Lisa Zylstra: The Art of Light, Nature and Connection

SUMMARY

In this episode of Painterly Life, host Shannon Grissom speaks with award-winning painter Lisa Zylstra about her artistic journey, the importance of light in her work, and how nature influences her creativity. They discuss the role of community in art, the challenges of balancing creativity with the business side of being an artist, and offer advice for young artists starting their careers. Lisa emphasizes the joy of sharing art and the privilege of being able to create, while also highlighting the importance of painting from life and staying connected to nature.

Chapters

• 0:00 Igniting Creativity
• 1:00 The Art of Capturing Light: Lisa's Process
• 7:01 Nature as a Muse
• 9:31 Community and Collaboration
• 12:54 Overcoming Creative Blocks
• 17:57 Advice for Artists
• 24:48 Balancing The Business Side of Art
• 29:06 Connecting with the Audience

Transcript

Shannon Grissom (00:05)
Hi, I'm Shannon Grissom. Are you looking to ignite your creativity? Or how about be inspired by a steady stream of muses? Welcome to Painterly Life, the podcast that celebrates those who create, inspire, and innovate. So whether you're looking to spark your next big idea, reignite your passion, or simply soak in some creative energy,

This is the place for you. Painterly Life, where every guest is a new muse, just for you.

Welcome to Painterly Life. I'm your host, Shannon Grissom. Today we have award-winning painter, Lisa Zylstra. Welcome, Lisa.

Lisa Zylstra (01:00)
Thanks for having me.

Shannon Grissom (01:02)
You're welcome. So I have checked out your website. I've seen your art in person. And what really strikes me is the quality of light that you get in your paintings is absolutely beautiful. Can you tell me about your process and how you bring the light into your work?

Lisa Zylstra (01:23)
Well, first of all, thank you. That's a big compliment to me because that is the thing that lights me up, so to speak. When I'm picking a scene, it's always because of the light. And so I love the fact that it comes through because I can see it, but I want other people to kind of feel that light coming through. So it really starts with the image that I choose when I'm out.

Shannon Grissom (01:31)
You

Lisa Zylstra (01:51)
on site or taking photos and things like that. It's usually something that's dramatic with the light. I love it when light shines through things. been, I always love to lay on the grass and look up at trees and see the light coming through the trees, seeing the glow come around things when light is behind things.

And I think that's true for most artists and photographers as well. It's the light that makes something really interesting. It's the light that creates the shadows, changes the colors, brings excitement to it. So I'm glad that you see that in my work.

Shannon Grissom (02:30)
You know, it's hard to miss. So you've had an amazing journey. I mean, you won awards when you were a kid. You've gone to Otis and you have a degree in illustration. Is that what it is in illustration?

Lisa Zylstra (02:35)
Yeah

Yes, actually I graduated from Long Beach State with a degree in illustration. And where Otis Parsons came in was that in high school, had, I've had some amazing teachers along the way and I really credit them with seeing something in me and mentoring that and providing opportunities for me. And one of those opportunities was in high school, I had

Like I said, an amazing teacher all three years, Sherrill Kahn, and she was an amazing artist herself. And as she mentored me, I was part of an area wide in Los Angeles of all the seniors in the entire Area D in Los Angeles, and I actually won. yeah, it was pretty amazing. And the award for that

were classes at Otis Parsons in Los Angeles, which is a very prestigious art college. I went there when I was 17 and took classes on Saturdays. I took life drawing classes and that was an amazing experience. And of course I was drawing with people older than myself and far more experienced than myself and I absolutely loved that. that was during my senior year. And because of her and her mentorship with me and

the opportunities that came out of that. That's why I chose to go into illustration. I was kind of vacillating between teaching and pursuing my art. And I knew the art was, you know, a little bit of a less sure path. And I do love children. And I did end up doing some teaching anyway, you know, along the way. But because of her, that's why I went ahead and pursued my degree in illustration. And I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BFA in Illustration.

