplished the same, intrusive and energetic effect using ink accents.
Pitcher with Flowers
By Virginia Mathers Banks
Watercolor, Gouache, Ink
Likely a watercolor with gouache and perhaps some ink marks, this is a delicate and light rendition of flowers, differing from her bolder style in oils.
Flowers in Straight White Pitcher
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Watercolor, Gouache, Ink
Possibly an earlier floral still life by Pam’s mother, this piece shows harder edges and a more literal placement of the pitcher and flowers in the scene. Still lovely to look at.
Meadow and Trees at Sunset. Or Sunrise.
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Pastel
This attribution is based on other pastels we’ve seen by Pam’s mother. They reflect a softer touch, less firmness and more delicacy, which seems to be more Virginia’s style. Either way, it’s very nicely done.
Sleeping Cat
By Virginia Mathers Banks
Charcoal on paper
Pam loved animals…her pets as well as those she communed with out the windows of her Weston home. She even had a ‘pet’ racoon! Most adored, we hear from her friends, was her cat Damascus. This may or may not actually be that cat, but it’s a lovely charcoal rendering, signed by her Mom.
Pam with Doll
Attributed to Joseph S. Banks
Watercolor
It was a difficult call, but this watercolor is seen to be a work of Pam’s father. It’s a darling representation of a maturing daughter, yet in its style lacks some of the nuance and anatomical finesse expressed in Virginia’s work, particularly the pastels.
Pamela as a Young Lady
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Oil paint on canvas board
A Young Pamela
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Pastel on soft textured board
We’ve come to love the soft, delicate touch of Pam’s mother’s pastel portaiture. Nothing overdone, oversaturated, or extraneous. Virginia seemed to be in her comfort zone recording Pam’s childhood. About the paper…it appears to be an older style of ‘coated’ paper, featuring a soft ‘fleecy’ texture that holds the pastel well.
A Slightly Older Pamela
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Pastel on soft textured board
Pamela with her Cat
Attributed to Virginia Mathers Banks
Pastel on soft textured board
A Winter’s Day with My Trees
By Pamela Mathers Banks
Likely Gouache
We have too few of Pam’s works—or maybe she painted just a small number—but this one is undeniably hers. Her fascination with trees was a theme in her life, and this difficult, multi-layered image tells us she knew them well. Sadly, we don’t know the location, but the skillful depiction of a Winter’s day transports us nonetheless.
Pencil Sketch
By Pamela Mathers Banks
Pencil on paper
We stumbled on this nice drawing in a ‘scapbook’ of sorts holding lots of partially completed art projects. The flow and sureness of the line and line weight tell us that it’s likely not Virginia’s softer edged work…nor her father’s. In fact, it’s one of only 2 works we found with Pam’s actual signature on them: ‘PMB’ in pencil (see on the lower edge).
Rothenberg, Germany
(Workmen)
By Joseph S. Banks
Wood block print
Rothenberg, Germany
(Covered Staircase to Above)
By Joseph S. Banks
Wood block print
Light in the Forest
By Joseph S. Banks
Watercolor
A wonderful sense of depth and distance comes through in this lovely watercolor, along with the feeling of emerging from the coolness of the trees to an indistinct sunlit area ahead. Wait…is that a road, or a winding stream?
