scratchboard art

Spontaneous Combustion #38 / February 11, 2017 by Lisa Goesling

Spontaneous Combustion #38 by Lisa Goesling

After eating grapes, I looked at the vine and thought, the movement of a bare branch is absolutely stunning. So I started to draw the shape of the vine and used the negative space as a jumping off place for the textures and patterns. My new series, Spontaneous Combustion, incorporates both my love of nature and my love of design. The details force the viewer to come in close. Leaves and flowers abound mixed with all sorts of patterns that intertwine inviting you to keep searching for more surprises.

Detail of Spontaneous Combustion #8 by Lisa Goesling

Vivid Art Gallery Featured Artist, Friday February 3rd / January 22, 2017 by Lisa Goesling

Captivating Art: LISA GOESLING-written by Renee LaVerne Rose / September 3, 2016 by Lisa Goesling

http://emagazine.acs-mag.com/acs-magazine-septemb…/…/228-229

For those of you who haven't heard of Renee LaVerne Rose, it won't be long before she becomes a household word. Renee is a powerful supporter of artists worldwide, Director of ACS Gallery, Chicago, and Founder, Publisher, and Editor-In-Chief at ACS Magazine. Her ability to understand what drives an artist comes from her passion for creating her own art. Renee's generous spirit is what led her to interviewing me for ACS Magazine's September/October issue. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks, Renee!

Moving On-Completed / August 17, 2016 by Lisa Goesling

Another Detail of Moving On by Lisa Goesling

My mark making took me on a journey from creating what I thought would be a vertical piece, to one that worked best horizontally. The only thing I planned was to use both found objects and abstract designs...from there I just trusted what would happen as I dragged my X-ACTO knife across the board. From a composition standpoint, I wanted to keep the eye moving yet invite the viewer to stop when landing on something interesting. Subtle textures support the bolder shapes as they glide across the page. The hint of a dragonfly's wings, circular shapes forming a wasps nest on the lower right, even little people that I love to draw, hidden in the gap above the shell like structure on the left. I enjoy completing a piece that looks well thought out even though I simply allowed it be flow.

Mushroom in Progress / June 14, 2015 by Lisa Goesling

This is just a rough shot of my Mushroom Art. The form is so complex complete with textures and repetitive lines, what a pleasure to draw! It's prehistoric abstract shapes mimic creatures found under the sea. This Mushroom will be a part of my Close To The Sun series. The gills, wide, thin sheets like plates, radiate in all directions from the stem.

3D Cube / May 17, 2015 by Lisa Goesling

I love finding little gifts waiting for me outside; they become my muse for a few weeks, or in this case several months! A simple birds nest with a few cracked eggs-instantly consuming my thoughts..."how do I capture this?" After photographing the nest from all angles to make certain I had a good representation of it before it disintegrated; I gathered similar materials from the yard, dried up brush, twigs, leaves and pine needles. For this piece, I am using a 2 sided box that is 20"x20" and 6" deep, one side is a black scratchboard, the other white aqua board. You can see how I treated the black side by using an X-Acto knife to draw layers of dried brush. In addition to capturing the movement and delicacy of the materials, I intend to add smaller paintings and black scratchboards to the surface. I like the idea of providing multiple layers of interest and will repeat this technique on the other side with a mix of photography, paintings, drawings and actual brush.

One of 96 / July 29, 2014 by Lisa Goesling

This summers' temperatures must have been perfect to facilitate the display of lilies surrounding our home. I am in the process of creating 96 views (finished piece 84"x40"), everything from a lily in full bloom to the aftermath of shriveled up petals or 'tepals'. I've completed six so far adding color to some and letting others stand alone as black and white studies. What surprised me is the range of colors, deep blues and purples, bright oranges and yellows…absolutely stunning!

Mother Nature / April 30, 2014 by Lisa Goesling

Top: Art of a Catkin from a Pussy Willow and a Fingerprint. Bottom: Lacy Leaf and Dragonfly by Lisa Goesling

Have you ever noticed how much nature's patterns repeat themselves? I first became truly aware when I was drawing a dragonfly. Not long before, I had completed a black and white scratchboard of a leaf eaten away by bugs. I named it Lacy Leaf because the patterns were so delicate and intricate, just like a fine piece of lace.

When I began to study the dragonfly, it too had a detailed pattern, much like the leaf. I was stunned by how the same seemingly random shapes fit together to form a majestic dragonfly.

Just the other day a friend came across one of my scratchboards of Pussy Willows. Her immediate response was, "they look like fingerprints!"

