We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lisa Mozzini-McDill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I’m not sure if I’d call this a mission so much as the reason I create art? First of all I have always been drawn to making art. I loved drawing as a child. In kindergarten I would get in trouble for embellishing books with added people and various objects. My favorite thing was practicing cursive writing before I could read. The reason I continue to make art is to have meaning in my life. I believe expressing thoughts and feelings through art about what it is to be alive, the good and the bad, is meaningful. Connecting with others through my art is a great privilege I hope to continue through out my whole life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I graduated from San Diego State University with Honors, Distinction in Art and a BA in Graphic Communications. After working as a graphic designer, illustrator, and portrait artist for a number of years in San Diego. I was lucky enough to continue my education with workshops by Elizabeth Tolley, John Budicin, Ken Auster, Michael Obermeyer and Joseph Todorovitch. I transitioned to fine artist when I chose to stay home with my kids. I free-lanced graphics and illustration a little but really enjoyed the time with my kids. It goes so fast. I guess I started really oil painting when I got a big portrait commission from another Mom. I took a local studio class because I hadn’t painted in oils since college. I ended up taking over the teacher’s class when she moved and that started me teaching right away. I really wanted to paint outside since I always enjoyed the immediacy of life drawing in college. The other teacher took me out once and I was hooked on plein air painting. I paint an assortment of subject matter as a full-time fine artist now. Scenes that reveal the ravages of time especially intrigue me—an elderly, bowed sycamore tree, for example, or weathered beach cottages. I pick scenes that inspire a deeper meaning to me. A landscape can show the beauty of God’s creation or sometimes a single tree, the loneliness of being. I am also fond of clouds. Clouds can be moved around for a good composition and express a lot of emotion and mood. Today I work primarily in oil creating, plein air landscapes, larger studio work, and commissioned portraits. In addition to teaching at The Artistry in San Pedro, CA, I do figurative and plein air workshops, and enjoy demonstrating for various art groups. Traveling and competing in various plein air competitions has been a new adventure. I’m especially proud of being invited to the upcoming 25th Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational and I currently have a cloud painting in The California Art Club 112th Gold Medal Exhibition. I have been featured in the artist’s spotlight of The Press-Enterprise; July 14, 2008, published in Orange County’s Best magazine, Southwest Art Magazine; Oct., 2017, and PleinAir Magazine; Aug./Sept., 2021. I am an Artist Member in California Art Club and a Signature Member of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. However, what I’m most proud of is my family and persevering after my husband died in 2022.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

After the death of my husband and dealing with my own cancer at the same time I had to force myself to get painting again. I signed up for plein air competitions so I was committed to getting out of the house. The first one I did was so hard for me even though it was somewhat local and I had competed there before. I was a jittery mess with a lot of brain fog. I even told a man who asked how much I charged for the small painting I was working on, $500,000.00! He said good luck with that. Now its my goal, ha ha! I then competed in The Huse/Skelly Gallery’s “Just Plein Fun” where I sold and won two awards. I am very grateful for the host I stayed with who was so comforting and now a friend. I had a great time with my friend Durre Waseem competing at Capitola Plein Air where I won an honorable mention. The seaside town was so beautiful and I felt my husband with me there enjoying the scenery. I was lucky enough to demonstrate for the LPAPA Booth at The Plein Air Convention in Colorado. We had so much fun there and look forward to doing it again in 2024. Then I did Telluride Plein Air which was a challenge with altitude sickness. The scenery was so spectacular I definitely want to go again to paint more. I also had wonderful hosts there I so enjoyed talking with. I was pleased to have sold well (thanks for the advice, Christine Lashley and Rita Pacheco) so next time I will spend the money to go early. I’m looking forward to The LPAPA Invitational , October 7-15. I have chosen to do all things I have the opportunity to do no matter how scared I may be because I now know life is so precarious. I chose to live it fully while given this great gift of life.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I think the biggest lesson is to forget about what you think other people are thinking and to just do what you do. As an introvert I used to be so self conscious and worry about embarrassing myself. Sometimes still so do but I know this only gets in the way of creating my best art. One, because it stops you from painting and two because that is not what you need to concentrate on while painting. Get lost in your painting instead. There is so much to think about while painting, value, hue, saturation, composition and drawing. These things need your attention. Anyway, half the time you are wrong about what people think and does it really matter? Also, don’t constantly compare yourself to others on social media. We all know that is so discouraging and not healthy. I don’t mean helpful honest critique. We all need a fresh eye and to be brutally honest with ourselves to grow. Looking at good art online is inspiring just remember you and only you can give what you uniquely have to give. And like I say to my students, it’s only paint. You can scape it back and paint over it. Maybe in the process you also learned something?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lisamozzini-mcdill.com (This is a new website I’m still building since my old one got attacked by ransom ware)
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisamcdill/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lisa.MozziniMcDill/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mozzini-mcdill-5093a910/