We recently connected with Lisa Rissmiller and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
Like a lot of artists I learn by doing. Trial and error. Art classes help with the basics like art history, color theory, and painting techniques, but nothing takes the place of doing, practicing, and playing.
Encouraged by my mother and grandmother I began drawing and painting at an early age. I think children make the best artists because they have no self judgement and lack the skills to create exact replicas of what they see. You get a pure version of their reality when they create, sort of like painting with your non-dominate hand. The only way I know to speed up the learning process is to not stop. Abandoning creative pursuits solely for monetary gains is a quick way to stall your progress.
Bravery is the most essential skill you must cultivate. Artists must be brave enough to try, to put themselves out to the public for criticism and consumption, to express the inner commonalities we all possess, to seek connection, to bring an image into the world that didn’t previously exist which in turn challenges our notions of reality. Anything can become an obstacle to your creative growth if you allow it, but the biggest one I think everyone faces is fear. That’s why above all else, artists must be brave.
Lisa, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have always been an artist. Sometimes practicing, sometimes not. I rented my first not at home studio in 2017 and haven’t looked back. I am an abstract artist focusing mainly on fluid artworks. I love allowing the paint to move freely about the canvas with little interruption from me. I’ve used gravity, troughs, buckets, turntables and physics to create my latest work/series, titled “Ribbons”. Each piece represents a brief moment in time where my energy is expressed through the paint and onto the canvas. Even if I use the same colors, techniques and processes I am unable to duplicate a piece because energy is always shifting and changing. No two works are the same.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Purchasing from small local artists is a great way to show support of course. However you can also show support by responding to social media posts. Not just a like, but a comment, a follow, a share and a save all help promote us, and art, as well as, grow our brand and following. If an artist you like is having an event, attend. Talk to us and share your experience of our art. It’s a great confidence builder, especially for little know artists trying to make it in the business.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My drive to create is as much a need as it is a creative endeavor. It’s like therapy for me. My mental health is better when I’m in the studio focusing on bringing into existence beautiful images that connect and challenge people. While there is an aspect of it that is still “work”, it’s much more than that for most artists. It’s how we express our inner selves to the outer world without language. Having someone respond positively to the art we make feeds our souls.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lisarissmiller.com
- Instagram: @lisarissmillerart
- Facebook: @lisarissmillerart