By this point, I was well aware of designs repeating themselves in birds, insects, plants and flowers. What I hadn't considered was that we share similar patterns with the rest of nature. All I had to do was to take a closer look.

Art In A Residential Setting / March 1, 2014 by Lisa Goesling

What better way to get a sense of how dramatic my art is than to see it in a residential setting. The clean designs grouped together create an exciting statement and you can't help but to come in for a closer look.

New Series / January 4, 2014 by Lisa Goesling

I am beginning a new series called Veggies, the first of which is the top of a Beet. I am pretty excited about mixing Colored Inks with the Black scratchboard. The backgrounds will all be covered in Black Enamel Paint creating the texture and depth of soil.

My Art / November 26, 2013 by Lisa Goesling

Every artist tells a story. I rarely provide a synopsis about my creations. I count on the visual senses of the the people viewing my art to be activated and inspired. Ultimately it is their words that best describe my art.

-Lisa Goesling

The Nature of Design-Pattern-Color / December 30, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

The Nature of Design-Pattern-Color

Adding color the original black and white art adds a totally different dimension. Color alters the entire feel of each element.

The Nature of Design-Pattern / December 26, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

The Nature of Design-Pattern

Copyright While a bug is different than a rock, their basic patterns are so similar. The repetition of shapes throughout the dragonfly are repeated in the leaves and rock. Shapes, repetition, pattern, line and texture, all fundamental properties of both nature and design.

J/A Magnolias / November 30, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

J/A Magnolias

Thought I would share the final version of J/A Magnolias. It is featured in my interview on the Cable TV Show, Artist to Artist. (Will let you know when it airs.) Twelve 8"x8" panels all flowing together to create a portion of the magnolia tree that resides right outside my front door.

Full Artichoke x 6 / September 13, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

Full Artichoke

I have been studying this prehistoric dried Artichoke for several months, finally creating six 8"x8"panels into a multi faceted work of art. You can see that it was no easy task to fit six panels together, nor getting them to appear together after being scanned. Luckily Gemini Moulding did a fabulous job of mounting and framing them into a perfectly cohesive work of art. Thank you Gemini, for being equally as concerned about paying attention to the details as I am!

Work in Progress / September 9, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

J/A Magnolias

This 24" x 36" piece has been quite a challenge! By trial and error I have learned that these clayboards cannot be too large. Once they get larger than say 18"x18, there is a chance that they may bow or crack. I have one that is 24"x36" that has a few cracks throughout it, after all, it is made of clay. So in order to work in a larger scale, I group several smaller boards together. They come out looking like tiles and I can mount them together to create one cohesive piece. The contrast between the stark background and the creamy white lines is really striking as is evidenced in this Magnolia tree. I am constantly amazed at the shapes of these elegant flowers and how the varied branches overlap each other. Just showed the art buyers who commissioned this piece my progress and they are thrilled!

Simple Elegance / August 28, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

Lily of the Valley

Lily of the Valley is a study in contrasts, not just how the tiny white flowers are enveloped by large green leaves, but from a medicinal standpoint. While it contains glycosides that can produce irregular heartbeat and upset stomach, it is also a formidable brain, lymph and heart herb used to create several drugs. Lily of the Valley has proved successful in treating patients recovering from strokes, in soothing nerves, reducing blood pressure, curing headaches and as a remedy for treating burns! I guess that you can say that it lowered my blood pressure, getting lost in the beautiful shapes. I hope that it does the same for you!

Finished Draft / August 18, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

Finished Draft

It's so freeing to finish a piece without filling it in completely. Sometimes art dictates when it is done and that's exactly what happened in this case. The shapes and details make certain areas the star while the others are happy to sit back and contribute to the composition as a whole.

Split Orchid / July 19, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

Orchid Part One and Two

I decided to take a vertical approach to this piece by taking two separate 11"x14" boards creating one piece of art. Each section of Orchid Part One and Two works separately as well as a unit. I apologize for the loss of detail. I typically scan my work into the computer but these were just a bit too large to scan. That left me with photographing the art which as you can see, isn't my strong point! Lost pretty much all of the detail, but I assure you...it is there! What isn't lost is the movement, the glorious shapes and the range of tones creating depth and beauty throughout. Enjoy!

J/A Magnolia Top Right / June 29, 2012 by Lisa Goesling

Open Magnolias Top Right by Lisa Goesling Copyright

Concentrating on movement and depth has been the driving force behind each of the twelve pieces that make up this new Open Magnolias commission. Not every panel will have color, but you can see how adding a rich brown to the branches adds another dimension to the composition. Only eight more to go!