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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “Creatures II” exhibit: Sheila Lamberson, Bloomington, IL. “Dance of the Koi.” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 36”x36”. $1,400. |
About the artist: I was born and raised in Mt. Vernon, IL. After 2 years at Appalachian State University, I transferred to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale graduating with a BFA in Painting, Minor in Drawing. Upon graduation I was accepted into the MFA program at the University of Wyoming, where I studied Painting and Printmaking. I then moved to Colorado where I live for almost 25 years. Returning to the Midwest about 8 years ago, I now live in Bloomington, IL where I work from my home studio, closely supervised by our two labradoodles.
Roxanne Phillips: What is it about the "Creatures II" theme that speaks to you?
Sheila Lamberson: I have been working on my Koi series for almost 2 years. The "Creatures II" theme provided me with a great opportunity to showcase my work in capturing these vivid fish, the effects of light on the water, and the energy they create.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “Northbound” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 24”x24”. $675. |
RP: What inspired you to become a member of Art Saint Louis?
SL: I only recently discovered Art St. Louis through the “Creatures II” call for entries. I am excited about the opportunities provided to regional artists. The high level of support is evident via the weekly newsletter and active social media presence.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “March of the Koi.” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 36”x24”. $1,025. |
RP: What is the best thing about St. Louis for your art practice?
SL: The best thing for me personally is another venue and outlet for displaying my artwork and potentially reaching a broader audience. Secondary to me is the opportunity to meet and exposure to other artists and their work.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “To the East” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 24”x24”. $675. |
RP: Describe your artistic process/technique.
SL: I am inspired by the effects of light and shadows and the shapes and patterns they create. I am also drawn to the effects of light on color and the interpretation of that color. I usually work from photos in the studio. My process includes layering of paint/color as shapes and patterns are refined. It feels almost sculptural to me. I also try to capture the energy of my subject through my brushstrokes and the physicality of the painting process. I spend just as much, if not more, time observing as I do painting.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “Poppy Pathway” 2020. Oil on Canvas, 30”x24”. $850. |
RP: What is it about your preferred medium that you enjoy the most?
SL: Oil paint provides me with the perfect combination of vibrant color and lusciousness that I am drawn to. The fact that oil paint is an old world medium also appeals to me, while applying a contemporary visual approach.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “Snorkeling with Koi” 2018. Oil on Canvas, 24”x36”. $925. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
SL: For me, this is an ongoing process. I learn something with each painting I complete, always working to more clearly define what I want to say. I tend to work in series, but often have several paintings in progress at any given time, and not all from the same series. Painting is an ongoing self-discovery process for me.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “Vinca Pot” 2020. Oil on Canvas vas, 20”x20”. $500. |
RP: What kind of music, books, and movies do you listen to while making art?
SL: Music is a very important part of my life. I often think this translates into a lyrical quality to my work. I always play music, sometimes loudly, in my studio. I have pretty eclectic taste in music, but some of my favorites are 80’s dance tunes and alternative/new wave. It must be upbeat, energetic music. I often break out into a "studio dance party", while painting.
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| In Sheila Lamberson's studio. |
RP: Describe your studio space and what, if anything, would you change about it?
SL: My current studio is in the basement of my home. I like the proximity of having it at home vs. a separate location. I currently have 3 easels set up, a drafting table, framing table, and several storage racks/shelves. I have 2 large soft box lights positioned near my main easel, as proper lighting is key for me. I have a large wheeled cart for my palette and supplies, and another wheeled 3 shelved cart for my paint tubes. I would love to have a bigger space as I prefer to work on large paintings.
RP: Describe your dream studio.
SL: My dream studio would be a large, open space with high ceilings. I’d like to have a row of windows on the north side. It would have a separate room or section for framing. Easy loading and unloading would be nice with no stairs to navigate. And there would have to be ample space for a couch for my labradoodles.
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| Sheila Lamberson. “Yin Yang Koi” 2018. Oil on Canvas, 14”x11”. $375. |
RP: What do you do to support your art and how does that impact your art practice?
SL: Individually, I am active on social media, maintain a website, and participate in a couple of art festivals every year. My work can be seen locally at Main Gallery 404 in Bloomington, IL. I also regularly look for additional exhibitions opportunities. These outlets all push me to maintain productive studio habits, by I am most focused on producing the art that resonates with me and comes from my own personal exploration of what interests me.
