Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa D. Watson.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was raised in Northeast Ohio and attended the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio: receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
I earned a Certificate in Interior Design from Learning Tree University in Chatsworth, California while continuing to work as a freelance eco-conscious artist, designer, film production art director, muralist and scenic painter. My mural and film work can be seen in four of contemporary video artist Bill Viola’s Art Installations for international museums, along with commercials, television shows and residential homes in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Savannah and Hilton Head, SC.
My artwork has been exhibited nationally in Telfair Museum’s Jepson Center and The Savannah City Hall Rotunda Gallery, Art on Paper Fair in NYC, The Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena, CA, along with The Gallery at Paper Mill Village in Marietta, GA where she was awarded with 2 Merit Awards.
Lisa currently owns Plan It Green Design in Savannah, Georgia. When not consulting clients in green interiors, outdoor living spaces and native and drought tolerant garden design, she produces art using reclaimed materials.
Please tell us about your art.
My artwork pieces are caricatures of my surroundings. I photograph areas of interest and translate these images using reclaimed materials such as paper, metals, wood, fabrics as well as items I find in thrift stores.
I cut wood and metal as my backing and then collage paper, fabric and paint onto the surface. I create a sense of depth and perspective during this process. I would like the viewer to escape into these abstract landscapes.
These urban or natural landscapes are areas that many of us travel by daily. Bridges, roadways, suburban sprawl, forests and its wildlife are what I find most intriguing to paint. I have always been concerned with human impact on our natural areas as these roadways expand and cut across vulnerable habitats. I invite the viewer to slow down and take note of the landscapes that can often appear mundane as they peer through the windows of a fast-moving car.
I don’t want to hit the viewer over the head with my environmental concerns. I would rather they read the title and materials and ponder about transforming and reusing everyday materials into their daily routines.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Artists need buyers and financial support. Georgia only offers a few grant options which are very competitive with the amount of talent in the state. So, most artists need buyers and collectors. Probably the biggest challenge is to convince folks to buy original art. People decorating their homes and businesses can support local artists by buying or commissioning artists instead of buying non-original “art” at big box national retailers.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
CURRENT EXHIBITIONS:
Solo – “Interurban” at Brassworks Gallery w/ Imlay Gallery in Montclair, New Jersey (Until June 10, 2018)
Group – “Making Waves: A Collective Perspective on the Pollution of our Waterways”, Ships of the Sea and Maritime Museum, Savannah, GA (May 18 – August 26, 2018)
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Imlay Gallery – Montclair, New Jersey, USA – 917-545-4707 – www.imlaygallery.com
Roots Up Gallery – Savannah, Georgia, USA – 912-677-2845 – www.rootsupgallery.com
Artsy – https://www.artsy.net/artist/lisa-d-watson
Contact Info:
- Website: www.art-ldw.com
- Phone: 843-290-9017
- Email: Ldw4art@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.ldw/
Image Credit:
©LDW2018
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