BIO
Throughout her life, Lisa has been creating and exploring her artistic side. From illustration, design, painting and stitiching, she has always endeavoured to explore a variety of mediums. Her love of fine art has always been the constant in her life.
Formalising her artistic practice at Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design achieving high merit in her undergraduate Certificate in Foundation followed by high merit in a Certificate of Fine Arts and Design. Being accepted into a Artist Residency in Champagne, France had an enormous affect on Lisa's practice and was a pivotal moment in her artist career.
Lisa creates out of her studio in Sommelsdijk, The Netherlands, after a recent move to Europe with her Dutch husband. Maintaining her studio in her home country of New Zealand means she can take advantage of the difference between the southern and northern hemispheres, both culturally and visually which energises and stimulates her creative experience.
ARTIST STATEMENT
"EFFORT IS NOT MEASURED BY WHAT YOU GET FOR IT, BUT BY WHAT YOU BECOME BECAUSE OF IT" - UNKNOWN
As my art practice evolves, I am conscious of a shift in my approach to my work. I am contemplating and examining why I work the way I do and what drives me. Because of the uncertainty of the world-wide pandemic, its affect on how we live and approach our lives, I feel I have, like many artists, been given the opportunity and time to reflect and slow-down.
As my work has evolved over the past years, I am finding I am drawn to a new way of working that facilitates my need for an equal representation of detail and gestural painterly marks.
Within my fine arts practice pictorial history of past works - either successful or unsuccessful, influence new pieces. A new collection with a starting point of beautiful words that are descriptive and emotive, are offering me endless expressive possibilities and direction. The mediative process of cutting and sitting quietly with a work as it evolves, is such a joy and I am hopeful the viewer finds delight in this new orientation.
As I paint and methodically assemble my various elements and paint skins, I am always intrigued how new independent artworks are formed from a collection of these previous pieces. I find myself examining not only the entirety of a particular vista but also the intricacy of a minute section of flora and fauna. Combining these visually together almost textile like, I am often reminded of the textile designers of the past - particularly William Morris, Chinese Chinoiserie and Japanese Kimono design. I am influenced by their use of repeat motifs and throughout my work you will find images that appear frequently.
Expanding my fine arts practice to include photography has allowed me to explore new dimensions within my creative process. The transition between different mediums has deepened my exploration of light and its role in shaping mood and narrative. In particular, I am captivated by the light in the Netherlands, which feels uniquely different from the natural light in New Zealand. This shift in my environment has brought a new depth to my work, fostering a sense of quiet introspection.
A moody, contemplative tone is emerging in my photographs, as I explore the nuances of light, composition, and palette. Through the lens, I am learning to observe with greater sensitivity, letting my surroundings inform each frame with feeling rather than direct intention. This practice of quiet looking allows me to connect with the world in a more intimate way, capturing moments of subtle beauty and emotion that might otherwise be overlooked.
FINE ARTS PROCESS
"CREATION IS THE ARTISTS TRUE FUNCTION:
WHERE THERE IS NO CREATION, THERE IS NO ART".
Henri Matisse
As a process driven artist, I enjoy experimenting with a variety of mediums. Layers of acrylic and watercolour paint, collaged digitally manipulated art from my own original works, ink, charcoal and pencil. Paint is often removed from one ground to another and collaged into place thereby eliminating brush strokes and textures. This transfer of paint while time consuming and labor intensive, adds a element of interest and provides a connection to the collaged aspect of my work.
The Aesthetic Movement and the Vienna Succession (1897-1914) have been very influential to my own arts practice. Blurring the line between art and craft, giving each equal merit in my compositions, enables me to indulge in my love of pattern, painterly expression and ornamentation. Pieces often have a gold leaf or a metallic element reminiscent of enamel work, and pay homage to the artisans of the illuminated manuscripts. The flourishes used in these manuscripts, such as borders and the miniature illustrations seen in these ancient works are influential to my practice.
Artist models like William Morris and Louis Comfort Tiffany combined with more contemporary artists such as Frank Stella, Beatriz Milhazes, Rex Ray and Raelene Stevens all influence my process. Marianne Norths' iconic collection held at Kew Gardens along with Maria Sybylla Merian (with her research into insects and amphibians and butterflies - not only significant scientifically but aesthetically beautiful), give impetus to new works. I find all these artist models' composition, use of colour and detail so inspirational!
As I begin to move forward in my practice, common elements and motifs are appearing more often. A new body of work is beginning whereby these constants are used in a more ordered way on a reduced colour palette - experimenting with the myriad of tones and shades within one colour is leading me into a place where I feel completely comfortable. Working with repeat patterns and still influenced by my artists models, I am interested in experimenting with how many layers these mono-tonal works can handle before they obliterate into one singular colour.
Another equally significant new body of work is running alongside these mono-tonal works. As I delve into collage as an fine art form, I am experimenting with more 3d elements combined with 2d elements. The beginning point of this new collection came about quite by chance. As I was investigating new beautiful words for my own language expansion, I found that these unusual words were the beginning of my new collection aptly named "Glossary". Each word appears in the artwork and is also the title of each piece. The intricate nature of these works facilitates my need to get absorbed in detail and I find this way of working meditative and absorbing. Multi layers of images are used for this new collection. As I move my illustrations, photos and digital patterns around to form a cohesive pictorial piece; elements are in flux until the point of completion where they are finally adhered into place. I feel there will be an endless pursuit to find new, beautiful, expressive words that act as starting points for these artworks.
Limited Edition prints are now a part of my fine arts practice and I am thoroughly enjoying digitally manipulating previous artworks, creating beautiful patterns and collaging them into recognisable shapes, be it birds, fish, fruit etc. A narrative of history influencing the future is lived out within every new work.