We had the privilege to sit down with Cape Town-based visual artist Lisa Nell. Her vibrant and joyful creations capture the essence of happiness, color, and playfulness. With a passion for igniting the creative spark in others through her Sip & Paint classes, Lisa shares her journey as a self-taught artist, her inspirations drawn from everyday life, and the exciting projects she has in store.
Join us in this conversation with Lisa Nell, and get ready to be inspired by her infectious enthusiasm for art and creativity.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into art!
I am a Cape Town based visual artist. I work primarily on canvas with acrylic paint and experiment with mixed media mediums and would like to expand using diverse media in the future. I’m a fun-loving free spirit who loves adventure, the outdoors, and spending time with my family and friends. Art and people are my passion, and in my spare time, I teach popup Sip & Paint classes. I love igniting the creative spark in others. I started my art journey when I was very young. I had no formal training, but my parents allowed me to cultivate my gift by encouraging and supporting me, and supplying me with all sorts of art materials and accessories. I have been very blessed in this way.
How would you describe the art you love creating?
My art is happy, colourful, playful, and intriguing. My hope is to appeal to a wide spectrum of the audience. With my visual representation of vibrant colours and texture, I intend to invoke emotion and feeling in people and hope my audience experiences joyful emotions when interacting with my work.
What influences your artistic vision and style?
My life and everyday life influence my artistic vision and style. I draw a lot of inspiration from everyday things and situations. Some ideas are spontaneous, while others are part of a process where I write down and think about them before putting brush to canvas.
Are there any present-day artists whose creations resonate with you and that you find particularly compelling?
I can’t name specific artists, but I must say that I do follow a few artists on social media, both local and international, and I am intrigued by quite a few of their works. As an artist, I’m also influenced by a wide variety of genres.
Among the various materials you engage with, which one do you find the most fulfilling to work with, and what draws you to it?
At the moment, it’s acrylic paint and texture paste on canvas, although I would like to start widening my artistic pursuits and portfolio. For me, it’s the ease of painting. It’s relaxed, and there’s no pressure. The medium allows me to flow really well, with no boundaries and definite constructs.
Can you walk us through your artistic process, starting from the initial spark of an idea to the actualisation of the finished artwork?
It varies from work to work and project to project. Some of my processes start beforehand. I have this book, and whenever I am inspired, I would write this concept in that book and then add context as I go along and keep adding to the ideas when I feel too. At other times, I walk straight up to my canvas and start creating. Some projects take longer than others, depending on if I start getting bored or blocked in that process. One thing, my finished works never disappoint. For me, to have a physical representation of my creative process is so amazing.
Could you share some insights into your current creative endeavors and projects?
I have some exciting projects coming up, but I cannot share that yet. But definitely, watch this space! There are some intriguing and joyful artworks on the horizon, and I’m excited to bring them to life.
