Of all the wonderful creatives who live and work in Berks County, Lisa Muller could well be crowned the queen of whimsy. Her wild imagination — a subtle one, mind you, not unbridled — is always given full love on the canvas, leaving the viewer with a sense of supreme wonder and mystery, as though her brush has literally painted the canvas of your own spiritual center, or the innermost chambers of your heart. Her full-blown show at Reading’s GoggleWorks last year was alive with sheer presence and inner vision.
Muller’s animals with tall ears, female faces with sly, expressive eyes looking sideways out to the world, a horse with a bluish mane holding a small flower (“Forget Me Not”) — all of these distinctive paintings and prints are highly collectible. The very act of investing in Muller’s images to adorn your space — at home or office or boardroom — suggests an intention to be uplifted and reminded of the power of emotion, humor and dreams.
That Whimsical Style
Says Muller, “I tend to work from the inside out. I choose this approach over representation, partly because I find reality to be an unreliable narrator. The power of emotion can override perception, dictating much of what is thought to be ‘real.’ The individual mind is largely unknowable, each having its own impractical judgements. This idea fascinates me and shows up in the paintings as whimsy.”
The mixed-media artist describes her process: “I usually begin with paper collage on a wood substrate. The paper might have an image of a previous painting, a grocery list or a scribbled note. All kinds of things go into this first layer.” This attention to detail, and especially to valuing everyday objects as inspiration, comes naturally to her. She continues, “Then there are several layers of acrylic color. I usually finish with oil paint because of its long working time. In between I may use pencils, crayons, markers...anything that achieves the effect I want. The viewer mostly sees the final layer of oil when looking at the finished work.”
And those colors! Those shades! The brilliant contrasts draw you in, hold your gaze. Just one more look. The act of enjoying Muller’s work is multi-level, as though you’re investigating more than seeing. The effect varies from painting to painting. Just when you think you’ve figured out what the figure, the image, the face or the cloud is saying to you, you’re wise to simply step back a few yards or more and then look again from a distance. Now breathe. You’ll land with the distinct sensation that whatever you need to do as you move on to the next moment of your life is going to be fine, just fine — and richer for the journey.
Into the Woods
About those faces and animal motifs, Muller explains, “I like to morph different species of animal together as part of the illogical worlds I create. Certain creatures have become symbols, though few convey the same symbolic meaning to every audience, so I often go with the most common. Sometimes an animal persona is represented as a costume, something that can be removed. I often see myself acting out traits that are associated with non-human animals, so these combinations feel natural to me.”
Learn More
A strong collaborator with other artists, Muller creates evocative “mini” pieces for sale during the popular “25 Days of Minis” series.
From her blog at lisamullerart.com: Watching the dogs prod the ground, sniffing patches of rotting leaves like they’re plowing through a bestseller, I see a familiar part of my studio experience.”
