"Work Alongside" sessions with Carol Lambert

This little painting (it's 6 x 8 inches) is what Carol Lambert was working on last Saturday, at Upstairs Studio, during her second "work alongside" session. You can come into the studio and, while you do your own work, Carol is available to give tips and comments to help you toward your goal. You can also watch her as she creates a still life painting from start to (nearly) finish. Cost is $40, in advance. The sessions are limited to 5 participants. If you would like to register, contact Carol at her email: carol@carollambertarts.com

Carol Lambert's Plein Air Adventures in Denali National Park

Upstairs Studio Artist Carol Lambert has recently added 3 posts to her blog, all about her recent plein air trip to Denali National Park. If you'd like to see even more photos of bears and rams than she put on the blog, have a look at her Facebook Page: Carol Lambert Paintings and Drawings.

Road Trip!

Upstairs Studio Artist Darla Myers has a show opening in Seward tonight, July 1. This is a unique show paired with former Upstairs Studio Artist Cheryl Lyon. They painted from the same scenes, one artist in oil the other in encaustic for their show titled "Look Twice".

The show opens tonight  6-8pm at Resurrect Art Coffee House, 320 Third St, Seward. Both artists will be present at the opening. The show will remain on display for the month of July.

Artist Show Statement-

"Cheryl and Darla met after being paired as studio mates at Upstairs Studio. In getting to know each other we found we had much more in common than just the studio we shared. We both paint with bold colors and choose subjects based on our love of nature. Other commonalities include admiring the same artists, enjoying cooking (especially traditional mexican), wearing skirts with extra tufs and knitting. An immediate friendship formed between us although we no longer share the studio space.

For "Look Twice" we chose to paint the same scenes, one of us in encaustic and the other in oil. Encaustic is an ancient painting medium using beeswax, damar resin and pigment to paint. The wax is heated and then painted quickly before the brushload cools too much to spread. Wax layers are fused with heat-either a heat gun or torch and then the wax can be further worked by carving, scraping and layering. The unique translucence, irregularities and shine are some of the attractiveness of this medium.

The paintings are all from our own photos and observations. We chose the subjects together and decided which medium each of us would paint the scene in. We agreed to paint separately and not to see each others paintings until completion. That became the hardest part-we were quite used to stopping be each others home studios and giving each other input on paintings when needed. It was very exciting for us to see each others paintings upon completion.

We hope our paintings remind you that everyone sees the world a little differently, and also to take a second look at the everyday beauty of nature and friendship."

Sneak peak at some paintings and inspiration photos- 

What we painted from

darla myers-oil "sunglow"

cheryl lyon, encaustic-"standing together"

Eklutna flats photo

cheryl lyon, encaustic-"iris haven"

darla myers, oil-"eklutna flats"

Ninilchik boat photo

cheryl lyon, encaustic "sitting in fireweed and cow parsnip"

darla myers, oil-"ninilchik sunshine"

If you make it to Seward in July be sure and stop by and see our show at the coffee shop. More about our art on our web sites- www.cheryllyon.com and www.darlamyersart.com

Upstairs Studio artist Carol Lambert in Alaska Home Magazine

An article and photos on studio artist Carol Lambert's work appears in the summer issue of Alaska Home Magazine, pages 68-69. You can also read the article and view the slide show by going to this link.

Are you on Facebook? Carol has a new artist page on Facebook, which you can visit by going to this link. If you like it, please click the "Like" button at the top of the page. Then you will receive bulletins on your Facebook page as they are available.

Oil Painting Classes, recent and future

Last weekend 5 students got together in Carol Lambert's still life oil painting class, with wonderful results. Each student set up a still life to paint, completed a preliminary drawing, a color study, and a monochrome underpainting. (That's the first day!) Then each student began to apply color, gradually refining the work until the last stage: putting in the highlights and details that really bring the image to life. In the photo above, Dana is working on her monochrome underpainting.

Here is Evelyn beginning to apply color over her monochrome layer.

Marlee, one of our Upstairs Studio artists, is also getting into the first color layer.

Judi is well on her way to completing the painting. This is her first oil painting ever!

Nathan is applying the finishing touches.

Students learned about still life design, how to handle oil paints, basic color theory and practice, good studio habits for safety and efficiency, and how to take the best possible care of materials and brushes.

Everyone did so well, and it is always fun to see how each person arranges the still life objects in an expressive and original way.

A number of Carol's students are getting together to organize a class group, and Carol can put you in touch with them. They are collecting names of people who would like to attend one or more classes at Upstairs Studio, starting in the autumn. These classes are both fun and instructive, and go best when there is a group of at least 5 students: more energy in the room, more ideas to share.

If you are interested getting on the list to take a class, please contact Carol at: info@carollambertarts.com