Q & A with Principle Gallery, Charleston 2016 Artist in Residence Hilarie Lambert Like so many accomplished artists, Hilarie Lambert began her art career as a skilled graphic designer and professional illustrator, drawing and painting for national magazines and corporations. When the call came for Lambert to discover her true passion and creative vision, she took hold of it, and never, ever looked back! Today, award winning artist and workshop instructor, Hilarie Lambert creates stunning vistas, inspirational portraits and whimsical still life paintings that are anything but ordinary. Hilary graciously agreed to put time aside from painting and sit for an interview with me in her new ( and I might add awesome ) downtown Charleston, South Carolina studio to find out a little more about her dedicated approach to putting her brush to canvas and also her love affair with vintage toys, antique purses, architecture and the majestic low country landscape. The work of Hilary Lambert reveals the timeless beauty in what we might have forgotten or may have become just too busy to notice the magic of everyday life.
FCR: Let s start with a fun question. Where were you born? HL: I was brought up in the Finger Lakes area of Western New York. It was a small town, Geneseo, that was very "Norman Rockwell" with the freedom to roam (as long as you were back by 5:00 for dinner) FCR: What was your first memory of being creative? HL: Mud pies! My mother was very encouraging to my two sisters and myself to be creative and explore when we grew up. I spent a lot of time outside making things, and when I was stuck inside with the measles, I remember having "Color Forms" and sparkle paint to play with. FCR: How long have you been painting professionally? HL: I have been painting professionally for 15 years. I started out as a graphic designer, and worked and an illustrator for major corporations for quite a few years before moving to Charleston, South Carolina. FCR: Why did you choose oil as your medium and have you worked in any other medium? HL: I loved pastels and the way the color laid over each other. I try to use the same technique in oils - the laying of color over the last color so that you see what was before. I travel quite a bit, and oils were easier to use then, but it became my medium of choice. Earlier in my career as an illustrator I had used watercolor, airbrush and pastels. FCR: How do you differentiate you work from other artists? In other words, what do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? HL: I am not sure how to specifically answer that question. I think that the fact that I absolutely love the drawing process, and the drawing process is most definitely incorporated into my work. I love the whole process of painting - from toning the canvas, to the composition, to finally laying down color.
FCR: As you know, art is very subjective in nature. What some people love, others do not like at all. How do you select what subject matter or motifs you choose to paint? HL: I tend to be a "Serial Painter". I do series of themes: Amusement parks, vintage toys, purses, French scenes, Italy landscapes, etc. I think being a graphic designer first gave me a good composition background, and because I handled different subjects all the time, that has carried over to painting. I do not want to be bored with what I am painting - and I do not want my collector to be bored either. I still tend to be drawn to the unusual, but ordinary. I'm stuck on painting purses right now. Catching their beauty, humor, and sparkle. FCR: Part of you painting process is to complete paintings on site, rather than use photographic imagery. How do you feel this helps improve the overall quality of your art? HL: I love painting on site, and feel blessed every time I am out there, either with friends or with a class. When you are in the studio, you are alone a lot of the time, and when you go out, there is such energy there. The colors are true, the shadows have color and depth, and the light kisses what it touches. I think that only when you paint outside, do you really learn to paint true color and light. FCR: What is the absolute best art tip you have ever received? HL: A great question...i think, "do not put it out there unless it is special. If you put a mediocre painting out there it reflects on you. Try to put only the best work out there." FCR: Are there any unique painting techniques that you have used throughout your career that you can share? HL: Fat over lean. Enjoy the Process - not the outcome. Paint and paint and paint. I teach workshops to get people to love the process, understand color, temperature, values, and composition.
FCR: How has your style changed over the years? HL: Actually I am not sure it really has changed, accept maybe learning to leave out more than there is in front of you. Catch the essence of the scene - not the details. I always go back to keeping it loose, and showing the color behind each brush stroke. FCR: You tend to build up your paintings by working wet paint on wet paint in layers of color with quick, strong brush strokes. How do you feel this impacts your paintings? HL: I love working wet into wet. It is almost like sculpting. I think the goal is to make sure each piece of color put down is meant to be there. More deliberate I think. I watched Jove Wang do a painting demonstration last week, and the marks he makes are so concise and deliberate, with beautiful calligraphic strokes. A beautiful thing to see! FCR: What do you believe is a key element in creating a good composition? HL: A painting simply can not work without good composition. Whether it is plein air, studio, or contemporary, the foundation is a great composition! The eye is looking for interest in the piece, and we go off to the next one if it is not there. Create a focal point, and stick to it. My goal is to create a piece that keeps the viewer, or buyer, "in" the painting. I want them to be so glad that they took it home and get to look at it. I want them to have joy when they see it everyday. FCR: What contemporary artists who are favorites of yours? HL: I like this question because I have to really think about it. There are a lot of contemporary artist that I admire. Quang Ho for his looseness, Burton Silverman for his skill at creating beautiful figurative work, Jeffery Larson, Karen Appleton, Katherine Kehoe, Madeline Dukes, Tammy Papa's pastels, and Mia Bergeron.
FCR: You just arrived back from a painting trip from beautiful San Miguel, Mexico! Can you give us some of your personal highlights from your trip? HL: I now know why San Miguel has been a haven for expats for years. It's a beautiful city, with cobblestone streets and golden light reflecting off rose color walls. A painters dream. We painted in the streets and gardens, finding corners in the shade to paint from. I think one of my personal highlights was spending the day with Chef Paco. He took us to the market for fruits, peppers for salsa, and to a wonderful woman who made the absolute best tortillas in the city. Then we went back to his house for a day of cooking ceviche, tacos, and chocolate cake - followed by dinner alfresco. FCR: My last question for you Hilarie How does it feel being chosen as the 2016 Principle Gallery Artist in Residence? HL: It has been a year of changes and fantastic opportunities. I have been given a beautiful working studio in downtown Charleston. To balance that off, the offer to be the 2016 Artist in Residence at Principle Gallery is a huge honor that I am very grateful for, and plan to be in the gallery painting on Sundays a couple of times a month. To be part one of the top galleries in Charleston, South Carolina is such a privilege.