Miller Brittain sought subjects for his paintings in the streets and among friends of his hometown Saint John. By the time he portrayed Pamela Cock, he was recognized for his art of regional character. Brittain fostered an arts community in Saint John, but also maintained ties with artists across Canada and, in 1941, travelled from the Atlantic Coast to the Kingston Conference. Pamela Cock herself came to Kingston in 1961 and worked at Queen’s University, as Senior Clerk in the Registrar’s Office, until retirement in 1978.