Artists We Love: Lisa Nelson

INTERVIEWED BY Michaela Stehr

We chat to Cape Town-based abstract artist Lisa Nelson about magic in art, the journey and evolution of her style and the influence of the female form in her striking works.

Tell us about your artistic journey?

Both of my parents were professional artists and I went to a Waldorf school, art college and studied design at Cape Tech. The constant exposure to art in these environments fostered a playfulness with art and a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around me. The Pagan influence of Waldorf and my family taught me to be playful and to celebrate the marvels of nature. While playing dress-up with my fairy wings and flower wreaths on my head, singing songs about the changing colours of the seasons, building fairy gardens with crystals, and tracking the cycles of the moon, I learned that everything held magic and wisdom. 

In terms of the development of my style and process, this upbringing also allowed me to explore many mediums, such as sculpting beeswax, clay, sewing, knitting, watercolours, printmaking, pastels, oils, gouache, and digital, to name a few. However, drawing has always been my go-to, and my interest in my current subject matter emerged at an early age when I would draw models from magazines and characters from TV shows. Though, as I learned about feminism, and struggled with the trauma of being sexually assaulted, my art and my personal journey began to merge. 

READ MORE: Q&A with South African Illustrator Theodore Key

My mother is an art therapist and I used her methods to process my emotions and guide my healing. I began journaling and drawing my dreams. I used mandalas and expressive drawing as self-inquiry tools to gain insights from my subconscious, where feelings precede thoughts. This free expressive journaling style and my early interest in drawing women led to my current style and subject interest. Through my work, I process the pain of trauma and challenge oppression, sexism, and unhealthy body standards. My work celebrates women whose body shapes are bold and unconventionally perfect. These women take up space and show their power and beauty by bravely exposing their pain, being vulnerable and curious, and daring to do the work to heal and grow. They emerge from the pages of my journals and sharing them with the world is my catharsis and an ode to the incredible women around me who are on the same journey. My art is an acknowledgement of the depth and complexity of the feminine experience, and my incorporation of flowers, plants, and the ocean is an urgent reminder to repair the powerful connection we have with nature. 

What styles inspire you?

My dream journaling and art therapy mean that symbolism inspires a lot of my process. I love the symbolism in tarot decks, from ancient healers, and in the natural world. Then, in terms of artistic influences, I’m inspired by Fauvism (Henri Matisse), Surrealism (Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dali), Japanese Ukiyo-e (the art of ordinary women), Modern Art, and simplified forms and vibrant colours. When I was young I strove for realism, and it has been a challenging and liberating journey to shift my perception of “good art” being accurate and technically impressive, to seeing it rather, as an emotive piece of communication.

What do you prefer, commissions or your own ideas?

They both have a special purpose. My own work is self-healing but I love commissions because I see them as a way to honour and celebrate others. Commissions can be challenging in a good way because I have to get more creative and there needs to be a balance between my personal expression and the essence of the people I am celebrating. I also find it very rewarding when I see the excitement and joy it spark in people when they feel they have truly been seen. When people request a commission it is an act of self-care and love and it is beautiful to be a part of that.

What does a regular day look like for you?

My days are always different! However, they always begin with my morning rituals, which are important because they ground me, allow me to check in with my body and my emotions, and get me ready for however, my day may unfold. Before I get up I sit in bed and journal. I draw my dreams and write them down. Then I interpret them and it helps me understand what space I am in and what things I need to pay attention to in my life. When I get up I do some yoga and get to work. I balance my time between freelance (design, animation, and illustration), and my art. I enjoy the balance, when I freelance, I work to deadlines, with people, to meet specific requirements, and it is very structured. Then, when I do my art there are no time constraints, it is solitary and personal, and I get to play, experiment and make mistakes.

How do you incorporate inspiration into your work?

My life experiences and emotional state are often things that inspire me. I incorporate them by drawing simple organic shapes and body forms that express the feeling. When it develops I can look at it and see what symbols would best communicate the message further. Looking at art history and finding colour palettes that go with the feeling. Include nature scenes that I visit. Collect shells and other objects to inspire shapes and colour combinations.

What is your preferred medium?

Digital and traditional drawing and painting. I enjoy painting with Gouache, acrylic and oils. And when I’m creating digital art I like to work in Adobe Fresco for both painting and animation.

Anything you struggle with drawing/painting?

When I’m being self-critical I find it hard to feel comfortable with an artwork being more abstract and simplistic rather than realistic and well proportioned. Trusting that what a piece expresses is valid, even when it doesn’t “look perfect” is something I need to remind myself of. When you’re learning you are praised when you’re able to perfectly replicate something and so when I consciously practised letting go I slowly developed my own style that was free-flowing, simplified and colourful.

What advice do you have for people who want to get into art?

Look within rather than looking outwards and comparing your journey to others. Especially on social media. Develop what message you want to communicate from the things that matter to you, and trust that your perspective and expression are unique and that your voice is an important part of our collective tapestry that we weave with each of our threads. 

Do you have a favourite piece?

There is one called Healing Water and it stands out to me because I drew it while my sister was telling me about a life-changing decision she was making that was going to be healing but was scary and required her to believe in herself and to trust her inner voice. I love it because it inspired her and after she built up enough courage she took her big leap and everything worked out beautifully, and now she has a large framed print in her home that reminds us both to always listen to your inner guidance because deep inside of us, we all know exactly what we need to do to bring ourselves back into alignment with our purpose – we just need to listen and trust in our wisdom. 

What are your future plans?

I would love to work more with animations to express the full story of a transformation, as my work is always about growth and change. I’d love to also tell these stories in a graphic novel. As a feminist, I am always looking to collaborate on projects that empower women and one of my biggest dreams is to create my own healing tools or a tarot deck. And while I love to work digitally I hope to develop more fine art to work on greeting exhibitions.

Any local artists we should look out for?

Maca Rosee – she is a multi-talented artist practising both digital and traditional art. I love the way that she combines humans with insects, plants and animals to create mythical characters that feel like they come from ancient folklore, passed down through generations as mysterious stories told in the night.

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