Room with a view

For 12 years, Shane Lamb has built a reputation as one of Alaska's finest artists, producing warm paintings of the Mat-Su Valley, colorful prints of the view of Denali and intricate paintings of the Alaska Railroad weaving through the state he loves.

And now, after those 12 years, he is really inspired, something that should make art lovers happy.

Lamb and his family moved into their dream home on Lazy Mountain earlier this year. Shane Lamb Studios now overlooks the Matanuska River and Cook Inlet, with a view spanning from Byers Peak to Mount Susitna. From his deck, Lamb can take in one of the most spectacular views in Alaska -- and use that energy in his work.

"It's in the middle of nature, and that's what I paint," Lamb said as he looked out over Byers Peak Tuesday afternoon. "I'm sure these scenes will start showing up in my paintings."

For Lamb, the first-class studio is a far cry from his first studio as a professional artist. He said that first studio was in one of his children's bedrooms. As he grew as an artist, so did the size and location of his studios. From the bedroom to Lazy Mountain, Lamb has steadily grown as an artist.

Humble beginnings

Lamb started painting as a student at Palmer High School, but he nearly didn't choose that as a career path. While at Brigham Young University, he was studying pre-med and thought he wanted to become a doctor.

"I was miserable," he said. "I gave it a lot of thought and decided I needed to study what I love, and that was art. Eventually, everything started clicking."

At BYU he found two things he loved -- the study of art, and a girl named Erin. Shane and Erin married while at BYU, and they had their first child there. Coming out of college, the two struck a deal that ultimately paved the way for Shane's success.

"She already had a job here in Palmer as a nurse, so we decided to give it five years for me to make it as an artist," Lamb said. "I was starting by trying to create something out of nothing. I asked myself, 'What am I going to paint?'"

It was a leap of faith for both he and his wife.

"Sometimes you can't see where the journey will take you, but you have to take the first steps to find out," Lamb said.

The first paintings

With Erin working full-time, Lamb started his art career with four seasonal prints of the Matanuska Valley. It was a logical choice as a starting point, he said.

"I grew up here, and I played in those Colony barns," Lamb explained. "I talked to Judi Rideout about it. She was already established and she was very encouraging to me. She said nobody is doing that well right now, and you should go for it. That was in 1991."

The four prints were successful, and for the next few years, Lamb concentrated on scenes from the Matanuska Valley. Each new print was well received, and his name started to attract attention.

"I think people buy my art because they like it, they like what they see and the scenes depicted," Lamb said. "They don't buy it because it has my name on it. I guess some people are silly enough to buy art because of who painted it, but they should be buying it because they enjoy it.

"I grew up here so I already knew a lot of people and had that base established," Lamb said. "But you have to keep producing good artwork or people will forget."

Land that he loves

Lamb said he has come to the realization that he is a regional artist, and he is comfortable with that. "I have tried to go Outside with my stuff, but it's tough," Lamb said. "I've come to the conclusion that Alaska is my market. It's already my subject."

Sitting at the easel and painting is just a small part of the process that results in another breathtaking oil and acrylic painting. Before he ever picks up a brush, he picks up a camera and starts taking picture after picture. He researches his subjects extensively. For "Denali -- Field of Dreams" one of his top-selling prints, he made over 100 trips to Denali, taking slide after slide of different views, lighting conditions and scenery.

"I got to the point that I knew what time of day I needed to be there for the exact lighting condition I wanted in the painting," Lamb said.

Lamb then draws his scene, and often, he does a study painting -- a smaller version he uses as reference when he starts the larger, original painting.

"By that time, I feel more comfortable than jumping into the big painting," Lamb explained. "A lot of freshness and spontaneity goes into the study painting. But then, sometimes, I want that energy going into the big painting, and I want that freshness to show in the big painting."

What people don't realize, Lamb said, is the time involved in each painting.

"I stopped figuring out how much I was making an hour because it was discouraging," Lamb said with a chuckle. "It's a painstakingly slow process. I don't think people appreciate how much goes into a painting before an artist ever picks up a brush. It's such a mental challenge. There's a lot of problem-solving that takes place."

Trying to get ahead

Lamb's success as an artist has also proven to be what has limited him in an ironic twist.

He is self-published, meaning he takes care of every aspect of the publishing -- from overseeing quality control to choosing papers and handling distribution and promotion duties. It also means he writes the check for the entire run of prints, before the general public gets to see them. That's why a typical run consists of only 400 to 500 prints.

"I order the entire run at once, so I have to project how many I'm going to sell," he explained.

With such a limited edition, his prints sell out often. He has sold out "14 or 15 prints," for an average of two a year. He also produces an average of two new prints a year.

"I just can't seem to get ahead because for every two I bring out, I have two that sell out," Lamb said. "I'd like to get my portfolio up to 30 or so prints for people to choose from."

With the new studio, that could be a possibility. He is hoping for four new prints this year. He recently released "Family Ties," "Harmony" and "Country Roads II."

"Family Ties" and "Harmony" have animals (polar bears and loons, respectively) as their subjects. Branching off into wildlife is something Lamb said he expects to continue.

"It appeals to a wider audience," Lamb said.

Gallery owner

Four summers ago, Lamb and his wife partnered with his parents to open Three Bears Gallery in Denali National Park. His parents run it every summer, while he stocks it and makes contacts. Erin handles the paperwork, making it a family business that has become very successful.

While the gallery is an obvious showcase of Lamb's prints, it is also a welcomed opportunity to other Alaskans.

"It's a fantastic market, with all the tourists who come through the park," Lamb said. "The big hotels, they buy all their Alaska stuff from one vendor, and you turn it over and it's made in Taiwan or China. Everything we sell in Three Bears is made by Alaskans. The big companies don't have time to buy from 80 different vendors like we do.

"I figured I knew these people anyway, so why not start a gallery there and showcase Alaska's artists?" Lamb said.

Lamb and his family opened the gallery in the Cottonwood Creek Mall for two months before Christmas, but don't expect him to become a full-time gallery owner in the future. His commitement is to art. "You have to balance everything. How important is money to you? We figured, 'Let's not be greedy, let's not kill ourselves as business owners. Let's keep doing what we enjoy doing.'"

Looking forward

As he stands on the deck of his custom home, his four children and wife by his side, Lamb knows the 12 years since he took that leap of faith have been worth it. Lamb is as happy as he ever has been, with a new studio, a loving family and a successful art career.

"The first studio was my kid's bedroom, and then I graduated to the garage. Then I had a studio on the side of the house, and now this," Lamb said as he extends his arms in his bright new studio. "Hopefully, we'll be here for a while. I don't ever expect to leave."

That's the news Shane Lamb's many fans want to hear. He hopes to start producing about four to five limited edition prints each year, and he has ventured into the Giclee publishing medium with "Denali -- Field of Dreams."

"It's the wave of the future," Lamb said. "You have to stay ahead of the wave."