Artist Gallery One of Six New Businesses at the Hiland Building in Fort Thomas

Timothy Lancaster has opened Lancaster Artworks in the heart of Fort Thomas’ Central Business District. His business is one of six new businesses in the historic Hiland Building. (photo provided)

 by Robin Gee

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the good news is new businesses continue to open up throughout the region. Earlier this winter, the Hiland Building, at 18 North Fort Thomas Avenue in Fort Thomas’s Central Business District, welcomed six new businesses. Most were still moving in as the holidays approached, and owners said they are looking forward to an active spring and summer ahead.

The new businesses include Comal, a new taco-centric restaurant that took over the space formerly occupied by Colonel’s Kitchen and Catering, a travel agency (Foerster Travel), the Bluegrass and Sass boutique, two salons (Cinema Beauty and The Monroe Studio) and Lancaster Artworks, a gallery and art studio. 

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Lancaster Artworks

Tim Lancaster is the owner of Lancaster Artworks. He is currently preparing for his first show in Fort Thomas on March 23.

“I’ve had a dedicated studio space as long as I can remember, for about 20 years now. But, this is the first space I’ve had with an area I can dedicate as a gallery,” Lancaster said.

When you enter his space on the first floor of the Hiland Building, you enter into the gallery space first, but you can see a backroom he uses as studio space as well.

“I was looking for a place with a gallery where people might be walking by,” he said. “We looked at buying some buildings, and when this came up it seemed like the perfect fit.”

Lancaster grew up in Fort Mitchell and was familiar with Fort Thomas (he was technically born in Fort Thomas at St. Luke Hospital, he noted), but he took some time to explore before making his decision.

“I walked around the town, and with the post office, local coffee shop, little deli, couple of banks, it just seemed an ideal community to be a part of, so I was really excited to come to Fort Thomas.”

For the love of paint

You could say Lancaster started painting pretty much as soon as he could hold a brush steady.

“I started painting when I was eight,” he said. “I painted my room royal blue. I don’t know how I talked my mom into that. Then I got all these paint by number American Revolution paintings to paint, and I decorated my room Federal style. I had so much fun the next year I painted it China read and did the same sort of Federal theme.”

From painting his room he moved on to painting murals on his basement walls and finally to taking lessons from a professional artist and painting in her basement. He then attended art classes at Baker Hunt. His dad declined to pay for him to study art in college, but he said he kept on with his dream, painting every day.

He went out west to study art and said he was fortunate to learn from three world-class teachers, including one in Santa Fe who took him into his studio and shared with him what he calls “the secret handshakes” of artists dating back to the 1600s. “My artwork really took a huge step up after working with him,” Lancaster said.

“When I was 23, I started Lancaster Artworks. I did everything. Murals and faux art was really coming back in the early ’80s, so when I started the business, I did a lot of murals. I just loved paint…I’ve really done it all. I’ve done murals, I’ve painted houses on ladders, exteriors to pay the bills, so I’ve had my hand in paint everyday since I was 19,” he said.

“I’ve even done murals at Piggly Wiggly’s of produce, things like that. If it could be done with a brush, I was all too happy to explore and give it a try.”

Variety and an appreciation of American Tonalism

When first stepping into Lancaster Artworks, the variety in the artist’s work is striking. Recent paintings include a series of lively abstracts with bright colors on black backgrounds, yet in the studio beyond, is a series of more classic landscapes.

The wide variety, he said, is “largely due to my past experience. It would be nothing in one room to do a ceiling with a beautiful sunset, sky with clouds with different pinks and lavenders and then go into the next room and have some sort of sponged ragged wall that looks like modern faux art.”

He said he did the bright abstracts during the Covid lockdown when he said many of his normal activities were restricted.

“When you peak into the back room where my studio is you see a lot of landscapes — that’s what I’m doing now, and that’s where I live…The series I’m working on right now is based on American Tonalism, which is an amazing spiritual type art from the late 1800s, early 1900s in the US. All my heroes, Twachtman [John Henry Twachtman], James Whistler, Leon Dabo, the artists that really rock my world, they all did Tonalism.”

Lancaster said his landscapes will be featured during his gallery opening. While people are welcome to stop by whenever he is in, he said the event on March 23 from 6 to 9 p.m. will be a grand opening.

“We’re very excited about it. I’ve had openings at other galleries, but this is the first time I’m at my own gallery, my own show,” he said.

Lancaster’s work can also be seen at an annual charity event held at the Peterloon estate this spring. The event draws people from all over the region to bid on art. The proceeds are then split between the artists and the charity. This year’s event will benefit Lighthouse for Youth.

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To have a hand in paint everyday

Lancaster shared one piece of advice for the budding artists in the community: Paint every day.

“I think instruction is really important…but I think what is more important is painting every day…I paint every day because I need to. I love to,” he said.

His passion for paint has led to a long and varied career. “I was willing to do whatever it took to have my hand in paint everyday. And I just think it’s really very important to paint all the time.”

Even for those of us whose passions lie elsewhere, Lancaster noted how art adds value to all our lives.

“In the lock down the pieces of art we had in our house, whether it was a piece of Rookwood pottery or a lamp or a painting — even the colors on our walls —they just seemed to be a lot more meaningful when we were stuck in the house. I just really appreciated anew having the beauty around me.”

To see some of his work and learn more, go to the Lancaster Artworks Facebook page.