2017 solo show at Sierra Arts Gallery

My latest solo show, Somewhere in the desert there's a forest, is now showing at the Sierra Arts Gallery and is up until January 27th. There is an artist's reception on Thursday January 19th at 6pm that is free and open to the public. This is one of my largest shows to date and includes new paintings, installation elements, and a large scale mural. I'm really proud and excited by how this show came together and even more thrilled to share it with everyone. Sierra Arts has been wonderful to work with and extremely supportive every step of the process. For more information and gallery hours, please visit their website here: http://sierra-arts.org/

My dear friend Elspeth Summers is going to be playing at the reception as well. She recently released a new album as well as a special video and song in support of Standing Rock. You can view her work here on her website: http://www.elspethsummers.com/music 

For a bit more information on this show, below is my artist's statement and I hope to see you at the reception!

This exhibit is a series of paintings by Lisa Kurt, in which the artist has crafted miniature narratives of human fascination with nature, particularly animals, and animal-like creatures. Lisa continues to develop her own world that expresses the fragility, vulnerability, and personality of life. Inspired by the New England woods of her childhood, the wooded and damp world of North California and the Pacific Northwest, and her home in the high desert mountains of Nevada, she integrates elements of these landscapes into her works in various ways. Tumbleweeds in particular have become a new obsession; both novel and commonplace, these objects have become characters and hold a certain magic for the artist to explore. There is a focus within her work on the relationships and/or emotions of the characters within this world. Many of the characters within this work are an allegory; they often represent a secondary meaning such as a childhood memory, a story, an emotion, or a dream.

Lisa Kurt works primarily with acrylics and mixed media on canvas or wood panels; her work integrates maps and other ephemera within her paintings. She has also explored and experimented with gouache, watercolor, and acrylic inks.

artist profile video

The past weekend, Tweaking Reality Studios came to visit me in my studio and one of my favorite magical places while they made this stunning artist video of me. It is not always easy to share as an artist- there are pieces of me that are difficult to convey, emotions run high, and a vulnerability that breaks you open and leaves you exposed. It might seem dramatic and it certainly feels that way when I immerse myself in making a lot of art. Once I finish a large art-making run- I often feel a little like I'm coming out of another world altogether; I wasn't even sure if I could do this video because I felt so drained, vulnerable, nervous, raw. Fortunately for me, these fellow artists captured me in video in a way that only fellow artists can; they understood me and that is such a lovely lovely gift. Thank you so much to you Elspeth, James, and Luke for seeing me and my art and for creating a time capsule for me and my son and my art. I'm so grateful.

Artlist Profile: Lisa Kurt from Tweaking Reality Studios on Vimeo.

Fortinbras show // hands + objects

During the month of April, The Reno Little Theater will be presenting Fortinbras, a delightful sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. As a companion project to RLT's Fortinbras play, I've created a solo show of small paintings hanging in their beautiful lobby. I was inspired by the objects in the play and using hands as portraits so I crafted a series of small gouache paintings on paper maps. All of these paintings are for sale for $60 each and can be purchased through the Reno Little Theater. The box office information is here: http://renolittletheater.org/box-office-info/

Back to how rad this play is...did you ever wonder what happened within the walls of Hamlet's castle after Hamlet? I don't want to give anything away but this play is so much fun. I got a sneak peek of one of the rehearsals and the cast is completely awesome and hilarious! The playwright, Lee Blessing will be attending opening weekend and is doing a talk back on Sunday April 3rd. The play opens this Friday April 1st and I'll be there- so come join me, please say hello, watch this wonderful play, and check out my latest work- it'll be so much fun!

Buy tickets here: http://renolittletheater.org/events/event/fortinbras/

bon voyage 2014 and welcome 2015!

Here we are at the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015. I absolutely love this time of year- the opportunity to reflect on the past year and take stock of the things I did well and the things I didn't do so well on. I made a lot of mistakes in 2014 but I also had a lot of successes, I learned so so much, and honestly? I'm pretty proud of my very first year as a full time artist. It was not without some challenges and I'm still figuring things out of course but I have some really big ideas and plans already for the next year. It's a chance to begin again. I have so much to be thankful for and many many people who without them I simply would not be able to do this. It's likely that if you're reading this- you are one of those people. Thank you!! Thank you so so much for everything!

