It's Been A While! / September 13, 2023 by Lisa Goesling

Susan’s Chinese Lanterns by Lisa Goesling 4”x12”

Having completed some commissions, I began devoting time to creating new art. For some reason I needed to add color, it’s been so much fun! Drawing with an X-ACTO knife into boards covered in clay and ink, my images from nature begin to emerge from the white clay. Once I have etched everything, I paint with colored inks onto the white clay. The more clay that I expose, the brighter the colors appear. The last step is to paint in the texture into the background using heavy black acrylic paint. The goal is to develop a soil like texture to contrast the smooth Scratchbord® surface. I hope you enjoy my new art.

AuCuAg / January 25, 2023 by Lisa Goesling

Work in Progress: AuCuAg by Lisa Goesling

What a great way to start the New Year, playing with metallic paint and Scratchbords®. The contrast of the shiny paint and black boards, especially after etching designs into the boards and filling them in with the paint, really makes them come to life! The title speaks to the periodic table, Group 11 which includes Gold (Au), Copper (Cu) and Silver (Ag).

Night and Day at Art Prize, Grand Rapids, MI / September 5, 2022 by Lisa Goesling

Grand Rapids, Michigan turns into a giant art gallery once a year. My art will up at Integrated Architecture at 840 Ottawa Avenue. It is a stunning space and I cannot wait to see my art in there. Night and Day has one large 48”x48” Scratchbord® in the center. If you look closely, you can see that the entire background has paintstrokes of black ink that I layered across the entire surface. It adds a lot of interest without the etched imagery, but with it, the piece comes alive! Each element speaks to the next one, abstracts morph into jelly fish, birds and flowers. The center piece is anchored with a top and bottom board, each 48”x6”. Color plays a big role in these two attached panels adding even more interest. You can see that there are more recognizable forms like corn on the cob along with loose kernels, and roots running across the bottom. Everything is designed to keep the eye moving and invite the viewer in for a closer look. T

I've Been Busy / February 10, 2022 by Lisa Goesling

The top two panels, Endless and Connected, were intended to be part be the top and bottom frames to Night and Day. Instead I found that the large black and white piece was powerful on its own. What they all have in common is the energy that comes from jumping right into my mark making and letting the art tell me where I am supposed to go. Night and Day was a couple of years in the making. Instead of working on the manufactured boards’ layer of ink, I added a shinier India ink to the surface before beginning. Countless sweeping brush strokes appear across the page, interesting in their own right. Then I began to etch elements all based on texture, and patterns found in nature. That common theme shows up in everything I create, even my abstract work; which Night and Day has quite a bit of. Endless and Connected are filled with details that create movement and depth, supported by colors repeated in nature. Creating to music helps add drama to my art.

Rose Of Sharon / July 29, 2021 by Lisa Goesling

This time of year brings all sorts of wonderful gifts, one of my favorites are the blossoms that explode from our Rose of Sharon plant right outside our door. I watch people stop dead in their tracks in awe of its beauty. It really is so inspiring, the forms, the colors, the textures…I have only just begun to scratch the surface!

Absolutely Love 'Chinese Lanterns' / July 18, 2021 by Lisa Goesling

Creating the form of these beautiful ‘Chinese Lanterns’ is a huge challenge! After drawing the basic shapes with my X-ACTO knife and beginning to fill in the cellular structure, I began mixing ink colors to introduce the orange glow of the actual lanterns. By leaving some of the lanterns void of color, you can actually see how the shapes are configured. The black and white lanterns allow the colored ones to stand out, serving as the focal point of the composition.

3 Dimensional Art / June 22, 2021 by Lisa Goesling

When you run out of wall space as a collector and need to hang new art even higher, it’s time to get creative about how someone might view the art. That was the dilemma that I was tasked with. I decided to build boxes out of my flat panels and have them hang out four inches from the wall so that you can look up and see the entire piece on all sides. I have these three completed and am working on the next one that is going to be comprised of multiple Chinese Lantern plants. Only two left once the lanterns are completed. Having so much fun!

2"x2" / May 10, 2021 by Lisa Goesling

It must look absolutely crazy watching me hold these 2”x2 boards in the palm of my hand while I draw with an X-ACTO knife. It is so much fun getting lost in the mark making and bringing them to life! Enjoy!

