Artist's Statement
"I began creating series of paintings in the late 1970s; the ”Ojai” series was the first, containing the original symbols that evolved into my icons.
Understanding that I was on a journey that I could never completely verbalize, my starting point was to begin with a visual expression of an abstract feeling. Realizing I could never get the complexity of a feeling down in the first painting, my process became an exploration through a number of pieces - sometimes there are 25 in a series, and some have 200 or more - to evolve the clarification of the feeling.
As I progress through the pieces I hone in the composition, correcting the line, form, and color to be as accurate a replication of the internal vision as I can manage.
I work toward capturing the magic that ultimately creates a “masterwork” - something that touches the universal heartbeat of humanity.”
~Howard Lamar
"I began creating series of paintings in the late 1970s; the ”Ojai” series was the first, containing the original symbols that evolved into my icons.
Understanding that I was on a journey that I could never completely verbalize, my starting point was to begin with a visual expression of an abstract feeling. Realizing I could never get the complexity of a feeling down in the first painting, my process became an exploration through a number of pieces - sometimes there are 25 in a series, and some have 200 or more - to evolve the clarification of the feeling.
As I progress through the pieces I hone in the composition, correcting the line, form, and color to be as accurate a replication of the internal vision as I can manage.
I work toward capturing the magic that ultimately creates a “masterwork” - something that touches the universal heartbeat of humanity.”
~Howard Lamar
Iconology
“To me, icons are a form of language with universal meaning. You see an icon and innately, intuitively understand it. The icons evolved as my own original language that expanded my work into other realms. I went from symbols and signs to icons that represent an insight. There is a door to understanding, left open just a crack. Icons filing the door open wider, and let us see, learn, and feel so much more.”
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Iconology
Sun: Warmth, light, strength, and masculinity. Also represents the human spirit of Enlightenment.
Bird of Discernment: Wisdom. This was the first icon Howard created and is considered one of the most important. This character has one leg in the real world and one leg is in the unreal world. He is able to distinguish between the two worlds. Many times you may see this bird on the man’s
shoulders, counseling him in his life decisions.
Star: Represents the Universe and all its infinite creative possibilities. The Star is a guiding force - it is magical, inspirational, and intuitive.
Moon: Generally accompanies the man and woman, denoting
something yet unexpressed or unexplained between them. May also mean romance.