You are a breath of fresh air. I really loved hearing about your journey. I have that caterpillar children’s book along with several others. I have always loved the art that you can find in children’s books. It’s so encouraging to hear that I’m not the only one. I would definitely love to hear more about how you create your art and the papers you use. Thanks for sharing with us big kids.
I would love to see how you make your accordion books! ❤ Thank you for sharing your journey, it really validated my own and helped me have patience with finding my unique style.
Thank you for making this video, it really resonates with me. I always thought that if I can’t even draw a decent picture of anything that I wasn’t meant to do art or didn’t have any artistic talents at all. I’ve discovered over the years all sorts of different artistic expressions, from water colouring to acryclic to abstract and collage. I always thought art had to be realistic in the depiction, oh how wrong I was. I love mark making, gel printing, doodling and collage and I’d be offended if anyone thought that isn’t ‘real art’ 😂 So Thank you for everything you’ve mentioned, it gives me so much freedom and confidence to explore further and most of all have fun. Sending love from Australia 👍✌️🙏❤️
You are so welcome! These doubts from childhood really stick with us forever. Even now, I never feel totally confident when I sit down in my studio…but I always enjoy myself and feel great when I get up to leave. Thanks for sharing! ❤️
Really love your videos, just found you today, watched just one video (your latest) and instantly subscribed knowing I would unsubscribe if needed. No need! You have a wonderful presentation style and I love your artwork! Thanks for sharing it with us.
I found you just today and I had such a moment of surprise to hear Nova Scotia, my home province! I hope you enjoyed your vacation here. Excellent video, hugely inspiring. I see much of my own style in yours as well. Embracing the thought that the art doesn't have to make sense in reality, that it can be more of a fantasy and deviation from "logic" is a great reminder.
Thank you for your story. I also was a teacher for 35 years and have been making art on the side. I love Copic markers and just started with acrylics. My favorite thing is collage and I have been working on a wordless story for over 15 years trying to get the story in my head to the paper. It is so difficult but worth it. Thanks again for sharing your journey.
Hi Lisa, just found your channel today and subbed. I love your art story and also your art! Have you ever thought about doing a children’s book? Your images seem to lend themselves in that direction, especially the little creatures that inhabit your world. I love collage and use mostly found images, but just cutting colorful papers and gluing them down sounds so fun and I want to try it out - thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you! YES! I have been kicking around the idea of a children’s book for many years and even took a few starts, but never seriously enough to finish. It’s something I want to eventually commit to. Thanks for the encouragement ☺️
Great _metallic watercolour_ illustrations . Your accordian ( *zig zag fold* ) artwork is *fantastic* & Interesting _film clip_ and quote _if you ain't first then your LAST_ ..... That simply _means_ : *be number one* whilst everyone else is second/ third etc And *take joy in other people's failings* .... & thank you for suggesting book artist _Eric Carle_ and carles flip pages of artwork. Keep sharing. Stay happy (everyone)
Thank you Lisa! I just came across your videos today and the way your shared your story and process for making ugly sketches beautiful is an inspiration for me at a time when I feel like I've run into a wall with my own watercolours. Thanks for your willingness to share the artist's journey away from your parents' well meaning fears for your life.
I really relate to your story so much. Especially the part about your parents saying you couldn't make a living with art. I'd like to see a video on how you make the marble paper and the accordion books.
So happy to find your channel today! I am inspired and appreciate you sharing your journey. I love your art! And I adore collage. Your video style is really wonderful and relatable, too. I predict your channel will be very successful! Congrats and thank you! 🙌🥂🥰
I was discouraged from pursuing art at a young age as well. My parents went through The Great Depression and being an artist was, in their minds, no way to succeed. I’m now in my 60’s and having had a successful professional life I now feel free to pursue my art.❤️❤️❤️
Your story could have been word for word my story. Except it was my career’s advisor that told me pursuing an art career was a waste of time unless I was super talented. I was also convinced I could only copy rather than draw from my imagination. I pretty much gave up on art until about 3/4 years ago at the beginning of my 50s. It has been a sad waste of talent really. Your art is beautiful!
I’m inspired by this story of your art beginnings, and I would like to see a little concertina book video from you. Collage is my love but I have so much to learn yet. Thank you 😊
Loved your story and can totally relate to it. I use collage in my art and I've had two children's books published written and illustrated by me. Interesting how you live white space because that's how my books look. If you want to take a look they are 'The animal says. ..' and 'Grow Tall Sid!' by Debra Wellington. I love your work and cut paper is just the best, keep on creating as it's so joyful 😊 xxx
I love white backgrounds. I once won a contest with a white poster board and 3 yellow circles. I see the people who say they are doing expression art. They put something down and cover it up and put something else down and make 'marks'. They don't know what they are doing. No direction. And others who say they need to have brown backgrounds in order to 'see' the color. Color is the color, you change it with the brown. I like simple and white. Go girl.
My favorite thing is to make my own collage paper. I make an “original”then photo copy it . I also prefer a glue stick because it doesn’t wrinkle the paper as much. However, what you said in a previous video regarding glue sticks concerns me. I don’t see myself doing resin but would varnishing my pieces keep it adhered well enough that I don’t have to worry about them coming loose. Oh,please say yes because I stockpile glue sticks like they might stop making them someday. 😵💫 Also, I relate to your journey.. I have all the stuff but I just love to paste down paper.i have done much in the pieced work area such as your flowers and little characters but I’m really inspired to give that a go. Love your videos. I could tell right off you were or had been a teacher by your calm and clear communication. Thanks so much for sharing yourself and your art. 💖
Thank you for your kind comment. I’m still not sure how long the glue stick glue will stay stuck. The one from the test is about 2 months old and still stuck on beautifully. In 10 years…??? I would definitely cover your art with some type of varnish (I’m thinking about doing a varnish test too, as I’ve never protected my art with anything but resin. I hear good things about modge podge and Liquidex mediums though.
