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  • Lauren

Introducing Lisa: Tuesday Home School and Friday Adult Painting


I am so happy to teach classes at Pikes Peak Artists Collective. The historic art district and along with the welcoming, lovely studio combine to provide a wonderful environment for learning and creating. I have home schooled my own four children and have taught art in public and private schools and venues.Teaching art is such a satisfying, fun endeavor, as I love to share all I’ve learned over the years and watch students develop their skills, confidence, and especially joy through art. The opportunity for discovery and revelation are endless.

Art provides a way for me to record and remember the spectacular and every day beauty that surrounds me. I keep a sketchbook with me to draw what strikes me and often use those sketches for a finished painting. Some of my most peaceful, soul-enriching times come from making art. When I draw or paint a subject and experience, it becomes a part of me in a way that is unique, unlike snapping a quick photograph. I stop and look carefully and so I see many details that would go unnoticed otherwise.

Born in northern California, I have grown up camping in hiking in many of its beautiful state and national parks. I majored in environmental policy and science at the University of California while taking many art classes. Those two disciplines complemented each other very well as we can understand so much about science by observing and recording what we see through our art. I have worked in the state park system, interpreting nature through classes and designing literature with maps and illustrations. My home state, with all its diverse environments and culture, inspires my creativity. I have lived on Clear Lake for many years, with gorgeous lake and mountain scenery right outside my studio window. On any given day I could be blessed with the sight of a flock of white pelicans, an osprey or a bald eagle soaring by. This amazing creation inspires my artwork.

Now, spending much of my time in Colorado provides lots of inspiration as well and I love to capture the dramatic skies against majestic mountains. Deer and bear encounters (from a distance) are so exciting to interpret! The historic heritage in Colorado is also so fun to paint.

I’ve had the opportunity to live and travel in other beautiful places including Hawaii, Samoa, Australia, New Zealand, the British Isles, Spain, France and Italy, as well as all over the US. Each of these places has unique art opportunities and inspiration, and I have learned so much by designing Samoan tapa and seeing an original Van Gogh with his distinctive brush strokes. I love the human stories discovered throughout art history; it’s a great way way to learn so much about people!

I know there is always more to learn and I continue to take workshops and classes from artists I admire. I have studied and practiced traditional techniques in oil, watercolor and acrylics, as well as discovering new materials and mixed media techniques. Some of my favorite teachers are naturalist and artist John Muir Laws, founder of The Nature Journal Club, Erin Dertner, Nancy Collins, Michael Reardon and Birgit O’Connor. In turn, I love to pass on all I’ve learned to my students. Sharing my delight and knowledge of art is one of the most fun and fulfilling things I do. Thank you for reading! Lisa

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