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Floral Joy Series
These Collage Paintings, created from 2013-2019, celebrate the flowers in my award-winning garden. They are homes for a myriad of insects and small animals. Flowers capture light, dance in the breeze and spark our imagination. bringing smiles to faces and warmth to our hearts.
This diptych was inspired by the Oriental Poppies in my home garden. Working from photographs, I created shapes in Adobe Illustrator, cut them out of various types of paper, added details with colored pencils and paint, and collaged them all together on a stained wood panel. This pair of collage-paintings took over 80 hours to create.
2016 - 29.5" X 35" X 1"
Mixed Media: manipulated national geographic magazines, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil, handmade paper on wood panel.
This diptych was inspired by the sunflowers in my home garden. Working from photographs, I created shapes in Adobe Illustrator, cut them out of various types of paper, added details with colored pencils and paint, and collaged them all together on a stained wood panel. This pair of collage-paintings took over 80 hours to create.
2016 - 29.5" X 35" X 1"
Mixed Media: manipulated national geographic magazines, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil, handmade paper on wood panel.
This diptych was inspired by the day lilies in my home garden. Working from photographs, I created shapes in Adobe Illustrator, cut them out of various types of paper, added details with colored pencils and paint, and collaged them all together on a stained wood panel. This pair of collage-paintings took over 80 hours to create.
2016 - 29.5" X 35" X 1"
Mixed Media: manipulated national geographic magazines, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil, handmade paper on wood panel.
I have always been drawn to the beauty and grace of Koi as they glide through the water with their gorgeous, almost feathery fins swirling along. I find them mesmerizing. When I am at my most anxious, watching them can calm me in a way few other things can.
Koi represent good fortune, longevity, courage and perseverance. In Feng Shui koi is related to the yin yang symbol, synonymous with harmony and happiness. Whatever they mean to you, I hope you will enjoy the serenity that Being Koi will bring into your home.
The original 8" x 48" x 2" artwork was created on a handcrafted wood panel. Transparent stains allow the wood grain to show through, adding a sense of movement and flow to the water. Beautiful art papers were painstakingly cut to create each individual fish scale and flower petal. Oil paint rendered shadows and final details. You can read a step-by-step explanation with photos of The Making of Being Koi on my blog.
Did you ever love someone so much that you felt like your heart was beating out of your chest? This whimsical mixed media artwork demonstrates that feeling with bright, cheerful colors and flowers galore! It’s a great gift for your special family member or significant other.
The original was created on a 24” x 24” x 2” handcrafted wood panel. Transparent stains were applied to let the natural wood grain show through. The words and elements were made of cuttings from flower catalogs. Stains and markers added shadow and line to create visual depth and volume.
Custom Collages
Portraits of Inner Beauty
What makes you special? When you are no longer here, how do you want to be remembered? What stories have influenced who you are? What values do you hold dear? These are some of the questions I strive to answer in my Portraits of Inner Beauty series.
"Initiation and Adaptability" are the characteristics of the female subject which bring her the most self-worth. The woodpecker is a clever bird known for shaking up awareness and seizing opportunities. The fox is also a clever strategist and adaptable to change.
This collage was constructed of hundreds of paper shapes hand-cut from magazines, art papers and vintage maps, establishing a sense of place and the idea that we are made up of the sum of our experiences. The wood grain of the panel shows through the transparent paint of the skin, further enforcing the concept that humans are not separate from the natural world.
Look closely at the woodpecker's feet on a branch. You can see multiple layers of paper in its body and tail: a base layer silkscreened with leaves, tiny heart shaped cutouts, and covered with a transparent rice paper with strings. The tree is made of pages from a vintage book about the flora of the mountain states. The sky is made of National Geographic pages which I manipulated using solvent to create rich, swirling inks in the colors of nature. I used oil paint to do the final shading and details to bring this bird to life.
2019 - 36” x 48” x 2”
Mixed Media: handmade papers and paper ephemera, based on my photography and digital art, oil paint on wood panel
"Loyalty and Vision" are the characteristics of the male subject which bring him the most self-worth. The falcon is a powerful bird known for its wisdom, higher vision and protection of others. The wolf is considered intelligent, strong and compassionate.
This collage was constructed of hundreds of paper shapes hand-cut from magazines, art papers and vintage maps, establishing a sense of place and the idea that we are made up of the sum of our experiences. The wood grain of the panel shows through the transparent paint of the skin, further enforcing the concept that humans are not separate from the natural world.
A vintage map, marbled paper, and a thin, transparent rice paper with tiny white grasses comprise the body of the wolf and give it both visual and tactile texture. The sky is made of manipulated National Geographic Pages, while the tree is made of a vintage botanical book. The man’s hand is shaded with oil paint, but the main color is that of the wood below. Allowing the wood grain to show through the main subject reinforces the fact that humans are a part of the natural world.
2019 - 36” x 48” x 2”
Mixed Media: handmade papers and paper ephemera, based on my photography and digital art, oil paint on wood panel.
I wanted to capture the sense of pure joy my young model exuded when we were shooting in my garden. I felt as if happy energy was swirling in her, through her, and out into the world. So much so that I felt as if she was a part of the garden. I brought the image into photoshop and added flowers to her skin. I cut out long wavy strands of paper to represent hair, arranged them in my studio with real flowers and photographed them. I then printed the elements on cotton rag paper, cut them out and collaged them on the panel. The black paints are my way of highlighting elements and showing the motion of energy.
The sky is made of altered National Geographic Pages, and then glazed with a translucent blue paint. The hair is a photo of cut papers arranged with flowers and printed on cotton rag. The blue swirls are marbled paper cut out to show the flow of energy. Acrylic paints accent the living flowers and black lines accent the energy.
2018 - 26” x 24” x 2”
Mixed Media: handmade papers and paper ephemera, my photography and digital art, oil paint on wood panel
I was feeling introspective the day I started this self-portrait. After a very busy summer, it was finally autumn in Colorado and I was feeling relaxed in nature. I gathered seed pods from our locust tree. We call them “monkey tails.” They are very similar in color and shape to my natural hair, making me feel even more at one with nature. I combined my photos with altered photos from my manipulated National Geographic pages and collaged them together. I used very little paint on this one.
2019 - 15” x 9” x 1”
Mixed Media: paper ephemera, my photography and digital art, oil paint on wood panel
Available for Licensing
Contact Lisa Larsen for licensing at lisa@lisalarsen.com
Greeting Cards
Home Decor
This diptych was inspired by the pink grandiflora roses in my home garden. Working from photographs, I created shapes in Adobe Illustrator, cut them out of various types of paper, added details with ink and paint, and collaged them all together on a stained wood panel. This pair of collage-paintings took over 80 hours to create.
2017 - 29.5" X 35" X 1"
Mixed Media: manipulated national geographic magazines, acrylic paint, ink, colored pencil, handmade paper on wood panel.