IS SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION REAL? / October 8, 2017 by Lisa Goesling

Is Spontaneous Combustion Real? by Lisa Goesling — *Is Spontaneous Combustion Real?* by Lisa Goesling

Artist and friend, James Deeb, came up with a brilliant solution to the frustration a lot of us are feeling about the present state of our nation. He answered the question, how can artists spread kindness amongst the chaos? James organized an exhibition that gives artists a platform to make a difference through their art. I donated Is Spontaneous Combustion Real? to the upcoming 'Unpresidented' Art Auction in Chicago on Friday, October 27th, 2017. 100% of the proceeds go to Heartland Alliance. They make a huge difference in the lives of refugees and the LGBTQ community.

Just a little background about Is Spontaneous Combustion Real? I created my own rendition of a 'Wall' on the bottom of this piece. On the left side there are rain drops running into a raging flood depicted in the undulating shapes of the half dried up leaf. The tree like structure on the top left side represents the roots of hate that have taken hold, as a snake like shape winds it's way through everything. Knowing that we always need to find a balance, I incorporated elements of beauty throughout.

UNFOLDING / August 17, 2017 by Lisa Goesling

I finished this piece just in time. It is one of eighteen works of art that will be on display at the Union League Club of Chicago during the month of September.

Unfolding measures 36.5" x 15.5" and presented some challenges, as does every creation. I knew that I wanted to add color, but how much color and where? I knew that I wanted to leave some images unfinished to show the process and also wanted to embellish the background.

Every Artist understands the degree of problem solving that occurs when facing a work of art. Since I don't really plan what is going to happen, I am always surprised by the end product. It is a leap of faith and making mistakes is always part of my process. I love making mistakes because they lead me down a path I would never have considered.

Here are a few details of Unfolding, you can see some of my decisions, like making one single flower a deeper black than the others, and choosing to paint the flowers a different color than they actually were, allowing their forms to make a stronger statement.

I hope that you can join us at the opening at the Union League Club's Third Floor Gallery on Thursday, September 7th from 5:30 - 7:00 pm.

Close to the Sun 2 / April 25, 2015 by Lisa Goesling

Close to the Sun 2/Rambutan by Lisa Goesling

I don't know if this happens to you, but I can't walk into the produce section without being drawn to the unusual shapes, textures and colors that abound. I had no idea what a Rambutan but was instantly inspired. Rambut is the Malay word for "hair", which these tiny fruits from Southeast Asia have an abundance of. Their spikey texture left me to wondering about the brave (likely hungry) souls who took a chance on this unusual fruit in the first place. I couldn't wait to study this unfamiliar fruit for my latest in a series of how nature mimics our sun. The first of which, Close to the Sun, is my transformation of the unremarkable sunflower into an image that plays homage to the sun.