Langley Advance June 26 2009

Lalita Hamill's talent as an artist was discovered pretty much by accident when she was 25. Like any young child, she dabbled with doodling and colouring, tried painting and even sculpting (if that's what you want to call those handprints in clay and an unused ashtray).

But Hamill apparently inherited a little more artistic ability, than even she was aware of, from her biological father - whom she's never met. All the 36-year-old Walnut Grove woman knows for sure is she has definitely found her calling, blending her passion for painting and drawing, with teaching art, writing about art, and now critiquing art one night a month at the public library.

So who is Hamill? Raised in Dawson Creek, Hamill fled to the big city as soon as she was old enough, with dreams of becoming a teacher - a philosophy professor, to be precise. As the years passed, she attended university and received her degree, launched a career in recreation management, married and started a family.

Through all that, she'd given no thought to art becoming a serious hobby, let alone her new career. Then, in 1996, held captive at a friends place in Victoria for three days by a snowstorm, Hamill pulled a book off the shelf that changed her life forever.

The book contained an inspiring image of the Venice canals. Intrigued by its composition and bored, Hamill sat down and attempted to replicate the image. Not having drawn or done anything else remotely artistic since childhood, Hamill was pleased with the results. Even more amazed she was by people's reactions to her work. That first pencil drawing is stashed away in her home studio, where she suspects it will always remain.

"I will likely never sell it," she said. Unexpectedly, that afternoon of sketching began to change everything for Hamill, who at the time was in her last year as a philosophy major at the University of Victoria.

"All that seems like a lifetime ago," said Hamill, who just recently gave birth to her third child. Needless to say, after that first drawing, she began exploring a little more of her artistic abilities. Hamill continued drawing occasionally for the next seven years, before picking up a paint brush to depict a friend's horse.

It was about that time, five years ago now, that Hamill's art catapulted from her hobby to a new, full-time career. Her husband Patrick had a car accident that left him unable to work due to a brain injury. That's when Hamill began tossing around the idea of a career change.

She'd been working for four years running a recreation centre in Surrey. She had a staff of 75, was high up in management, and was earning a reasonable wage. But suddenly, she needed a job that would allow her to financially support her family, as well as give her more flexibility to care for each of them.

Bringing together all of her skills, including the philosophy learned in a classroom and the business management and marketing skills learned in the field, Hamill opted to start her own art-based business. Never a big risk taker, she remembers that fear that caused her some delay - six months to be exact. But with a sick husband needing her care, and two young daughters needing her attention, she ultimately made the plunge.

"I just took a look around and realized there really wasn't that much security anyway," Hamill said. "I'm going to try to raise a family on an artist's income." A primarily self-taught representational artist, Hamill still dabbles in pen and ink pieces, but focuses most of her time to painting in watercolour, oil, pastel and acrylic.

"My medium changes depending on my subject matter and mood," she told the Langley Advance. Originally, this emerging professional artists launched her new career with a vision of doing commissioned works, selling gift cards, providing graphic illustration, producing architect's renderings, selling original artwork, painting murals, and refacing chalk boards.

"To be an artists, you have to be a jack of all trades," she said, learning how imperative her networking and marketing skills were to selling herself and her work. Although she's an admitted intravert, Hamill realized she had to get out and get known in the art world.

"You have to be out there, unless you're expecting to sit at home and be discovered. And I've got to tell you that doesn't happen very often," Hamill said. She's volunteered a lot in the arts community.

"Over the past four years, I have averaged 40 hours a month of volunteer work. This was primarily with the Langley Arts Council and the Federation of Canadian Artists," she quantified. She's joined and earned recognition through the federation, and while Hamill specializes in portraiture, landscapes and architectural renderings, she is also becoming well known for her versatility; she is skilled at using a wide range of media in a variety of styles and subjects. Of course, like any good business plan, Hamill's vision has morph. A big part of her time now spent teaching art.

"Teaching art came more out of the necessity for income for my family," she said, noting how much she now enjoys it. As an adjunct to her teaching, three years back Hamill was approached by the president of the Langley Arts Council and asked to offer a small group of visual artists a free art critique.

"We were looking for a place where artists can come in a supportive environment and receive honest, constructive feedback," Hamill explained, saying friends and family members aren't always the most honest or knowledgeable on the subject of art.

She partnered with fellow artists Sara Robichaud (nee: McIntosh) and started the first sessions at Westwind Art Gallery. They moved to the Fort Gallery, and now, sessions attract about 20 artists per month and are offered at the downtown library on the last Monday of every month from 7 to 9 p.m. Robichaud has since moved away, leaving Hamill to lead the art critiques.

