Howard Lamar
In his work, Howard evokes uplifting emotions by using bright and happy colors. Line, form and content are astoundingly pleasing to the eye... If one studies several of his paintings, he would soon discover and recognize the many "signs" that help enlighten this visual voice.
Anna Sandoval, of "The Kaleidoscope," Sacramento Union, says "Lamar's art can at times, be a jumble of colors and symbols hurled onto a canvas, but after careful study, they become a whole new picture, a story which may reveal itself months after the painting is done."
Howard and his unique style have become well known throughout the country, and worldwide. With collectors from Canada to Germany, from New York to Hong Kong, this internationally celebrated artist has acheived the ultimate in success.
After several successful years as owner of the Lamar Studio Gallery in Carmel, Howard marks this opening as a return to his roots in Ojai where he began his professional career in 1970. In those days a blanket on the sidewalk served as his "gallery" where he sold small watercolors with content that mainly consisted of subtle, impressionistic landscapes.
Reflecting on those early days in Ojai, Howard says, "Art begins with heart, that's why I paint my family and friends. I've always used bright colors to speak those positive images that words are simply inadequate to convey. I use signs in my paintings to help tell a story. Painting is feeling out on paper."
It wasn't until the mid '70s that the work went from landscape to figurative. Then, early in 1980, he met and fell in love with Adona, who became the focu of many of his pieces and, eventually, his wife. From then on, the course of his life changed dramatically. Each new painting reflected and expanded his vision, moving him closer to the ideal he had been searching for.
According to one collector, Lee Caplin, Executive Producer of "Ali" (Columbia Pictures), "Lamar's painting and sculpture go to the hear ot both intellect and fantasy. Combining some of the emotional and coloris elements of a Marc Chagall, with the absolute flights of whimsy of a Raul Dufy, Lamar has created a unique artistic vision. Unlike his historic kin, Lamar has created a unique vocabulary which he uses to express himself, a vocabulary which his collectors learn and anticipate. The anticipation is always fulfilled, and the vision is always fresh. It strikes a chord in any of us who trade in dreams and fantasies for a living."
The Los Angeles Times says, "Lamar's illuminations blend dissimilar media to acheive fine color and brilliance. The images, late 20th century in concept, are frequently mystical and autobiographical."