Progress

I just realized that I haven’t thought of a name for this piece yet. It is about halfway done, so I guess I have time. This 40”x20” piece is drawn with an X-ACTO knife into layers of clay and India ink. Colored inks and paint are added in at the end of the process. That background black texture that is supposed to resemble soil is created by dabbing black acrylic paint between the etched lines. The collectors have a large outdoor space, 7.5 acres, where a myriad of elements from nature compete for your attention, it is stunning! I am like a kid in a candy store being bombarded by every color, pattern, shape and texture you can imagine, not to mention all of the scents! Since I don’t sketch first, I am continuously amazed at how things begin to evolve on the page. More to come!

Inspiration

Helter Shelter Leaves Within by Lisa Goesling

Weigela by Monet

You might not notice the leaves hidden deep in the background, but they are there. I posted a photo of the Weigela Plant on Instagram, along with other favorites in our yard and wrote…Is it possible to write a thank you note to nature? My favorite response was from my friend Britton who wrote, you just did! There is a name for that feeling we get when our heart rate slows down and we are transported by nature… Eco-Psychology. It’s the study of emotional connections between humans and the natural world. That sense of wonder, harmony and timelessness when surrounded by beauty. This new piece is part of my Helter Shelter series, created during our Shelter in Place. I really love to develop movement by drawing with an X-ACTO knife into hard boards layered in India ink and clay, (Scratchbord® by Ampersand). The white is the bottom layer of clay; the more pressure that I put on my knife, the brighter the white. Values are created by varying how much pressure I put on my knife. My last step was to add acrylic paint to the dark leaf shape pattern in the background. 8”x8” framed: 9.5”x9.5”

Moving On

Moving On by Lisa Goesling

Detail of Moving On by Lisa Goesling

Mary Ellen and I had met during a previous exhibition at Water Street Studios. She admired my art and we talked about my path and her new adventure serving people with medical challenges and incorporating art into their curriculum. I offered to help out when her dream comes to fruition. 

Mary Ellen and her husband attended my current exhibition with Photographer, Dave Wensel, Inspired Response. They came up to me to say that they wanted to purchase, Moving On. I was really touched, this piece incorporates so many passages from my life and now it is going to be a part of theirs.

I know my fellow artists can attest to this fact, there is something so special about seeing your art go to someone you genuinely admire. 

Thank you Water Street Studios for making it possible for us to meet. 

Completed Commissions

Keys Trees by Lisa Goesling 

Keys Trees, above, is a compilation of different trees that I came across during my artist residency with The Studios of Key West. There was so much to take in, like Sea Whips in the ocean swaying back and forth in the waves, (they appear in the background black on black) and so many others, all filled with textures and patterns that practically begged me to draw them!

Detail of Keys Trees by Lisa Goesling

I am constantly fascinated by leaves eaten away by insects and time. They evolve from solid shapes into lace like forms, so delicate to the touch that they require special handling while bringing them to life on the page. This piece, Almost There, captures the passage of what was into what is. Completing the bottom leaf meant that the base of the art has weight allowing the top leaves to float above. The textured surface of the background adds contrast to the smooth ink and fine lines.

Detail of Almost There by Lisa Goesling

Spontaneous Combustion #38

Spontaneous Combustion #38 by Lisa Goesling

After eating grapes, I looked at the vine and thought, the movement of a bare branch is absolutely stunning. So I started to draw the shape of the vine and used the negative space as a jumping off place for the textures and patterns. My new series, Spontaneous Combustion,   incorporates both my love of nature and my love of design. The details force the viewer to come in close. Leaves and flowers abound mixed with all sorts of patterns that intertwine inviting you to keep searching for more surprises. 

Detail of Spontaneous Combustion #8 by Lisa Goesling

Captivating Art: LISA GOESLING-written by Renee LaVerne Rose

Finished Draft by Lisa Goesling

 http://emagazine.acs-mag.com/acs-magazine-septemb…/…/228-229

For those of you who haven't heard of Renee LaVerne Rose, it won't be long before she becomes a household word. Renee is a powerful supporter of artists worldwide, Director of ACS Gallery, Chicago, and Founder, Publisher, and Editor-In-Chief at ACS Magazine. Her ability to understand what drives an artist comes from her passion for creating her own art. Renee's generous spirit is what led her to interviewing me for ACS Magazine's September/October issue. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks, Renee!

Moving On-Completed

Moving on by Lisa Goesling

Detail of Moving On by Lisa Goesling

Another Detail of Moving On by Lisa Goesling

My mark making took me on a journey from creating what I thought would be a vertical piece, to one that worked best horizontally. The only thing I planned was to use both found objects and abstract designs...from there I just trusted what would happen as I dragged my X-ACTO knife across the board. From a composition standpoint, I wanted to keep the eye moving yet invite the viewer to stop when landing on something interesting. Subtle textures support the bolder shapes as they glide across the page. The hint of a dragonfly's wings, circular shapes forming a wasps nest on the lower right, even little people that I love to draw, hidden in the gap above the shell like structure on the left. I enjoy completing a piece that looks well thought out even though I simply allowed it be flow. 

UPCOMING SOLO EXHIBITION

The End of the Story

Orchid Bud by Lisa Goesling

This single Orchid Bud, no larger than a dime, really intrigued me. There was nothing particularly grand about it when viewed through the naked eye, but once I placed my magnifying glass between my eye and this bud, something truly unexpected occurred. An undulating structure, more brain-like than flower appeared, filled with an array of colors that weren't there a minute ago.

After hours of capturing the twisted layers that formed this tiny bud, I finally had it framed and put on display. 

Normally that would have been the end of it. But not in this case, in this case I knew that there was more to the story. 

Back to the drawing board, I introduced the evolution of an orchid, contrasting the buds tight shapes with the suggestion of a fully realized flower. 

Uprooted

Uprooted by Lisa Goesling

It's fascinating to me that roots hidden deep below the surface of the Earth can mimic what rises above them. 

Complicated systems of 'branches' weaving in and out, soil still clinging to their armature even though the roots were removed from the ground weeks ago. The only thing that has shown signs of passing are the leaves, still attached but twisted into something very different from their previous incarnation. 

A Single 'Shroom

A Single 'Shroom by Lisa Goesling

I am not sure how many hours went into this piece. It's been breathing in my studio for a while. There are always questions lying somewhere in my subconscious, do I leave out some of my subject, if so, how much? Does it tell the whole story without the whole mushroom? Is it necessary to add color? Is it more powerful black and white? What about the background, add a soil like texture to contrast the smooth lines? Every artist constantly deals with editing questions along the way, knowing that each choice takes them down a different path. Since I don't sketch my art first, I never really know which direction I am going until I know that I have arrived. 

Bark

Bark by Lisa Goesling

I've walked past this incredible tree for twenty-five years. Eastern Cottonwoods have been known to live up to 300 years; who knows how many people have stopped to marvel at this majestic beauty right by the creek, with its deep fissures and subtle colors. I always knew that some day it would become my muse, now is that time. I finally dove in after photographing it from every angle and studying it up close. Capturing the complex structure of the bark with it's multiple layers, sent me on a journey of deep discovery into form and pattern. Bark is one of several pieces that will ultimately make up my birds nest cube 'sculpture'.