Hi, I'm Lisa.

What Inspired My Work -  In 2002, I put my cat to sleep.  She had cancer.  Speaking to a co-worker about how devastated I was over taking her life, I was told, "It doesn't matter because animals don't have souls.”  I was speechless.  I believe everything that exists, whether human, animal, plant, or mineral is achingly beautiful because of the spark of the divine within.  Like religious icons, my paintings strive to express that “spark” and the ethereal thread that weaves through and connects all things, from invisible atoms to the distant stars.  My hope is to foster respect for those connections and therefore all the humans, animals, plants, and minerals that make up our universe.

 

My Painting Process -  I begin each painting by applying a specialty paste to the canvas using random brushstrokes to create a texture.  Once that layer is dry, I paint a wash of color over the texture as a background.  Then I paint the subject by strategically dragging thick acrylic paint over the texture.  The high points of that texture will pick up the thick colors while the “valleys” allow the wash of color to show through.

 

The Constellation Paintings -  These were inspired by a photo of Steve the Cat sprawled on a yoga mat that looked like a starry sky.  A cat constellation?  That led me down a rabbit hole of research. The more I learn about constellations, the deeper I'm drawn into the kaleidoscopic interconnections of science, spirituality, history, math, and myth.  Constellations are not merely the fanciful imaginings of ancients.  There is so much more to their stories. These paintings were created to help grow that awareness.