I think what tickles me the most about this year is planning, hoping, and dreaming about what the next year will hold. Resolutions may not quite be the right word to describe how I plan around this time of year- it's more a mixture of goal and intention setting. I do write all my ideas out in various forms and I brainstorm- it's a process to figure out what I really really want to do. Some things are already committed to due to some hard work I put in last year and they are lined up in the calendar; others are up to me to keep pushing to make happen and complete. I have to make some hard decisions and put some ideas aside to leave a little bit of room for some serendipity too. It may seem laborious but by doing this- it truly keeps me focused on what I want to achieve. It also helps me say no to projects that may not fit in with my ultimate goals and dreams; sometimes it breaks my heart to say no because there are so many amazing projects out there! Sometimes it's a matter of scheduling or timing and though a project might be right up my alley and exactly what I love- I may just have too many commitments. Either way- this process of clarifying makes it much easier for me to really know: what do I want to create this year?

So here I am with warm fuzzy emotions about the past year and butterflies and joy looking forward to the next. It's a lovely and exciting place to be. Do you set goals or intentions for the new year? Do you make plans for what you want your year to look like?

I hope you all create some amazing things this year. I hope you'll make some art and do those things you've always wanted to do. And I wish you a little magic too. :)

May you all have a warm and wonderful new year!

xo!

Lisa

it's a winter wonderland

Here we are- getting close to mid-December and that much closer to holiday goodness! The weather is pretty frightful here in Northern Nevada as we are getting hit with a pretty spectacular wind storm. The good news is it's not too late to order from my shop; the last day to place an order is Tuesday December 16th. AND use the coupon code SNOWBALL14 to get free shipping on all orders now through the 16th. If you are local to Reno and prefer to shop in person, I'll also be at the Rogue art + craft show at the Holland Project in Reno, NV this coming Saturday from 10am-4pm. It's going to be a wonderful, festive event with lots of vendors, coffee, music, a food truck, and more. It's free to attend and there will be lots of great vendors to shop from. It's a great way to support the artists you love and help them out so they can keep making art! You can find more details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/496295123843810

I'm even creating some special little friends that will be available at Rogue while they last! Here is a sneak peek of my work in progress...

It'll also be my last show for a while as I gear up in the new year to focus on all new work and projects for the spring.

I hope everyone is staying cozy and warm and enjoying what this magical season has to offer!

xo,

Lisa

Welcome to my big art adventure!

So here it is my new art and illustration website full of arty goodness! As you can see, I'll be blogging here, updating my portfolio, my store, sharing the latest news and events, sales, sketches, and all kinds of art related things. There is going to be a lot going on over the next several months and I'm really excited to share all of it with you!

Some might be curious how I got here, so here's the short version...

I ditched the day job, along with the stability of an academic tenured position on August 16, 2013, to pursue my art dream. I've worn many hats over the years including horse trainer, graphic designer, and librarian- I still love and in some ways participate in those areas but my true love is creating art. I did go to art school and I have always drawn, painted, and made art in some form or another over the years....but I also had a period of time where things were pretty bleak art-making-wise.

When my son was born in 2010, I began to re-ask all those big life questions and several events and scenarios led me back to my art roots because I really needed an outlet. In many ways I felt like an angst-y teenager all over again and at times I felt like the art was just coming out whether I liked it or not. But I knew that the discomfort and at times outright heartache I was feeling was leading me to something real and beautiful. My little family not only supported me, but pushed me to be better and things became clear that no matter what, I realized- I needed to be an artist!

So with my amazing son and husband, and a whole lot of wonderful friends and family behind me- I had so many people wanting me to make art, encouraging me in a million ways, and helping me make art in some form or another. There are a lot of you out there that may not even know the impact you've had on me but thank you- truly. I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had and for those to come.

There is a lot planned for this little website...I'm so glad to have you here! Stay tuned for more good stuff...new work on deck!