In my community, I serve on the Board of Directors for the McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington, IL, where I chair our Exhibitions Committee. This has helped me connect with other local artists and be an advocate for the arts in our community.
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| Artist Sheila Lamberson. |
Learn more about Sheila Lamberson: www.sheilalamberson.com and www.instagram.com/slambersonfineart
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “Creatures II” exhibit: Jasmine Raskas, Maplewood, MO. “Ancestral Seed (Origin of Beasts 2).” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas, 36”x24”. $800. Artist’s statement: “Art is my quest for knowledge. The sciences and humanities each look at the world through their own lens but don’t offer a way to synthesize a broader view of existence. My paintings organize and collect universal patterns. “Origin of Beasts” depicts interwoven sheets of biological fabric. There’s no distinction between one organism and its neighbor. Everything from the shape of a bacteria to the opening of a pupil originate from the same source code. At what point do we define this label as “life”?“ |
Jasmine Raskas: The best thing about being an artist in St. Louis is the people. Everyone is so kind and helpful. I’m grateful for all the small inspirational encounters, ongoing encouragement and opportunities for collaborative shows I’ve taken part in. Thank you St. Louisans!
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| Jasmine Raskas.”Playtime.” 2019. Acrylic on Canvas, 48”x48”. |
RP: When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person? -
RP: I didn’t realize I was a particularly creative person until I started trying to teach others. I had no idea imagination could be so difficult to access. I thank my grade school teachers and my parents for allowing me the space to grow.
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| Jasmine Raskas.”Circumnavigate.” 2020. Acrylic on Canvas, 24”x48”. |
RP: What was it that first prompted your career/activity as an artist?
JR: I began making art as a way to store ideas. When I was a kid I started an information collection, bits and pieces of things that are universally true like the periodic table and weather patterns. Art became the best way to make connections between these things and represent abstract thoughts. I accidentally stumbled into art as a career after a series of unforeseen events that led me to believe the time to live for your passion is now, not later. Prior to sharing my art, I was studying science hoping I would at some point later in life get to focus my life on creating art.
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| Jasmine Raskas.”Release.” 2020. Paper, Found Images, 9”x11”. NFS. |
RP: Do you think that creativity involves putting your heart and soul into your work? Or is it more like letting your mind flow freely to witness the surprising results of your actions?
JR: I think the creative process is all about the balance between the energy of control and the art of letting go, the delicate process of catching an idea and molding it into a physical form. I leave space in my workflow to team up with randomness, but still come back to honor the core of the original idea. I’m always playing around with different methods of planning, or not planning, to encourage different outcomes.
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| Jasmine Raskas' studio & workspace. |
RP: Describe your dream studio.
JR: My dream studio has lots of space, high ceilings, good ventilation and natural light. There is enough room to throw a rad party and teach interesting classes. It adjoins to a gallery space that shares the work of others, especially teens, retirees, and other populations who don’t typically have a place to present art. This ideal studio welcomes groups to utilize the gallery space to practice expressive arts therapy, meditation, yoga and other creative healing modalities.
RP: Best advice you were ever given?
JR: “Learn to do everything lightly.” ― Aldous Huxley , Island
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| Jasmine Raskas.”Gravity (Scratchpad).” 2017. Acrylic on Canvas with Sharpie, 30”x40”. |
RP: What is your dream project?
JR: I have many ideas so it’s hard to decide on just one. My dream project is to curate or create a series of billboards or large signs that promote positivity and art to the public. I also want to paint a large floor with a squeegee. If I have time,I’d like to design a new kind of furniture that utilizes organic shapes to create more ergonomic ways of using our environment. Another idea someone absolutely needs take on is to transform old malls into indoor greenhouses/parks with superb Wi-Fi and berries visitors could pick right off the bushes. Why go work in a coffee shop when you could be hanging out with plants? There’s more, but you get the idea that I want to take my love for making things well beyond the studio!
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| Jasmine Raskas.”Entanglement.” 2019. Acrylic on Canvas, 16”x20”. NFS. |
RP: What motivates you to continue making art?
JR: My art is a part of my quest for knowledge. For as long as I’ve been alive I’ve been constantly building and arranging things. The process of creation is the way that I think and the end result is to some degree an accidental byproduct. At some point, I decided to start building these things in a more purposeful way, to share with others. I came to realize that my somewhat impractical meanderings might as well continue to be packaged in a way that’s easy to be shared.
