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Sarah Lamb has been an artist since her hair was long enough to paint with. Her family, saw that she “was drawn to art – painting and drawing, mostly – and decided to enroll me in art classes. It just took off from there!” Later on, a 2-week oil painting workshop in Santa Fe with Jacob Collins in the early 1990s led to the introduction to Collins’ mentor, Ted Seth Jacobs. The medium, in the hands of Lamb and through the guidance of her mentors, Collins and Jacobs, proved perfect to capture the color, depth, and texture of Lamb’s objects. “I’d been afraid of [oil paint],” reflects Lamb. “But once I started, it was life-changing.” Decades later, Lamb is a nationally recognized American realist painter, considered to be one of the best contemporary painters in the United States. Lamb answers questions such as advice for an aspiring artist, her inspirations and more.
Sarah Lamb: The one thing I would say to an aspiring artist is to stick with it and paint what you love. I’ve been lucky enough to be able to choose my subject matter when it inspires me – I feel very lucky that I have been able to maintain a career for over 25 years based on doing something I love. I do not take it for granted. Although I take a lot of commissions, I have never been uninspired by anything I’m asked to capture in paint. If you are painting from your heart and painting what you love it reflects in the finished product. I have never really considered my kind of art “a men’s dominated world,” but I do think in the beginning of my career I started to sign my paintings SK Lamb instead of Sarah Lamb so that it wouldn’t be right away apparent that I am female.
Sarah Lamb: I spent a lot of time by myself as an only child growing up. I used to paint with the end of my pigtails! My family noticed that I was drawn to art – painting and drawing, mostly – and decided to enroll me in art classes. It just took off from there!
Sarah Lamb: I feel like my paintings are “seasonal…” I’m inspired by everything around me – especially if it is a new texture that I have not painted before.
Sarah Lamb: I borrowed the weathervane [of Galloping Horse Weathervane] from a friend to paint. I really liked the beautiful patina of the copper verdigris and mix of gold leaf. I usually paint my weathervanes in a strong artificial light that gives it a stark contrast for drama. For this piece, I wanted a more subtle effect so I mixed a little artificial light with natural light. I think it creates a more moody overall image.
Sarah Lamb: There was a well-known 19th century still life painter named John McCloskey who used to paint oranges and fruit wrapped in tissue. This painting is an homage to him. I’ve done several paintings of pears and lemons wrapped in tissue, and I thought it would be fun to have the pears unwrapped and some oranges wrapped. I love the dance and play of light on the tissue and the transparency. It’s almost sculptural.
Sarah Lamb: Sometimes my husband has to come in and tell me when a painting is finished! I tend to work on things too long and have to stop myself!! I always try to keep things fresh and never overwork a Painting.
I would hope a collector would notice the care and love I put into each painting. I like to make a composition of interesting objects sing, and I hope that is what they are drawn to.
