Lisa donohue

encaustic, sculpture, stained glass

artist bio

Lisa Donohue has been a resident of West Seattle for over 24 years and has been deeply inspired by the mountains and forests of the Pacific Northwest. She credits her artistic sensibilities to a free-spirited upbringing that allowed her to explore her surroundings and feed her imagination. Her early experience caring for young wild animals at Sunriver’s Nature Center in central Oregon greatly influenced her lifelong love of the natural world. Lisa maintains a fascination with old-world craftsmanship and has been fortunate to travel extensively to experience it up close. She brings this reference into her encaustic work in the form of expressive and asemic calligraphy, weathered textures, botanical forms and assemblage ephemera.

Lisa enjoys perusing antique shops and architectural salvage yards, and is always looking for ways to incorporate found objects and vintage materials into her sculptures. Much of her latest work is inspired by symbols, colors and imagery derived from observations of nature and its cycles. She also finds inspiration from her rare episodes of sleep paralysis, which produce profoundly vivid dreams. Works are sculptural and play on tactile organic forms, translucence and shadow. She finds the experimental nature of encaustic medium a fitting tool for expression and experimentation — its unpredictable properties can lead to forced abstraction, allowing space for intuitive process.

INSTAGRAM | BLOG POSTS | GINGERBREAD HOUSES

Past Exhibitions

2019 / July 13-August 17 Metamorphic Alchemy invitational group encaustic exhibition. Opening Reception July 13, 5-7:00pm, Confluence Gallery, Twisp WA | ”Alabaster” Submissions & Artist Statement
2018 / October Lacrimosa joint exhibition/event, The Machine Shop, Whidbey Island WA | Blog post
2017 / July #OneOf Arts Festival, The Machine Shop, Whidbey Island WA
2017 / March Silver Ball joint exhibition, Museo Gallery, Whidbey Island WA | Submissions & Artist Statement