A Single 'Shroom / August 7, 2015 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.

3D Cube / May 17, 2015 by Lisa Goesling

I love finding little gifts waiting for me outside; they become my muse for a few weeks, or in this case several months! A simple birds nest with a few cracked eggs-instantly consuming my thoughts..."how do I capture this?" After photographing the nest from all angles to make certain I had a good representation of it before it disintegrated; I gathered similar materials from the yard, dried up brush, twigs, leaves and pine needles. For this piece, I am using a 2 sided box that is 20"x20" and 6" deep, one side is a black scratchboard, the other white aqua board. You can see how I treated the black side by using an X-Acto knife to draw layers of dried brush. In addition to capturing the movement and delicacy of the materials, I intend to add smaller paintings and black scratchboards to the surface. I like the idea of providing multiple layers of interest and will repeat this technique on the other side with a mix of photography, paintings, drawings and actual brush.

Close to the Sun 2 / April 25, 2015 by Lisa Goesling

Close to the Sun 2/Rambutan by Lisa Goesling

I don't know if this happens to you, but I can't walk into the produce section without being drawn to the unusual shapes, textures and colors that abound. I had no idea what a Rambutan but was instantly inspired. Rambut is the Malay word for "hair", which these tiny fruits from Southeast Asia have an abundance of. Their spikey texture left me to wondering about the brave (likely hungry) souls who took a chance on this unusual fruit in the first place. I couldn't wait to study this unfamiliar fruit for my latest in a series of how nature mimics our sun. The first of which, Close to the Sun, is my transformation of the unremarkable sunflower into an image that plays homage to the sun.

Mother Nature / April 30, 2014 by Lisa Goesling

Top: Art of a Catkin from a Pussy Willow and a Fingerprint. Bottom: Lacy Leaf and Dragonfly by Lisa Goesling

Have you ever noticed how much nature's patterns repeat themselves? I first became truly aware when I was drawing a dragonfly. Not long before, I had completed a black and white scratchboard of a leaf eaten away by bugs. I named it Lacy Leaf because the patterns were so delicate and intricate, just like a fine piece of lace.

When I began to study the dragonfly, it too had a detailed pattern, much like the leaf. I was stunned by how the same seemingly random shapes fit together to form a majestic dragonfly.

Just the other day a friend came across one of my scratchboards of Pussy Willows. Her immediate response was, "they look like fingerprints!"

By this point, I was well aware of designs repeating themselves in birds, insects, plants and flowers. What I hadn't considered was that we share similar patterns with the rest of nature. All I had to do was to take a closer look.

Art In A Residential Setting / March 1, 2014 by Lisa Goesling

What better way to get a sense of how dramatic my art is than to see it in a residential setting. The clean designs grouped together create an exciting statement and you can't help but to come in for a closer look.

Swept Away / August 18, 2013 by Lisa Goesling

Swept Away

I spend a whole lot of time distracted, not exactly watching where I am going. That's because I am always focused on finding the next great subject matter to create from. This branch with it's spotted, crumpled, leaves was waiting for me one day outside of my door. It isn't fall yet, but it didn't seem to know that.