Shannon Grissom (04:40)
Wow. So how has that influenced your current work, or has it? The illustration background.

Lisa Zylstra (04:47)
You know, it's a different style that I'm painting with now. I think that first of all, in illustration and the training that I received at Cal State Long Beach, you know, it's very much about ideas. You know, they'll throw out an idea to you and you need to bring it to life with your own interpretation of it. It's very much story oriented, you know, so you're not just painting a still life.

You know, there's a story behind everything and there's ideas behind everything. And I loved that. And as a kid and as an adult, I love children's books. I love illustrations. Maurice Sendak was my favorite when I was a There was just a show of his in Sacramento. No, it was in Denver. And we were in Denver when the show was going and I only found out about it when I was there. I would have loved to have seen those illustrations in person.

But anyway, so I always really loved illustrations and I loved books with illustrations and chose them because of the illustrations. And so when I went into illustrating, it was a natural thing for me. It was very drawing oriented as well, which I think is super important as a painter. If you don't have good drawing basics, it's going to show up in your work, even though you're using brush work and it's a lot more loose for the most part.

So I think in my illustration degree, I just received really good training. And although my work is not in an illustrative style at this point, I think the basics there really helped me today as I'm painting with oil paints.

Shannon Grissom (06:32)
I would agree. I think when I think about your landscapes, you're such an outdoor enthusiast and person. And I think the stories that you had in illustration show up in your landscapes. You know, you look at the scene and there's always some sort of story. You look at them like, ooh, you know what, what was going on that day? You know, there's just all kinds of interesting

nuances in your work. how is your, I mean, you just have a joy for the outdoors. So how has that influenced your artwork?

Lisa Zylstra (07:12)
Well, it's influenced it a lot. Yeah, I've always been happiest outside. I grew up in a place and an era where we had complete freedom to run amok and run up in the mountains and go down to the beach. it really was a great era and place to be a kid. And I spent a lot of time in the outdoors as a child. Like I said, I'm happiest outside.

In high school, I started backpacking and continued doing that into my adult life. And nature is just, I know I'm not alone in this, nature really speaks to us as humans. And I'm one of those people that I literally can be driving and see a scene that really moves me and I will cry. You know, usually when I'm alone in the car, but I get so moved by nature and creation around me. just, I'm in awe of

the creativity and the beauty and yeah, just, it just, it lights me up. Nature does, you know? So being in nature, just experiencing it, I love to go out and hike. I love to go out and bike ride or paddleboard or swim. And so I get a lot of my ideas when I'm just out. So I think when I come back to the studio or I'm going out to look for a scene to paint, I already...

have all those ideas just because I'm out there living it. And so the things that really influence me when I'm just out there enjoying nature, then they come in naturally into my work, I think. So rather than going out and looking for a scene that is beautiful, I hope that the things that come through in my landscapes are the feelings and my connection with nature, and hopefully they connect with other people.

who also have that same experience and have experienced certain things out in nature that I have, if that makes sense.

Shannon Grissom (09:11)
It does make sense. And I know that you have also encouraged others to plein air paint. So can you talk about your work with Yosemite Sierra Artists and how you and Mary Beth Harrison coordinate all the plein air outings?

Lisa Zylstra (09:31)
Yeah, so that's been really fun. Just with Yosemite Sierra Artists in general, just to give a shout out to them, we've lived up here in the mountains for four and a half years now.

Shannon Grissom (09:44)
We're in the mountains for people that don't know.

Lisa Zylstra (09:46)
So I live in Oakhurst near Bass Lake and we are a half an hour from the southern entrance to Yosemite. So it takes me about an hour and a half to get down to the valley. I go in there and I paint quite frequently when I can and that's coming up soon because now it's spring. And I grew up at the beach but being in the mountains was always sort of my second love. You know, just the granite and the trees and you know the water and the rocks and

And so we moved up here and it was a big move for us. Came from Orange County, from Huntington Beach, big city. And now we're in Oakhurst, a small little town. And I found YSA. And YSA, Yosemite Sierra Artists, is a local group up here that covers five different mountain communities. And it's an amazingly generous, friendly, encouraging group of people.

