Artist's Statement

I begin each mixed-media painting with a base layer of found paper; Japanese chiyogami, textured paper, maps and sometimes old books. To this I add sculpting medium and carve into it with rubber nibs, scratching tools, knives, and hand-crafted stamps to create surface textures. I then add and remove many layers of acrylic paint. The finish subjects are painted in water-mixable oil.

I always enjoy the intuitive nature of pushing paint around on the canvas to see where the painting organically wants to go. I often begin without a plan in mind. It isn’t until the painting has marinated for a while, that a subject may or may not reveal itself through a random line or shadow in the texture.

Many of my subjects are an influence of my enchanted life living on and around the Salish Sea.

I often go to the canvas with the end result in mind, only to discover that the relationship between the medium and brush results in more interesting and complex narratives and compositions than my subjective mind can conceive. This process of "getting out of the way" holds deep meaning for me as I work at staying present with the process and noticing the connections between my internal state, my environment, and the manifestation of this on the canvas. Systems Theory, a model found in quantum physics, is my primary source of inspiration, which demonstrates the interconnectedness of all things. I am particularly interested in natural systems and how humans impact the natural world

Paintings by Lisa Lamoreaux • All Paintings • All Artists