{SMART ART
}
lisa congdon
ARE YOU ON TWITTER/FACEBOOK/ETC? Yes:
twitter.com/ lisacongdon and
www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Congdon-Art- Illustration/194642865181 WHEN DID YOU START CREATING ART? I am now 42, and I started making art when I was 31 years old. I took a painting class with my brother. We had just gone through difficult breakups and we decided to take a semester long painting class on Friday night together for fun. From there I began painting regularly, and then drawing and making collages. Within a few years I was showing my work in galleries and selling it to clients. WHY DO YOU CREATE ART? It makes me intensely happy. WHAT MEDIUM IS YOUR FAVORITE? I work mostly in gouache and it is my favorite. I love how smooth it is. DOES WHERE YOU LIVE AFFECT YOUR WORK? WHY? I am definitely affected by where I live. California is filled with natural beauty and San Francisco, in particular, is filled with intense color and constant inspiration. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? I find inspiration everywhere, mostly in nature and in the city sights and sounds around me—I love old signage and
typography. I also love mid-century illustration by guys like Alexander Girard, Ollie Eksell, Charley Harper. I love fashion, design and textiles, too. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR SUBJECTS? I paint lots of animals and trees. I have had a love affair with both since I was a kid. I don’t always find animals cute, but I do always find them incredibly beautiful in their own ways, and I think the eyes always make the painting. I always look for photos of animals where the eyes are intense. WHEN WAS THE PROUDEST MOMENT OF YOUR CAREER, THUS FAR? There are two very proud moments. One is when I sold out a 14 piece show in a small shop/gallery in New York before the opening party. That was in 2007. Another proud moment was when I signed with my illustration agent, Lilla Rogers, last year in 2009. She’s amazing and I am so happy for her to represent me. WHO ARE YOUR ARTISTIC INFLUENCES, LIVING OR DEAD? There are so many! A few are Gustav Klimt, David Hockney, Joseph Cornell, Maurizio Pellegrin, Annette Messager. I also love mid-century illustrators like Alexander Girard, Ollie Eksell, Charley Harper and Mary Blair. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SELLING ART AND WHERE CAN PEOPLE BUY IT? I have been selling art since 2005. Currently I have work available at Nahcotta Gallery and Artstream Gallery (both in New Hampshire) and my own online shop. DO YOU MAKE A LIVING AT MAKING ART? Almost! I also co-own a store/gallery in San Francisco called Rare Device which helps me pay my bills. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER ASPIRING ARTISTS? Make only work that comes from that true place inside. Also, work hard and maintain a belief that it is possible.
eliza 36
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