Upon Closer Inspection…So Close!! / February 21, 2021 by Lisa Goesling

The concept for TWO WITH NATURE began by capturing elements hidden deep within the woods and meadows of the collectors seven acres. These two are as delightful as the beauty that surrounds them and I wanted to capture the connection they felt to their property . After wandering their grounds during different seasons, I was able to get a real sense of what nourished their spirits. They gifted me with countless bits of nature at varying stages of growth. Magnifying glass in hand, I studied those specimens along with my detailed photos and trusted that my knife and brushes would create a meaningful ‘conversation’ within this 40”x19” Scratchbord®.

3 Owls Completed / December 31, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

I added some detailed painted strokes throughout the black area along with some extra details within the large owl. Feeling good about completing this 18”x24” Scratchbord® Enjoy!

3 Owls / December 29, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

Detail of Owl in Lower Left Corner by Lisa Goesling

Detail of Owl at Upper Right Corner by Lisa Goesling

Barry Treu, Director of Exhibitions at Freeport Art Museum, invited me to participate in an upcoming exhibition called ‘Birds’. I don’t typically draw animals but thought, why not give it a shot? I am about halfway there, I have a whole lot of tweaking to do before it is done, but I am enjoying myself. One of the beautiful things about Scratchbords® by Ampersand is the clay and ink background. It allows me to tease out subtle values based on how much pressure I apply to my X-ACTO knife, the harder I scratch into the surface, the whiter the clay appears. I love to push the medium as far as I can, in this case painting small feather shapes in the background introducing varying degrees of black. It is a subtle way to add patterning and interest to the flat surface. I find this a challenging project, both the subject matter and how to take lines and turn them into shapes and detailed textures. I will post the finished piece…soon I hope!

Playing Around / December 10, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

I have been drawing these characters for as long as I can recall. If there is a pencil, pen or knife in my hand, they are bound to come out. I am recovering from elbow surgery and found it easier to draw with a pen than a knife at the moment. I wound up drawing over twenty different colored pieces of men and women interacting with each other across 8 1/2”x11” pieces of Photo Paper. I liken them to modern day Cave Paintings; they are always created in profile and it feels as if each one tells a story. They are joyful for and share my hope for peaceful interactions in the future.

As I mentioned, I have been allowing these characters to flow through me for years. In this case, I started with a base layer of nine 5”x7” Scratchbords® all drawn with people running around. They are mounted together to form a single 15”x21” piece. Then I took a thin piece of Plexiglass and drew with a Dremel Tool all across the sheet. (I experimented with different levels of Plexiglass and found that the thinnest, cheapest hardware store Plexi worked best.) Ultimately, I worked with my framer, (www.geminibuildsitcom), and mounted the clear layer about three inches above the black boards so that the Plexi drawings floated over the Scratchbord® drawings below. It gives the appearance of a mass of people interacting with each other. Like my other creations, they are best experienced in person to witness the detailed nuances.

So Long Summer / September 28, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

One of my favorite things to do is to see how far I can push my medium. I have painted with oils and acrylic on canvas and paper, however painting on the layer of clay covered in ink presented all sorts of surprises. It was a bit of a leap of faith, since I spent days drawing in all of the details, but the element of surprise was so much fun! I loved how the paint seemed to adhere to some spots then just bleed away forming abstract green leafy patterns. The black paint was used to create texture in the larger areas and add raised roots in the middle section of the art. Like my other pieces, you really have to view the original to be able get a true sense of what is hiding within.

Progress / September 14, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

I just realized that I haven’t thought of a name for this piece yet. It is about halfway done, so I guess I have time. This 40”x20” piece is drawn with an X-ACTO knife into layers of clay and India ink. Colored inks and paint are added in at the end of the process. That background black texture that is supposed to resemble soil is created by dabbing black acrylic paint between the etched lines. The collectors have a large outdoor space, 7.5 acres, where a myriad of elements from nature compete for your attention, it is stunning! I am like a kid in a candy store being bombarded by every color, pattern, shape and texture you can imagine, not to mention all of the scents! Since I don’t sketch first, I am continuously amazed at how things begin to evolve on the page. More to come!