And so not only has that influenced me as an artist, as I've learned from other people so much, but also really helped me in making the move here to a small town. So as I got more involved with YSA, we moved during COVID. And so as things started to open up and we were starting to get together again, and I started to go to their plein air outings. And shortly after that, Mary Beth and I

started to co-coordinate those outings together. So we choose a place every month and try to find a place that a lot of people can go to, you know, that's accessible and, and our group gets together. So every month it's a little bit of a different, we've got our regulars. We've had you there when you lived more locally and we miss you. being with that group painting, I mean, you learn so much from other artists, you know.

And art can be an isolated thing and it can be a very inward thing, but it's in the sharing of it with others. think for me, that's where the joy really comes in. You know, there's the introspection of creating, but it's in the sharing and sharing with, you know, in a gallery or sharing your work or making sales is very affirming. And but being with other people, that's where you learn.

That's where you continue the growth. And I learned so much when I'm out there. And I think one of my favorite things is at the end of the session, at the end of the morning, we get together and we often will bring lunch and just sit and chat and we share our work. And here we are in the same setting and the variety that comes out, not just in media, but just in people's interpretation, just the individuality that comes out is so much fun to see. Because we might all be looking at kind of the same thing.

and then we line up our work and we look at it and it's just amazing how creativity is so individual. You I love that. So being with other people, being in that group is really special and I always look forward to that every month.

Shannon Grissom (12:53)
It's an amazing thing that you two are doing and the group is great. Just amazing. So do you ever get stuck? And if you do get stuck, how do you get out of it? How do you get going? How do you relight your fire?

Lisa Zylstra (13:11)
I do get stuck. I, you know, I'm kind of one of those people. It's, it's a little hard for me to shift gears. So like, if I'm, if I'm really into painting, I, I, it's hard for me to shift gears into the other parts of my life. I get very absorbed. And when my life gets very busy with other things, it's very hard for me to find little windows to do my art. So

That's always a challenge for me, is kind of just taking those little moments of time and making the most of them as an artist. And life is busy and life happens and my art's important to me. So the thing that often will get me going again is going outside and painting. So because there's just something about being out there, all of the senses are being addressed, you know, and you have to work really fast. So there's not a lot of, you have to think a lot.

but you've got to think quickly. And that just always revs me up again. If I come into my studio and I try to just pull up a photo that I've put aside to do a studio piece of, it's harder for me to get going. But that gets my juices flowing if I go outside and I do some plein air painting on site. But I'm somebody who also really needs a balance. I love people.

And I've heard the term a social introvert and I'm like, that's me. I love people and I love to be with people, but I have to keep a balance. I'm my best when I have a good balance in my life of time to go inward and reflect and be quiet and then balance it with being out there and sharing and growing with others. So, so that's always a challenge is just balance.

But going out in nature always gets me going. There's also an artist who's an acrylic artist. His style is very different than mine. But when I first started oil painting, I signed up for his course. And his name is Jed Dorsey. And he's all over the internet. I love his enthusiasm. He's just super positive. You know, just make it fun and you know.

And he does these little six by six paintings, which are the course I signed up for. So that's another way. If I can't get outside, I'll just pop in one of his videos. It's a half an hour. He times it. You do a six by six, and that just gets me going. So it's just in the doing, I think, for me when I get stuck, because I need to make that transition. And then my creative mind starts kicking in. And then it's hard for me to go back to doing the other things.

Shannon Grissom (15:48)
Well, yeah, everybody has their own style. I mean, some people, some people paint every day. I had a friend who would go a month without painting and then binge paint like you wouldn't see her for a week because she was painting. So it's good that you know what works for you and what doesn't. you have identified what gets you back into balance and balance is key.

Lisa Zylstra (16:03)
Yes.

