Lisa Blackshear, founder of the Asheville Urban Landscape Project group (now Asheville Plein Air Painters), presented an inspiring demonstration from Zealand. The location overlooks downtown Asheville and is a great place to paint the urban view!
Blackshear shared many tips about tools, styles, her approach to a painting, and concepts about art in general. She also shared her reason’s for starting this very active paint out group. …. and the day was beautiful!
Lisa Blackshear • Oil
Paint-Out Location: Zealand
In her award winning oil paintings Lisa Blackshear explores the landscapes and cityscapes of Asheville North Carolina. Her thick impastos, kinetic brush strokes, and vibrant color palette evoke the feel of air and sunshine. Painting on location allows Blackshear, deaf in one ear, to absorb her surroundings with her eyes, brain and hands.
“First I paint the subject in bright colors–the colors of light and shadow. I think of this under-painting as the spirit lurking behind reality.”
With a BA in Studio Arts from the University of Minnesota, Lisa pursued an illustration career in New York City for many years. After moving to Asheville she founded the Asheville Urban Landscape Project (before handing it over to more capable hands!) She has exhibited her impressionist oil landscapes at Asheville’s Refinery Creator Space, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, and the Weizenblatt Art Gallery in Mars Hill, among other locations. She has a permanent installation at Woolworth Walk, and her work can be seen online at www.lisablackshear.com.
Please see her website for contact information. Lisa Blackshear Fine Art
Questions for the Artist
What do you feel is your greatest strength as a plein air painter?
My greatest strength as a plein air painter is perseverance. I enjoy getting outside and painting, so I persist!
What are three tips that you have gained that have made a difference in your painting?
1. Do a monochrome under-painting to establish the “cut of the light”.
2. Paint the light and atmosphere, not local color.
3. Follow the rules until intuition takes over, then just make it look real!
What are you working to improve upon?
I’m always trying to improve upon creating the illusion of light and atmosphere.
Bench Azalea Garden
Sunlit Lupine, Biltmore Garden
Tulip Extravaganza 11×14″ Oil on Linen
Short Video
Gallery of images from December 3
Note: The gallery photos were taken by Rosemarie Robuck