ARTIST STATEMENT
My interest in art is practice~ practice the art of seeing, observing, listening and playing. Being held by the inspiration of a landscape allows my emotions to grab hold and grapple with the shine and messiness of a place. My paintings and monotypes are inspired by landscapes but also memories of land. My time painting or making a monotype is mostly spent outside in the open air. I do spend time indoors putting finishing touches to a painting but the door is always open so I can still feel the influences of the elements.
CV
EDUCATION
Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine Southwest Acupuncture College, Santa Fe, NM. 2001
Bachelor of Fine Art Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 1993
Lane Community College Liberal Studies Eugene OR 1990
Cascade Massage Institute Eugene OR 1989
Fashion Institute For Design and Merchandising Woodland Hills, CA 1988
EXHIBITIONS
Solo
Portland Open Studios Portland, OR 2023
Everett St. Lofts Portland, OR 1993
Group
Sitka Art Invitational Oregon Contemporary, Portland, OR 2024
Leaning Towards Abstraction Oregon Society of Artists, Portland, OR 2024
Private Residence Portland, OR 2018
Bill Park Studio/ Studio Members Show Portland, OR 2018
Holsum 3 Studio Portland, OR 2016
Oregon State University Group Student Show Corvallis, OR 1992-93
TEACHING
Point Of Departure Monotype Workshop with Nanette Wallace with Lisa Ellis, Sitka Center, Otis, OR 2024
Inspired by Place Open-Air Monotype Workshop with Nanette Wallace and Lisa Ellis, Ridgefield, WA 2024
Point Of Departure Monotype Workshop at Remarque Studio Nanette Wallace with Lisa Ellis, Albuquerque, NM 2023
RELATED ACTIVITIES
Winter Solstice Puppet Collective Portland, OR 2002-06
One RailRoad Circus Santa Fe, NM 1999-2001
Plein Air Painting Every Friday with Jef Gunn and Friends: Present ~2019
COMMISSIONS AND RESIDENCIES
Private Collector Portland, OR Present~2018
Self-Directed Residency Playa at Summer Lake, OR 2022
Ink: Built Architecture Monotypes Portland, OR 2020
Mural for Woodstock Pizza Corvallis, OR 1995
ABOUT LISA
Lisa grew up in a small logging community just south of Eugene, Oregon. Her Mom was her first art teacher, passing along to Lisa her love for craft and an overall freedom to explore different ways of creating.
Lisa has always had a passion for studying and learning and throughout her life she has pursued a wide variety of interests~ biology, theater, fashion design, art, music, social studies, and massage, finally receiving a degree in Fine Art with a focus on photography, printmaking and painting from Oregon State University.
After graduation, Lisa moved to Portland to live and work as an artist. During this time she was driving to Corvallis three days a week for four years to study Martial Arts with a teacher she had met during her time in Corvallis. Her Martial Arts teacher was also an acupuncturist who taught Lisa Chinese herbs, Tui Na, Kung Fu, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. This experience led to Lisa deciding to go back to school in 1998 at Southwest Acupuncture College where she became a practitioner of Asian Medicine.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine has given Lisa great joy and has provided her with a steady, reliable income.
In 2013 a friend asked Lisa if she wanted to enroll in a drawing class and with an enthusiastic hell yes!, she made her way back to an old friend, her art practice.
Presently Lisa has slowly reshaped her practice as a full-time acupuncturist into being a full-time artist, part-time acupuncturist.