nature

2018 Evanston + Vicinity Biennial / July 31, 2018 by Lisa Goesling

Across The Board (Part 1) by Lisa Goesling

I am so pleased to be a part of the 24th Evanston Evanston + Vicinity Biennial juried by Sergio Gomez, Curator and Director of Exhibitions at Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, Aron Packer, Owner and Director of Aron Packer Projects, Chicago and Therese Quinn, Associate Professor of Art History & Director of Museum and Exhibition Studies at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

It is one of the Midwest's largest juried exhibitions, drawing gallerists, curators, collectors and art lovers alike.

The opening reception if on Friday, August 31st from 6:00 - 8:00 pm and the exhibition runs from August 31st to September 30, 2018.

Across The Board / June 21, 2018 by Lisa Goesling

Detail of Across The Board by Lisa Goesling

Across The Board has been been running around inside of my head for some time...I finally made it happen. One of the key aspects about my art is the amount of movement I can develop through line. I began this piece by deciding that it would be a total of eight feet wide. (This is the first of two sections, the other one is still in the works.)

My goal is to create an intimate conversation with the viewer so I try not to work too large. I designed this hanging 'sculpture' to glide in and out from the wall. It reaches 21" high by 96" wide, allowing the viewer to take their time as they engage with each individual piece. The content is filled with images from nature along with abstract shapes. Each panel was created by drawing with an X-ACTO knife into boards made of India Ink and clay. The magic happens when I drag my knife through the layers, slowly but surely patterns begin to emerge. Values are achieved by varying the pressure with my tool, and textures by painting with acrylic artist color. I hope that you see something new in Across The Board every time you view it.

Thank you Bruce Starrenburg Photography, www.bstarrenburg.com, for doing a beautiful job of capturing my art. And thank you, Gemini Builds It, www.geminibuildsit.com, for your constant attention to building the structure that supports Across The Board.

BWAC: SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD / November 14, 2017 by Lisa Goesling

Awarded by Assistant Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art

I had no idea that I'd received a Special Recognition Award for my piece, Uprooted 2,through the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition BLACK & WHITE show. But there it was, just waiting for me along with a check in my mailbox. Thank you Alison Hokanson, Assistant Curator, Metropolitan Museum of Art! I am truly honored!

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.

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.

One Catkin In Bloom / October 19, 2013 by Lisa Goesling

One Catkin In Bloom

Capturing a single catkin, (the puffy bloom on a pussy willow) right when all of the little buds were exploding was so much fun! I spend a lot of time studying pussy willows. Their fine lines, depth and details are perfect for Scratchbords. Taking a small surface and making a big impression proves that art doesn't have to be huge to be powerful.

Full Artichoke x 6 / September 13, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

Full Artichoke

I have been studying this prehistoric dried Artichoke for several months, finally creating six 8"x8"panels into a multi faceted work of art. You can see that it was no easy task to fit six panels together, nor getting them to appear together after being scanned. Luckily Gemini Moulding did a fabulous job of mounting and framing them into a perfectly cohesive work of art. Thank you Gemini, for being equally as concerned about paying attention to the details as I am!

Brrrrrr / January 8, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

One of the many gifts of having a mild winter is being able to easily find bits of nature just waiting to be drawn. Leaves all curled up, evolving into shapes far more interesting than their first incarnation. Following the twists and turns of this leaf, letting it fall off of the page, made for a really interesting composition.

Sign of the Times / December 31, 2011 by Lisa Goesling

Pine cones laying amongst a pile of needles are a frequent site outside our home. They are one of those hearty signs of winter, thriving despite the elements. Multiple leaf-like shapes fold over one another, creating pockets of contrast and texture. The needles compliment the pine cone's mass with their thin lines, spaced out along a narrow stem. It's natures poetry unfolding before our eyes.

Blowin' In The Wind / December 29, 2011 by Lisa Goesling

I just love the way these weeds dance in the breeze! They are at the mercy of the wind, which ever way it decides to blow, they follow. I varied the amount of pressure with my etching tool enabling me to develop depth and create a constant tension between the these glorious weeds.

Close to the Sun / November 9, 2011 by Lisa Goesling

I find it interesting that this flower is called a Sunflower and has a lot of the same properties of the sun. It has the center shape surrounded by 'rays' which light up the garden. There is a whole lot going on in this 8"x8" space!

Almost Spring / March 4, 2011 by Lisa Goesling

Spring is just around the corner and just like you, I cannot wait! I love how the black background makes these flowers pop right off of the page

Before you know it there will be hundreds of these cropping up everywhere. Forget that they are common and just appreciate their presence. They reach out with tiny flowers that seem to say, hope I made your day! Capturing them on the page enables me to enjoy them all year round! Hope I made your day!