Lamb fashions art with a purpose

By RENEE FITE

Beauty feeds the soul.

When Cathy Leigh Lamb heard a minister utter that phrase, it directed her path toward art.

It was a direction she was considering, anyway, after an injury left her unable to do her job working with horses.

She also adjunct teaches for Northeastern State University; paints on silk; and partners with Sophia Sweeney to present Art Connection, a popular summer arts camp for kids.

“We were at a Bible study, talking about using our talents,” Lamb said. “That’s when I really focused on art seriously as a career.”

Actually, that would be a second career, following therapeutic work with horses in Dallas and New York.

Hand-painting silk scarves is Lamb’s latest medium of working with textiles.

She also makes collages, three-dimensional forms such as bowls, masks, torsos and prints.

“I love functional art,” she said. “You can wear scarves, hang them on the wall, frame them, use them on a table or tie on your purse.”

Scarves feature inspirational words, quotes and scripture, some with a butterfly, river, mountains, a dragon, irises and trees.

“I’m working on horses now; they’re a good subject because of the flow and movement,” she said.

Lamb custom-designs scarves, and likes experimenting with colors and styles.

The scarves are sold in a shop in Pagosa Springs, Colo., at art shows and online on ETSY, which is like eBay for hand-crafted items.

She turned a flower arrangement from her grandmother into paper and did so for a friend’s bridal bouquet to personalize it.

Creating art is relaxing and fun, and sometimes challenging, she said.

“I enjoy the creative process, and finishing a piece, it can sometimes take on a life of its own,” she said. “When I’m not creating, I really feel it.”

Teaching fundamentals of art and paper-making as an adjunct professor allows her to empower people.

“I like teaching, so others can see their creative side,” Lamb said. “We miss so much of what’s around us; so many people don’t see their potential.”

Art, like everything else, takes practice, she said.

Her favorite piece is a linoleum print she made in ninth grade.

“I always liked art and horses,” she said. “Now I’m bringing horses back into my art.”

Native and design patterns are influenced by her Celtic and Native American heritage. A trip to Bulgaria to study paneurhythmy was inspirational, with the array of churches, mountains, lakes and sculpture on display.

“I like vibrant colors and texture,” she said. “That’s why I like paper-making, silks and pottery. I’m a very tactile person, obviously; that’s why I worked with horses.”

She prints on a variety of plant fibers made from mulberry, gampi (bark), cotton and yucca, which make great handmade paper.

“Silk was a different fiber to start working with,” she said.

After attending a silk painting workshop with Barbara Moore, she was hooked.

Lamb and son Benjamin, 15, live in Tahlequah, as does her mother, Donna Harris. Lamb earned her bachelor of arts from NSU, her bachelor of science from Louisiana Tech.

Osage artist Gina Gray and master printer Maxine Richards were major influences on her art.

“Gina does amazing print-making and monoprints,” Lamb said. “Maxine has Mimosa Press. She prints a combination of painting and print-making.”

Print-making is like painting on an etched plate, then pressing it on a prepared paper.

“It’s an old process,” she said. “You can get different effects with handmade paper. Each paper makes a unique image; you can combine it with new techniques and it can be very experimental using mixed media.”

The Art Connection is a project she really enjoys.

“Sophia [Sweeney] and I teach the summer camp so kids can have fun learning experiences,” she said. They offer print-making, paper-making, tie-dye - each year is something different. It really helps kids to work with their hands, whether it’s clay or painting. It helps their confidence and to be more inspired.”

All people need to create, she said.

“We need the creative process of working with our hands, whether it’s music or visual art,” she said. “It’s all connected with history, science and math. To me, a lot of it is about the beauty and inspiration. We may be inspired by our surroundings or what we are going through at that time.”

Art is connected with many other subjects, she said.

“We see a lot of our history in art,” Lamb said, “and in science, especially when I do paper-making.”

At one time, Lamb could name all the muscles in a horse’s body.

After working with a holistic vet in Dallas, then doing state-of-the-art therapy with horses in New York, a horse-related injury ended that career at age 30. She studied different movements, dance and yoga to help with recovery and to cope with pain.

“And now, horses are coming back into my life through art,” she said.

Gratitude keeps her going.

“Being grateful is important to me; that’s why I put the words on the scarves,” Lamb said. “Everybody needs encouragement and uplifting.”