Yeah, balance is key and all of us, all of us struggle with balance. But all of our balances are different and you're right. We have to honor that and know that and learn to say no when we need to, which is hard. I'm learning to, I think when I first started oil painting, which was about five years ago when I retired. So that's when I just was like, this is my season. This is what I've been waiting for. I've got the kids are gone.

who I miss terribly, but I'm not working anymore. So I threw myself into it and I said yes to everything. And it was fun. I mean I learned a lot and I grew a lot, but I'm realizing now, again, balance, I need to have time to create too. But we have so much going on up here in the foothills, art-wise. I mean, it's an amazing, thriving art community. And we're super blessed because we've got a lot of opportunities. So again.

finding that balance.

Shannon Grissom (17:12)
Yeah, I had a friend tell me, and I did the same thing. You say, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, especially when I first moved up somewhere to, when I moved to the foothills, same thing. Yes, right. And that was a great way to get involved in the community. But every time you're saying yes to saying something, you're saying no to something else. So it's finding that. And when you say no, then what are you allowing to say yes to? So it's finding that. And that's always a work in progress.

Lisa Zylstra (17:37)
Yes, it is.

Shannon Grissom (17:40)
And I put a post-it on my computer that said to remind me to say I've got to think about it, to not just commit, right? Because I'm always like, yeah, sure, I want to do this. And then before you know it, you've got, you know.

Lisa Zylstra (17:57)
That's exactly right. and then you're like, don't have time to create my art. That's what it's all about.

Shannon Grissom (18:03)
Yeah, so I'm better at all progress. Progress, not perfection, right? So if you've had this incredible journey, what piece of advice would you give to young artists just starting out?

Lisa Zylstra (18:09)
Exactly Good, Motto..

Well, you and I were talking a little bit before we started and I had mentioned that one of the many things I admire about you is that when you were working, I know you got up, to me, the middle of the night, like four in the morning. That's the nighttime, that's not the morning. And you created your art before you went to work. And so you were able to really work on your skills and keep those creative juices flowing.

And so when your season came that you were able to put more and more time into that and wean off of your day job, so to speak, you know, you, was kind of more of a natural flow, it seems like to me. And I didn't do that, which in a sense is okay. I mean, I raised my kids, I had a job that I really enjoyed. My creative tank was full. You know, I loved cooking. I loved the people I worked with. Kids were very creative for me. So it's not that I regret that, but I look back, I would say to young artists, if you can,

try to find the time, if you need that day job to get you going, which many of them do, it's a difficult career to jump into as a 22 year old, try to keep doing your art as you go. Whatever it is, keep your hand in the pie. And I wish that I had done that because I do feel that I would have made more progress in my skills, you know, which I'm always, I'm never gonna be done learning, you know.

but I wish that I had done that because the more you learn and the more skills you have, the more you can enjoy what you're doing as well because then you get to focus more on the creativity. And then to landscape artists, this is not my advice. This is advice that I hear time and again from many, many landscape artists that I admire is paint from life. And painting from life, especially outside is very hard. You've got a lot of things coming at you.

You've got to choose your scene. You've got to narrow down a scene that's vast and pick and edit. You've got light changing, you've got bugs, you've got temperatures. But it is really true that there is nothing like the real light and what your God-given eyes will see out when you're out in nature. And I've noticed that in my own work, for sure.

There's a big difference between my studio work and my plein air work. And although I like a lot of my studio pieces, it's not that I don't capture something in them. There is a different spontaneous quality that you get when you're outside. And I do definitely see the light differently. And there's something true when you're painting from life that would be my encouragement. But it is hard. It's funny, you know, when I'm out painting so often, people who don't plein air paint will come and talk to

you know, which I actually really like. A lot of artists don't like it when people stop and talk, but to me, that's part of the fun, part of the memories I'm making. But I always hear people say, oh, how relaxing. And I always go, I always think, oh, should I, I don't want to sound negative, but it's, it's not relaxing. It's challenging, but you really do learn a lot when you paint on site and you paint outside. So that would be my advice to landscape painters. Um, but not everybody does landscapes. Uh, but I would just say, it up.