"It's about getting artists out and involved and communicating with one and other," she said, describing it as an invaluable tool for aspiring artists. While she has people come from afar a field as Vancouver to take part in the critiques, she said a majority (about 70 per cent) of those attending are from Langley, with a smattering from Surrey and Abbotsford. While most in attendance are artists, she admitted her surprise that some are simply art appreciators.

"Most artists say they'd rather stand up there naked than have their work critiqued," Hamill said, explaining that her critiques are not critical.

"I prefer to see people inspired, not humiliated," she said, elaborating how this task has challenged her to give people a vocabulary to talk about art, and in turn give them a deeper appreciation and a better understanding.

"My passion to create and appreciate art comes from a deep sense of awe, curiosity, and a desire to understand who we are and what it means to truly be alive," she said. Admittedly, leading these monthly session has led to other changes in direction for Hamill's career. But they're not unwelcome.

Now, she starting to teach teachers how to teach art, and is spending more time writing about art, as well as leading classes and workshops from home. She's become more than an emerging artist, but an art educator.

"To find something that you're passionate about and something that works for you, well, I feel so lucky to have discovered this," Hamill said. But her success in the arts community has admittedly come with consequences. Begrudgingly, she said, she finds it increasingly difficult to find time to paint.

"That's okay. I know I'm going to be an artist. I'm just at the very beginning of my career. I've been doing this for four years now, I have another good 40 to 50 years ahead of me," she said. "This will keep me busy for years and years and years to come."

Artists are invited to bring a selection of their original visual artwork to the City of Langley library (in Langley City Hall, on Douglas Crescent) to participate in a monthly art critiques, facilitated by local professional artist, Lalita Hamill.

It is a relaxed and supportive environment open to all ages and art appreciators. These original pieces of art will receive constructive feedback from a professional artist, as well as the group. Whether participants have a work of art in progress and are wondering how to proceed, or a completed work that they would like feedback on, these sessions will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about art, improve their eye, and learn more about evaluating art. All of this is meant to be accomplished in a fun, supportive environment, Hamill said.

"This is an evening for artists to get together and discuss art in a meaningful way," Hamill said. "Our goal is that you will walk away feeling inspired."

The Art Critiquing is offered the last Monday of every month. The last session until fall is set for Monday, June 29, 7-9 p.m. Drop-ins are encouraged.


