Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa McLaughlin.
Lisa, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I moved to Nashville in 1989 for work. I came from Toledo, Ohio, where I really felt surrounded by great art and supported by a strong art community and parents who encouraged me. I didn’t realize how fortunate I was until I moved away! Toledo has a wonderful art museum with a collection that ranges from ancient civilizations to the 21st Century and it is free to visit. Having had great art teachers at school, and Saturday classes at Toledo Museum of Art from 3rd to 12th grade, and continuing to study there through the University, was such a privilege! I earned a degree there in graphic design, but always enjoyed painting.
When I moved to Nashville, I realized how much I missed that art community. I continued to create a bit on my own, but really got away from it as I focused on my job, which involves a lot of travel.
Traveling around the country and the world, I always take any free time I can to find art in local spaces. Whether it’s street art or The Louvre, I want to see it! Visiting these places, and particularly in museums, I realized how drawn I am to the contemporary galleries, and particularly abstract expressionism. While I had studied it a bit in college, my art history classes and my own painting were more focused on the classics; Greek and Roman art, Renaissance, Impressionism. I love it all, but I became fascinated with the Expressionists.
I had put the brushes down long enough! I wanted to learn more about the process of expressionism and meet some fellow artists. Eventually, I sought out a local class, led by a wonderful teacher named Mildred Jarrett. She taught at the old Plaza Art location, and I met several talented people there. Several of us became friends and started exhibiting together regionally under the name Contemporary Collective. I’m also a member of the Nashville Artist Guild.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am a glass-half-full kind of person! I welcome a good challenge! I think it pushes me to be better. One of the biggest challenges I have is traveling for long periods of time. If I’m on the road for several weeks and don’t have the opportunity to paint, it can feel a little like trying to speak another language when you’ve been away from it for a while. I have to turn off the left brain, inventory/spreadsheet side and let my right brain creative side take over. It can take a minute to get the rhythm of that language back. However, having been out traveling and seeing the world is what provides me with inspiration and a sense of freedom to create! If I mess up a piece I’m working on, well, that’s just more depth to the painting it will become.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For the last 36 years, I’ve managed merchandise accounts for quite a variety of performers! I won’t name-drop here, but they are some of the most talented people in the country and rock world. While it’s hard work and can be a grind, being around other creative people while at work has been amazing! It has given me the opportunity to see the world, from county fairs in towns you’ve never heard of to the White House. I woudn’t trade all that experience for anything. Traveling makes you realize how small the world really is, and getting out there to see it truly helps inform my art work.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Abstract expressionism comes from deep within. It is all about feeling, movement, and energy. It’s kind of the “jazz” of visual art. When I’m in that creative headspace, hours can go by without realizing the time. That’s the sweet spot. If you’re a writer, musician or visual artist, you know that space, and it is pure joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lisamclaughlinart.com
- Instagram: @lisamclaughlinart
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/lisamclaughlinart
- Other: https://contemporarycollectivenashville.com