Collaboration / August 18, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

A Bridge of Moods by Lisa Goesling and Janice Meister

Insights Into Being by Lisa Goesling and Janice Meister

It Came Home With Me by Lisa Goesling and Janice Meister

A Natural Exchange by Lisa Goesling and Janice Meister

The Absence of Judgement by Lisa Goesling and Janice Meister

When artist Janice Meister asked if I would be interested in collaborating on some art I thought, why not? I enjoy her art, she enjoys mine, let’s see what happens! It has been this delightful ride, which begins with my sending creations to her and then anxiously awaiting the return of our collaboration. It really is extraordinary to witness somebody else’s interpretations of my art. THANK YOU Jan!

Inspiration / July 27, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

Helter Shelter Leaves Within by Lisa Goesling

You might not notice the leaves hidden deep in the background, but they are there. I posted a photo of the Weigela Plant on Instagram, along with other favorites in our yard and wrote…Is it possible to write a thank you note to nature? My favorite response was from my friend Britton who wrote, you just did! There is a name for that feeling we get when our heart rate slows down and we are transported by nature… Eco-Psychology. It’s the study of emotional connections between humans and the natural world. That sense of wonder, harmony and timelessness when surrounded by beauty. This new piece is part of my Helter Shelter series, created during our Shelter in Place. I really love to develop movement by drawing with an X-ACTO knife into hard boards layered in India ink and clay, (Scratchbord® by Ampersand). The white is the bottom layer of clay; the more pressure that I put on my knife, the brighter the white. Values are created by varying how much pressure I put on my knife. My last step was to add acrylic paint to the dark leaf shape pattern in the background. 8”x8” framed: 9.5”x9.5”

Developing / July 3, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

Sopntaneous Combustion 8x8 Brush Flower by Lisa Goesling

Spontaneous Combustion 8x8.11 by Lisa Goesling 18”x18”

Spontaneous Combustion 8x8.15 by Lisa Goesling 18”x18”

Spontaneous Combustion 8x8 White Coleus 18”x18”

Spontaneous Combustion 8x8.1 by Lisa Goesling 18”x18”

I spent quite a bit of time in absolute awe watching my photos slowly come to life as a young child. My Dad turned me onto photography around the same time that he turned our basement bathroom into a darkroom. If we weren’t out photographing nature, we were either at the camera store lusting after the next best thing or in the darkroom. My folks eventually moved away so I shifted my darkroom destination to the Evanston Art Center. I’d spend hours in there watching images of Chicago streets magically appear.

I was speaking with a photographer friend the other day about our shared love of developing black and white film when it dawned on me that it was very much like the wonder that I experience as I work on my black boards.

Developing evolved into a series of work that emulates film pulled from a canister. It found the perfect home, my daughter Becca and her (soon to be) husband Craig’s.

During COVID 19: Helter Shelter / April 5, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

There are likely a whole lot more inside of me waiting to be created! I plan on making a whole series for an upcoming show. In the mean time, sheltering in place sure has allowed me the time to produce with few distractions! (Well, in between creating some delicious recipes.) As with my all of my art, I sit down before a blank Scratchbord® and begin to draw with my X-ACTO knife. It is so much fun watching my designs pop out of the layer of clay! I hope it makes you as happy to view as it does for me to create!

Vivid Art Gallery March Featured Artist: No Short Cuts / March 10, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

Spontaneous Combustion #11 by Lisa Goesling

Spontaneous Combustion Brush Flower by Lisa Goesling

I have the distinct pleasure of exhibiting my art along with artist, Richard Shipps. I have long admired his ability to incorporate shadows and light into his designs. We both use X-ACTO knives to create our work, I draw with X-ACTO knives into Scratchbords®, (hard boards covered in a layer of clay and India ink). My details are defined by how much pressure I put on my knife. The harder I etch into the surface of ink, the brighter the layer of white clay. It enables me to develop detailed patterns, some of which I paint with colored inks and acrylic paint at the end of the process. Richard cuts into Tyvek, creating patterns that meander their way across the page. The two styles really make for a great exhibition! You can check it out until the end of March.

89th Members Exhibition at The Arts Club of Chicago / January 19, 2020 by Lisa Goesling

This piece is currently on display at The Arts Club of Chicago. It is surrounded by some wonderful art by other members of the club. I combined multiple sizes of Scratchbords® by Ampersand Art Supply to make this 41”x37” piece of art. I draw with an X-ACTO knife into boards covered in clay and India Ink. At the end of the process, I might paint with Black Acrylic paint to add texture. A big thank you to my framer, Gemini Builds It, I can always count on you to bring my ideas to fruition!