Lisa likes to draw, and won her first prize for drawing at the age of nine. She remains a loyal fan of Crayola crayons, and will still use them on occasion for mixed-media work.
Her formal art training was geared towards graphic design, and she pursued a career in CAD drafting instead of commercial art.
Lisa has worked in private industry and as a government contractor. Her handiwork can be found in moving vehicles, public information displays, behind the scenes at a major electronics retailer, and orbiting the earth on the space shuttle.
An admirer of technical detail, she prefers the precision of a sharpened pencil to the awkward movement of a paint brush. Her own desire to create colorful paintings wasn't realized until she discovered soft pastels.
Lisa is an associate member of the Maryland Pastel Society and the Found Art! organization. Her artwork can be found in private homes, offices, and in many of the parks and recreational areas around the Washington D.C. metropolitain area.
I love the freedom of dry media. I work with soft pastels or colored pencils because the vibrancy of these dry pigments is amazing. Set-up time is minimal, they travel well, and clean up is easy. My favorite subjects include wildlife, flowers, still life, and cityscapes.
Pastel, Landscape - Albert Handell, Anita L. West
Pastel, Still Life - David Lawton