Lisa Feather Knee

Much of my imagery is drawn from my love of the natural world. I grew up among artists in Santa Fe, which is partly why my first artistic instinct was towards painterly Impressionistic landscapes. I still use complementary colors and play with negative space to create a sense of movement and depth in my work. While painting I try to forget these words, as well as the names of things or places. A world stripped to the simplicity of its forms and colors invites me to savor the present moment. Even the most mundane location can become a holy place when the eye finds beauty there. So there is also a spiritual dimension to my work. Color is not only a visual tool, but also the language of energy and intangibles. To achieve the richness of palette that characterizes my paintings, I work in oils and employ an almost Fauvist sense of color harmony.

Because I am not interested in reproducing what is immediately apparent, but rather discovering new ways of seeing what is overlooked, I often straddle the line between abstraction and representation. Looking into my paintings one will sometimes see mysterious shapes or colors that are vestiges of older paintings underneath. I combine layers of paint to create deep, lush color, and imbue my work with a sense of mystery. When outdoors I contemplate the patterns of things, like the way certain trees dapple light or pine trees grow in spirals. Using these visual rythms allows me to omit surplus details and focus on the process of creating.