	Hamill Studios \| home Langley Advance 2006 \| Langley Advance June 26 2009 Langley Advance June 26 2009 More than an artist, An educator Walnut Grove's Lalita Hamill leads a monthly art critiquing session at the Langley City library. by Roxanne Hooper Lalita Hamill's talent as an artist was discovered pretty much by accident when she was 25. Like any young child, she dabbled with doodling and colouring, tried painting and even sculpting (if that's what you want to call those handprints in clay and an unused ashtray). But Hamill apparently inherited a little more artistic ability, than even she was aware of, from her biological father - whom she's never met. All the 36-year-old Walnut Grove woman knows for sure is she has definitely found her calling, blending her passion for painting and drawing, with teaching art, writing about art, and now critiquing art one night a month at the public library. So who is Hamill? Raised in Dawson Creek, Hamill fled to the big city as soon as she was old enough, with dreams of becoming a teacher - a philosophy professor, to be precise. As the years passed, she attended university and received her degree, launched a career in recreation management, married and started a family. Through all that, she'd given no thought to art becoming a serious hobby, let alone her new career. Then, in 1996, held captive at a friends place in Victoria for three days by a snowstorm, Hamill pulled a book off the shelf that changed her life forever. The book contained an inspiring image of the Venice canals. Intrigued by its composition and bored, Hamill sat down and attempted to replicate the image. Not having drawn or done anything else remotely artistic since childhood, Hamill was pleased with the results. Even more amazed she was by people's reactions to her work. That first pencil drawing is stashed away in her home studio, where she suspects it will always remain. "I will likely never sell it," she said. Unexpectedly, that afternoon of sketching began to change everything for Hamill, who at the time was in her last year as a philosophy major at the University of Victoria. "All that seems like a lifetime ago," said Hamill, who just recently gave birth to her third child. Needless to say, after that first drawing, she began exploring a little more of her artistic abilities. Hamill continued drawing occasionally for the next seven years, before picking up a paint brush to depict a friend's horse. It was about that time, five years ago now, that Hamill's art catapulted from her hobby to a new, full-time career. Her husband Patrick had a car accident that left him unable to work due to a brain injury. That's when Hamill began tossing around the idea of a career change. She'd been working for four years running a recreation centre in Surrey. She had a staff of 75, was high up in management, and was earning a reasonable wage. But suddenly, she needed a job that would allow her to financially support her family, as well as give her more flexibility to care for each of them. Bringing together all of her skills, including the philosophy learned in a classroom and the business management and marketing skills learned in the field, Hamill opted to start her own art-based business. Never a big risk taker, she remembers that fear that caused her some delay - six months to be exact. But with a sick husband needing her care, and two young daughters needing her attention, she ultimately made the plunge. "I just took a look around and realized there really wasn't that much security anyway," Hamill said. "I'm going to try to raise a family on an artist's income." A primarily self-taught representational artist, Hamill still dabbles in pen and ink pieces, but focuses most of her time to painting in watercolour, oil, pastel and acrylic. "My medium changes depending on my subject matter and mood," she told the Langley Advance. Originally, this emerging professional artists launched her new career with a vision of doing commissioned works, selling gift cards, providing graphic illustration, producing architect's renderings, selling original artwork, painting murals, and refacing chalk boards. "To be an artists, you have to be a jack of all trades," she said, learning how imperative her networking and marketing skills were to selling herself and her work. Although she's an admitted intravert, Hamill realized she had to get out and get known in the art world. "You have to be out there, unless you're expecting to sit at home and be discovered. And I've got to tell you that doesn't happen very often," Hamill said. She's volunteered a lot in the arts community. "Over the past four years, I have averaged 40 hours a month of volunteer work. This was primarily with the Langley Arts Council and the Federation of Canadian Artists," she quantified. She's joined and earned recognition through the federation, and while Hamill specializes in portraiture, landscapes and architectural renderings, she is also becoming well known for her versatility; she is skilled at using a wide range of media in a variety of styles and subjects. Of course, like any good business plan, Hamill's vision has morph. A big part of her time now spent teaching art. "Teaching art came more out of the necessity for income for my family," she said, noting how much she now enjoys it. As an adjunct to her teaching, three years back Hamill was approached by the president of the Langley Arts Council and asked to offer a small group of visual artists a free art critique. "We were looking for a place where artists can come in a supportive environment and receive honest, constructive feedback," Hamill explained, saying friends and family members aren't always the most honest or knowledgeable on the subject of art. She partnered with fellow artists Sara Robichaud (nee: McIntosh) and started the first sessions at Westwind Art Gallery. They moved to the Fort Gallery, and now, sessions attract about 20 artists per month and are offered at the downtown library on the last Monday of every month from 7 to 9 p.m. Robichaud has since moved away, leaving Hamill to lead the art critiques. "It's about getting artists out and involved and communicating with one and other," she said, describing it as an invaluable tool for aspiring artists. While she has people come from afar a field as Vancouver to take part in the critiques, she said a majority (about 70 per cent) of those attending are from Langley, with a smattering from Surrey and Abbotsford. While most in attendance are artists, she admitted her surprise that some are simply art appreciators. "Most artists say they'd rather stand up there naked than have their work critiqued," Hamill said, explaining that her critiques are not critical. "I prefer to see people inspired, not humiliated," she said, elaborating how this task has challenged her to give people a vocabulary to talk about art, and in turn give them a deeper appreciation and a better understanding. "My passion to create and appreciate art comes from a deep sense of awe, curiosity, and a desire to understand who we are and what it means to truly be alive," she said. Admittedly, leading these monthly session has led to other changes in direction for Hamill's career. But they're not unwelcome. Now, she starting to teach teachers how to teach art, and is spending more time writing about art, as well as leading classes and workshops from home. She's become more than an emerging artist, but an art educator. "To find something that you're passionate about and something that works for you, well, I feel so lucky to have discovered this," Hamill said. But her success in the arts community has admittedly come with consequences. Begrudgingly, she said, she finds it increasingly difficult to find time to paint. "That's okay. I know I'm going to be an artist. I'm just at the very beginning of my career. I've been doing this for four years now, I have another good 40 to 50 years ahead of me," she said. "This will keep me busy for years and years and years to come." Art critiquing Artists are invited to bring a selection of their original visual artwork to the City of Langley library (in Langley City Hall, on Douglas Crescent) to participate in a monthly art critiques, facilitated by local professional artist, Lalita Hamill. It is a relaxed and supportive environment open to all ages and art appreciators. These original pieces of art will receive constructive feedback from a professional artist, as well as the group. Whether participants have a work of art in progress and are wondering how to proceed, or a completed work that they would like feedback on, these sessions will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about art, improve their eye, and learn more about evaluating art. All of this is meant to be accomplished in a fun, supportive environment, Hamill said. "This is an evening for artists to get together and discuss art in a meaningful way," Hamill said. "Our goal is that you will walk away feeling inspired." The Art Critiquing is offered the last Monday of every month. The last session until fall is set for Monday, June 29, 7-9 p.m. Drop-ins are encouraged. To learn a little more about Hamill and her critiquing methods, visit her website at: www.hamillstudios.ca © Langley Advance 2009