Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Upchurch Moore.
Lisa, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
As a child, I drew all the time and was encouraged to do so. I had many things in my favor that allowed me to develop my creativity and skills as a painter, but the fundamental pieces are growing up without a lot of restriction, having a southern soul and having a sense of myself.
I am blessed to have been raised by free thinking educators who contribute and work to solve problems in society and encouraged me to do the same. I was the little girl dancing in the aisle of the grocery store because I liked the music. No one shushed me or told me to stop. The freedom to express, try anything, knowing the only failure was not trying…. fostered my creativity and gave me the courage to try anything. I was free to find my own path without a great deal of restriction. The main expectation was and is that we maintain a sense of curiosity about the world around us.
That freedom led me to an undergraduate degree in Recreation and Wellness with an emphasis on Exercise Physiology and then a Master’s in Quality Engineering. Both science-based degrees and both about problem solving which is where creativity thrives. I used those skills in my previous life as an organizational design specialist and now in my career as a painter.
I also had the privilege of growing up in the South. The magic of the South is hard to describe. A place so full of grace, history, and lord the STORIES! Full of extraordinary people who move through life connected to each other and their land. Small town and rural life gave me an identity and sense of belonging. I love the idea of the stories behind the people I grew up around and the places I am from and go. Capturing that “soulfulness, grace, and intelligence of these people and places is one of my goals.
Like a lot of little girls, I have been in LOVE with horses my whole life. I learned to ride with my father and his friends. Then when our family moved to the West GA area, we were able to have our own horses on my grandparent’s farm. Having access to my own horse was and is an incredible gift. I love going out and just leaning on their powerful chests, brushing and petting their massive graceful bodies. Most weekends, my Dad and I would ride, just the two of us and our horses. I learned from him how to read horses and to use gentle gestures to get the animal to do what I wanted. That feeling of knowing I could manage such a powerful animal as a young girl transferred to a level of self-confidence that I have relied on in my multiple careers and has enabled me to be vulnerable and put myself into my work and then put that work out to the public.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a little embarrassed to admit that painting is a career I fell into rather than planned. I took my talent for granted for a very long time. Consciously choosing this career has been an interesting journey. I mostly paint large scale oil paintings with the female form and horses as subject matter. I see these two images as the same capturing different feelings/emotions and expressing them in different ways. I guess I am inspired by the beauty within the familiar— the feeling of love and joy in watching children at play or the history written on the peeling surface of a forgotten barn OR maybe I just like the way oil paint looks and feels…like cake frosting 🙂 or both.
My hope is through my paintings, viewers will tap into the emotions of comfort and joy that stem from the simple things of everyday life like holding a child’s hand or feeling the warmth of an animal. We as a society are bombarded with images of the ugly in our world and sometimes that constant barrage of negativity can become our only conversation or view point. I believe it is imperative to recognize that most things about this life are beautiful and good. We have that power to change the conversation to what can be instead of what is not. I want my viewers to stop and feel something when they see my work whether are looking at a horse, barn, girl, child or abstract.
I love capturing the essence of people, places or animals and bringing their soul forward to view and feel. I want people who view my work to escape into it. Whatever that feeling is that they see and have.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
I make my living as a painter, I do not teach or do anything else. So, my definition of success is to create work that I am proud of that is in demand. Success is about work, it is about pushing harder than anyone else, hard work out paces talent alone 100% of the time but talent plus hard work wins. so… to be successful one must….
Do the work, do the work, see a little improvement, do the work, do the work, do the work, do the work, see a little more growth, do the work, do the work, do the work, do the work, do the work. You better enjoy the process more than the outcome or you will fail. Period end of discussion.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My studio is in Chamblee GA and open by appointment, I am also in galleries around the southeast in Atlanta, Charlotte, Greensboro, Nashville, Dallas. The best place to see the most up to date work is Instagram @lisamooreart.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5655 Peachtree Rd Chamblee GA
- Website: www.lmoorefineart.com
- Phone: 404-210-1836
- Email: lisamoore134@gmail.com
- Instagram: @lisamooreart
- Facebook: @lisamooreart
- Twitter: @lisamooreart
Image Credit:
Philip Short Photography
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