14-year-old Berthoud artist Isabella Lamar entered her first art competition with this portrait, “Woman in Black and White.” She was named a semi-finalist in the K12 National Art Competition.

By Terry Georgia
The Surveyor

Berthoud resident Isabella Lamar entered her first art competition recently and was named a national semi-finalist. She is 14. Completely self-taught, Isabella is a masterful painter who spends most of her free time working on several different paintings at once, moving from one to the other as inspiration moves her.
Lamar, who has been making art as long as she can remember, says she only started focusing on doing art in the last three years. “I started taking my own photos and watching a lot of YouTube videos and art-related documentaries,” she said of her training, “it opened me up to a lot of ideas.” Without any formal training, Lamar has nurtured her own talent by exploring different mediums and styles. She estimates that she’s already completed well over 200 paintings of all different sizes.

Lamar loves oil painting. Her favorite subjects are portraits. It was a stunning portrait called “Woman in Black and White” that catapulted her to national recognition in her first competition. She made the portrait using an unusual combination of acrylic paint and molding clay. Working with the clay was new to her, and she did it to add another level to the challenge. The piece took her approximately five hours to complete.

Lamar’s portrait reached the semi-finals of the K12 National Art Competition, competing against 3,000 other students from across the country. Of the 100 students who entered from Colorado, it was Lamar who was chosen to represent the state in the final round. She finished as a semi-finalist. As a finalist, Lamar will receive a group virtual art lesson with a professional artist and her work will be showcased in a virtual art gallery. The physical painting will be displayed in the Washington D.C. area for one year.

Lamar is in eighth grade. She attends school online through the Colorado Preparatory Academy, a national public school program which is part of the Colorado public school system. The Academy follows a curriculum provided by K12 Inc., which sponsored the art competition.

In addition to virtual classes, the school provides art supplies and gives Lamar the opportunity to complete her school work at her own pace, leaving plenty of time for making art — and playing competitive softball, her other passion. Lamar’s team, Sting Softball, plays in fast-pitch softball tournaments from March through October. They practice five times a week, which cuts into painting time and is another reason Lamar prefers going to school online. She says it’s far more flexible than a standard school day and saves her a lot of time she’d rather spend in her home-studio.

Isabella Lamar’s mother, Quia Gonzalez, is pleased that her daughter entered the art competition and did so well. “She’s quiet and stays to herself,” said the proud Mom, “I’m happy that she finally got some recognition.”

“Oil painting is my thing,” Lamar says, “I literally spend all my free time doing art.” She has already done a few commissions, but isn’t sure yet if she’ll pursue art as a career. She loves the freedom of being able to paint whatever inspires her at the moment. At 14, Isabella Lamar has already created an impressive art collection. Whatever career she ultimately chooses, art will undoubtedly remain a central part of her creative life.