This week we are discovering yet another artist's Studio. Katherine Lubar is a British painter interested in light and shadow and the way this interacts with human-made; built environments.

I pare shapes down to their essential elements, hovering on the edge of abstraction and representation

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Walk us through your academic experience. How do you think your education shaped your career?

I was actually very resistant to being told what to do when I was studying art and I remember at times doing the opposite of what teachers told me. When I finally did my post-graduate diploma, this was the first time I was given my own studio and this changed my work a great deal as, before this, I had always painted what I saw on site (i.e. landscape, still life) and having my own studio separated me from the source material, which meant I started changing things round – altering compositions, playing around with different colors from the original and exerting more control over the final work.

I was actually very resistant to being told what to do when I was studying art and I remember at times doing the opposite of what teachers told me. When I finally did my post-graduate diploma, this was the first time I was given my own studio and this changed my work a great deal

What is indispensable while working in your studio?

Rulers, pencils, paint, a craft knife, and a special tool my old art teacher taught me how to make (a razor blade curved and attached to a pencil stub).

How do you define yourself within the creative industry?

I define myself as a painter and an artist. I don't like seeing fine art as a 'creative industry' as I see art as about more than its commercial value and being an artist is a bit like being a monk, or someone following a spiritual path, as it is really more of a calling than a job, if that makes sense.

I see art as about more than its commercial value and being an artist is a bit like being a monk, or someone following a spiritual path, as it is really more of a calling than a job, if that makes sense.

Who are your favorite artists and who are the ones that built your creative imagination?

I was first very influenced by Edward Hopper, for his interest in light and shadow. I later became aware of the work of Patrick Caulfield, Michael Craig-Martin, and Wayne Thiebauld, which greatly influenced me, especially in their use of color. I also have some old masters I greatly admire, such as Vermeer, and the Flemish Renaissance painters Van Eyck and Memling.

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What is your relationship with social media and how do you use them?

I have a rather difficult relationship with social media, as I much prefer interactions in real life to those on a screen, and I am not the best at making posts as I'd rather be making work in the studio! But I understand how useful it can be to artists who are good at engaging audiences in this way.

How do you research materials for your creative process?

In terms of finding source material, I often use imagery from television and I print out interesting shadows I see in films, etc. I also take photos when I'm out if I see a good shadow or light pattern. It's so much easier now with smartphones, as in the old days, I'd have to do a sketch on the spot, if I saw a good shadow. Now I can quickly take a photo and save it for later. 

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