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| Jasmine Raskas.”Codes of Consciousness, part 5c (1/18).” 2019. Acrylic on Canvas, Adhered QR Codes, 12”x12”. |
I’ve spent the last several years getting to know the materials well and am really just getting started on how to properly use them as the powerful tools that they are for transmitting messages through time and space. I enjoy the different ways people react to or connect with a piece because it teaches me something new. I like testing out new ways of getting a message across in multiple mediums and themes.
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| Jasmine Raskas.” Basket Weaving.” 2019, Acrylic on Canvas, 36"x36”. NFS. |
The biggest unanswered question is still the deeper why. I don’t know why I’m compelled to seek answers and truth. I don’t know why I’ve never gotten used to the idea that being alive on planet earth is just a normal natural occurrence to be passed by. It all seems too strange and too perfect to be true. And then there will always be something magical about taking the time to go against the machine and make things with inefficiency, by hand. In a world filling up with mass produced monotony, I’ll always support the thing that leaves behind an unfiltered mark.
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| St. Louis-based artist Jasmine Raskas. |
Learn more about Jasmine Raskas: www.unusmundusart.com and www.instagram.com/unus_mundus_art and www.facebook.com/unusmundusart
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About the artist: Anne began studying ceramics at St. Louis Community College, where she primarily focused on creating work about the environment. She transferred to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2017 and began to salt-fire her work, as well as she started experimenting more with layering glazes and mixing other material with glaze. Amphibians in general became her main focus, as well as she made a body of work which has to do with the Ozark Hellbender. What has stayed consistent in her work is the theme of amphibians being environmental indicators, which means that they are seriously impacted by pollution, habitat loss, and mining. She graduated from SIUE in 2019 and is currently a ceramics instructor at Laumeier Sculpture Park in St. Louis.
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| Featured in Art Saint Louis’ “Creatures II” exhibit: Catherine Anne
Morgan, Kirkwood, MO. “Landverlust.” 2019. White Stoneware, Porcelain
Slip, Fired to cone 6, 14”x11”x7.5”. Artist’s statement: “This piece is a chimera of toads, frogs, and the Ozark Hellbender, a salamander that is endemic to a small area in the United States. It has to do with the loss of habitat, as well as to the preciousness of these delicate creatures. The salamander’s unconventional beauty inspired me to make this work.” |
Roxanne Phillips: Describe your artistic process/technique.
Catherine Anne Morgan: As far as my artistic process is concerned, I find that researching about the topic that I am passionate about helps me in creating informed work, as well as it allows me to be a bit more educated in how the environment impacts us directly.
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| Catherine Anne Morgan. “Verlohren.” Porcelain with Black Underglaze, 16”x9”. |
RP: What was it that first prompted your career/activity as an artist?
CAM: I have always had an interest in art and I began creating work in 2D media, primarily colored pencil and pen. As I got older, I was able to experiment more with 3D media and have found that I can express more freely in clay.
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| Catherine Anne Morgan. “Entdecken.” 2019. Colored Pencil, Watercolor, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper, 16”x36”. |
RP: When did you begin to know what your art is about?
CAM: When I started making pottery, I initially put frogs on pots just to put frogs on pots. As I learned more about the ecosystem and how amphibians stand as environmental indicators, I began to focus more on how we impact their habitat, and also have begun to think more about how my own process impacts the earth and these gentle creatures.
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| Catherine Anne Morgan. “Connect.” 2019. Salt Fired Porcelain, Coral Fossil, 9”x6”. |
RP: How has Coronavirus changed your art practice?
CAM: Currently, my production of sculptural work has slowed a bit, and I have been creating more functional pottery as a result. This is a result of the Coronavirus, as my time in the studio has been reduced in an attempt to reduce capacity.
RP: What advice would you give your younger artist self?
CAM: The advice I would give my younger self would be to have courage and to not doubt myself- something I still struggle with now!
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| St. Louis artist Catherine Anne Morgan with one of her works. |
Learn more about Catherine Anne Morgan: https://ceramaderp.wixsite.com/catherinemorgan
www.instagram.com/ceramaderp
Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant and Installer. From 2018-2020 she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.
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