“I think we have to do things with gusto!”
Age 76
CURRENT INTERESTS: Painter; traveler; gardener
CAREER: Painter; art teacher
Lisa looks and moves like someone two decades younger than her chronological age, and she has a youthful spirit to match. From her early studies with the Bay Area figurative painters to today, her commitment to making art has continued unabated.
Painting is my life, so I’m always engaged in that. I also love to do very quick sketches—charcoal, pencil, ink. Anyplace, wherever I am, I like to draw. Animation is a new adventure I’m engaged in. It takes a lot of drawing, shooting, erasing, and redrawing to get one minute of film—perfect for my drawing addiction!
I continue to push myself to keep active. Actually, painting is surprisingly active and athletic. You are lifting and moving canvases. And I squat a lot to pick up things. I also love to travel. This year, I’m doing a hike in Ireland and walking part of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage trail in France.
I taught art for 30 years through City College and at a variety of other places. Also, I taught classes for kids. I used to tell my students, “Don’t color inside the lines—make your own lines! And make a mess!”
It’s all your own hand, and your own energy. And there’s something to be respected about that.
What I would say, too, is “Make more mistakes.” I’m still learning from my own mistakes. When you make a mistake and you say, “Oh, that’s not right,” you obviously have some idea of what would be right. So remake it, but don’t be afraid to just do it, and do it strongly, with real strength, not tickling around the edges.