Lisa Lauer

I consider myself primarily a landscape painter. Growing up in a flat, industrial area of Ohio had the (perhaps unsurprising) effect of triggering a lifelong interest in nature, particularly topography. Fortunately, I had very brave parents who thought nothing of piling four young children in the car for long road trips. I quickly learned how to tune out the chaos in the car by focusing on the scenery whizzing by.

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I approach painting as if I’m creating my own topography. My process involves building up the surface of a painting with oil ground, followed by a mixture of oil paint and cold wax in layers of color. These layers, in turn, are rubbed or scraped, creating variations in the surface texture.

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After earning a degree in art history with a minor in studio art from Swarthmore College, my plan was to study art restoration. Instead, the need to pay off student loans intervened. I embarked on a career in the tech industry, raised a family, and painted intermittently. In the back of my mind, there was always a singular goal: to eventually live by the ocean and paint full-time. And finally, here we are.