​CARMEN LAMP discovered her passion for painting the same year that her mother passed. She too was passionate about fine art and although Carmen had always admired her work, she was never able to paint alongside, and learn from her. When her mother passed, her paints, brushes and canvases were given to Carmen and somehow, she felt that her passion was too. Carmen feels that painting is one way that she can honor the memory of her mother.
Carmen's medium of choice is soft pastel on sanded paper that she mounts herself on archival board. She starts with a pastel underpainting and an alcohol wash to establish the composition and value definitions, usually completed in the local color or contrasting color in certain areas. Her compositions are rendered based on videos and photos of the scene. When painting waves, videos are especially valuable when attempting to capture the evolution in movement and light as the wave crests, curls, and crashes. After having established the composition, value, and elements of the painting, Carmen will often complete her paintings by 'responding' to the pastel marks and layers as they are applied.
 "I enjoy watching a blank canvas evolve and unfold through the process of constant learning and experimenting with color, light, mood and contrast. I predominantly paint with pastels; I love the dreaminess and immediacy of the medium. Every piece of art is a discovery that brings me great joy and satisfaction. My hope is that the final rendering of my artwork evokes an emotion in the viewer that encapsulates what it was that I experienced when having viewed the scene myself."
 Carmen has a studio in her home in Westlake Village, California. She is an active member of several art organizations in her community. All her pastel paintings are professionally framed with anti-reflective, UV-blocking glass to help ensure preservation and clear visualization of the artwork's texture, colors, and details.