We were lucky to catch up with Lisa Kaw recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lisa , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Unlike many professional artists, I didn’t pick up a paintbrush until I was in my late 20s. I was living in Boston at the time and had experienced burnout at my first career. I was dealing with massive anxiety and looking for ways to cope.

Painting sort of just called to me, so I went to the local art store and picked up some supplies. At the time, I didn’t even know the difference between acrylic, oil, or watercolor paint, but I simply felt drawn to create. So I wandered the aisles semi-aimlessly and picked up a meager assortment of small canvases and pretty colored paints.

The first thing I ever painted was a 12×12 inch thinly stretched canvas entitled “Turquoise Monocle,” a minimalistic piece of work that consisted of a simple abstract face in black and white against a vibrant turquoise background. Oddly enough, the work is one of my favorite pieces ever and extremely similar to the work I have been creating most recently.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

Lisa Kaw art is a personification of joy. Abstract shapes, organic forms, and a vibrant color palette harmoniously blend into a visual reminder of all the good things in life. The simplest things are the best things, and the purest pleasures are grounded in nature. The warmth of the sun, a gentle breeze, and the soothing sounds of ocean waves can be felt and heard.

Carefree and uncomplicated, the ethereal ethos of Lisa Kaw is a place where imagination runs wild, vibrant shades of pink and blue dot the landscape, summer never ends, and ice cream is always served for breakfast. It’s a happy-go-lucky world where simple joys are celebrated, and pure positivity wraps its arms around you like a warm blanket.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Bringing joy to others has always been my number one goal! We grown-ups live complicated lives and tend to take ourselves too seriously. I want to remind everyone that joy is all around us, and it exists in the simplest little things.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Oh for me it’s definitely when I get to that “aha” moment! When I start a piece of art, I only have a vague idea of where it’s going. In the beginning, it usually just looks really bad. But over time, the shapes and color coalesce, and the piece starts to make sense. Eventually I hit a point when I feel like everything looks just right, and that “aha” moment is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @lisakaw