Lisa McShane

Lisa McShane creates large, luminous oil paintings that capture the sweeping landscapes and wild rivers of the American west. Her work, comprised of layers of oil paint and glazes over linen, focuses on light and abstracted shapes.

She’s had residencies in National Parks, exhibited in the American Embassy in Yemen, and in the Washington State Governor’s Residence and the Washington State Treasurer’s Office in Olympia, Washington.

Lisa’s studio is on 15 acres of forest on Samish Island, overlooking Samish Bay and Padilla Bay in northwest Washington. She is surrounded by eagles, owls, and surprisingly large trees.

“The art that I love best moves my soul and I aim for that deep beauty in my paintings. I love the place I live and the people in my world and so I work again and again to capture what I see and experience. I want people to see this achingly beautiful world that I see.

My paintings begin as drawings and often as a deeply personal memory of a specific moment where the light stirred me: a river, an early morning on a beach, the island where I live at low tide, the view of the mountains and rivers I love from above. I draw directly on toned linen, paint the image in umber, and then add the sky using as many layers as it takes to develop depth and texture. Skies, clouds, water, reflections and a sense of luminosity are central to my work and so I begin with them.”