I know paper will fade quickly unless you protect it with some kind of varnish. The watercolours have never faded, and some of mine are 20 years old (but have been stored in a folder). All my marker work on paper has faded slightly over the years, even though I keep them in a dark drawer. Not sure how to avoid that, I’d need to do more research.
I can relate to your childhood experience and response. Your journey feels very similar to mine. Sometimes the evolution is slow, fast, it zigs and zags, but somehow comes together. I have been focusing on enjoying the ever unfolding journey. ✂️📄😂🌸🙌💕☀️
Your parents meant well but they did you no favors (at least when it comes to your relationship with art and with yourself as an artist). Art is first and foremost a practice. It may become a profession (and certainly many more people than “one in a million” have done so, long before social media became a thing). But there are as many ways to incorporate making art into one’s daily life as there are artists, and not all of them include as a goal making a living from it. I too allowed a family member to cripple me when I was just fifteen. My uncle, who was as close to a father as I had, one day told me that I was not a real artist because real artists don’t use an eraser. My uncle was a smart and successful man, but in no way was he familiar with any aspect of the art world. Where he got this notion I have no idea, but I looked up to him as the dispenser of wisdom in my life, and so I believed him. That wasn’t the only reason I derailed myself, but it was a contributing factor. And so instead of pursuing art I got a job as a secretary and blah blah blah. Life happened, marriage, children, etc., and I had financial obligations. Now I’m in my late 60s, retired at last from all the distractions. Three years ago I set aside all my fears and excuses and started making art. It gives me joy. I may never have been good enough to make a living from art, but I could have had this joy all along. But better late than never.
Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s important for young people to understand that those things which strongly pull us as children never go away. The sooner we engage with them, the more time we have to enjoy them. But, it’s never too late, is it! I’m happy for you to have found your art again. 🤗
What an incredible retrospective on your journey. Your work is stunning in its intricate simplicity! It is easy to see now how your enchantment with specific books and illustrators at an early age has woven its way through out your art life. Looking forward to seeing more of your creativity and process in the future. ❤
I am a new subscriber here, I am blown away by your authenticity and I believe we find inspiration when we need it the most. Like you I love paper, my happiest memories as a kid, were like you, at the library, or whenever I had a colouring book, some pencils, paper and glue. How funny it is that we come back to the most basic of supplies that made us happy. In a digital world, I am in awe of what is possible, but nothing beats cutting pieces of paper and making a collage. A few years ago I started doing this, just collaging on index cards, and these are my most treasured pieces, I feel so happy looking at them. Watching your video has made me realise that maybe the answer to what I love, and should be pursuing has been in front of me the whole time! 😊 A million Thank-you's and hugs for your honesty and helping me find my true joy ❤
I have recently discover gouache, I am loving the depth of colour with them, this journey was so interesting, I have been all over the place for 20 years with my art, seemingly with no cohesion, I am going to look back over my work and see if there are any links or themes to go forward with
Hi Lisa I'm a style hopper and love it but I'm not looking for a career in Art I'm 56 and do art for me and my mental health so I just go with what inspiration I feel on the day and love it 😀 great channel your art is gorgeous 😍
No, your "style" 40 years ago was just as much your style. Maybe it didn't please you. Maybe it didn't trend. Perhaps it wasn't saleable but you had a style 40 years ago that was absolutely as much your style as what you produce today. And in another 20 years you'll make a video about how, ni, you finally reached your TRUE style. Your "style" is your style...not some mystical treasure chest you have to go on quest to find.
Thank you for your video, it was so enjoyable to listen to. This is my story too, though I’m 61. Both my parents were artist in some way, my siblings also, and we had a lot of access to art supplies and how blessed we were! However, I’ve always been “ashamed” of loving paper and scissors and markers, how silly! I’ve made collages since I was a girl and I have finally given myself permission to love and enjoy them again. Like you said, what a pity that we have these incorrect notions that hold us back. I share this with young people (when I do art with them) as well, hoping to help them avoid the trap of not honoring their own style.
I thought it was just me who took adult comments to heart and got defeated rather than using it as motivation to continue on. Did try art in first term of college, but the teacher was so critical and mean, that I gave up again. :( Anyhow, finally back to just doing art for fun and it makes me so happy. Agree with you on collage--I love the process of gluing the paper down. Thanks for sharing your story and insights--very inspirational. 💜
What an interesting and helpful video. Your passion for creating beautiful things shines all the way through it. Thank you Lisa and I'd love to see how you make the accordion books please!
How I LOVE your little tear - drop shaped houses and their surrounding landscapes!!! They're so unique and original, too!!! I'm so happy that you've found your preferred style and it was fascinating to see how it came about over time!!! It's heartbreaking how our early caregivers unwittingly discourage such a major drive from within us 😢 Alas, we can learn to set ourselves free 🎉 All my best wishes to you for your creative fulfilment!!! 💗💗💗💗💗
Oh my! I have wanted to learn how to do a repeat pattern…but, until now I haven’t taken the time to properly learn photoshop. Something to think about! Thanks 😊
What a great video! Your art is amazing- so fun and vibrant! I’d love to see how you make the accordion books. It would also be really great to see how you apply the resin to your work. Thank you for sharing your art and process!❤
Hundertwasser! My son has one of his numbered prints, and that was my introduction to H’s creative work. Your work is gorgeous, and fun. Thanks for the things that lead you to where you are today.
Thanks for sharing your story. It so resonates with how most of us feel growing up and not being able to produce less than amazing. It really feels freeing when one gets over it. Best wishes.