Shannon Grissom (21:28)
Relaxing.

Lisa Zylstra (21:47)
as you're growing and in your younger life, even when you're busy with those other things.

Shannon Grissom (21:54)
that's great advice and it ties over into portrait painting, painting from life, having a live model, and even having a physical still life setup. For sure. If you can do that at all and because you just see there's just so much more to see and experience. Do you finish your work in one sitting when you're doing plein air or do you take it home and tweak it a little bit or what's your process?

Lisa Zylstra (22:06)
Yes.

You know, I found for me that it's really hard. I will sometimes bring them home and tweak them because you know, the light really shifts every two hours. You almost have a different scene. And one of the things I'm really working on is getting faster because I would love to do a little bit larger canvas. It's not huge in the field, but a little bit bigger. But if I find the light has shifted so much that now I'm losing the story that I started with.

then I will stop and I'll bring it home. But, a lot of artists only use their plein air as studies and then they bring them home. But for me, there's something about the energy when I'm out there that is a little bit hard for me to reenter when I'm back home in my studio. I will do it, but I really would like to try to finish as much as I can out in the field for the energy, for what I'm seeing and

just for the freshness as well. So, but that's always a discussion with people who do plein air painting. Is it okay to finish in the studio? And of course it's okay to do whatever works for you. And some just do studies out there and some will only finish it out there. But I find for me that I'm happiest with my work if I can complete most of it on site. I just feel like there's more truth to it for me.

Shannon Grissom (23:46)
Well, that makes sense. I'm trying to shift even with my studio work so that I, this is easier said than done, so that I complete one piece in one sitting because what happens is, and it's great to layer and I'm one that has over, you know, taken weeks to get a painting done, but I find that I am not the same person every time I approach the canvas. So if I am not, so if I'm,

painting and I've got this kind of energy today, well tomorrow it might be more contemplative and that's like a painting that's got a split personality. so, and I think that people can feel that on the other end. So I'm pushing myself to do some smaller works because it's harder to do the big ones in one sitting. And so that's my goal for this year is to try to complete them.

whether I'm inside or out in one sitting.

Lisa Zylstra (24:48)
That's true. Even if it's in the studio, you're absolutely right. It's a different energy that you bring to it. you can, because I mean, we want to work larger sometimes, but it is true. It's different. And the colors you reach for are just a little different. Your brushwork definitely is different because that definitely comes from whatever energy you're feeling that day, whatever music you're listening to sometimes.

Shannon Grissom (25:16)
Yeah, there's a big difference. If you're in a high energy place and you're kind of rocking out as you're painting and then the next day it's more mellow, it's going to be a different painting.

Lisa Zylstra (25:30)
Yeah.

Shannon Grissom (25:32)
So where can people physically see your work?

Lisa Zylstra (25:36)
Well, I have my work in three different local galleries. I have my work at Yosemite Gateway Art Center in Oakhurst. Also, we have a new gallery in Oakhurst, YSA, Yosemite Sierra Artists, who we talked about earlier, just after 50 years of wanting their own space, got a gallery space open and running.

Barbara Liss and Kerby Smith have been instrumental in that. So we're very excited about that. We've got our grand opening coming up on April 30th. And, but it's already open. So that's showcasing the work of YSA members in the area. And then I'm also in the Sierra Artists Gallery in Mariposa. And recently I brought a piece out to Pacific Grove. There's a new giant gallery out there.

called 480 Lighthouse Gallery and I brought a piece out there. Their goal is to have 300 different artists, I believe, with one piece from each artist. So it's a huge space, really fun space to walk through. So if you're in the area out there, definitely take a look at that gallery also.

Shannon Grissom (26:52)
Thank you. I would love to take a peek at all your work in person. It's always inspiring. So do you have any parting words or anything you'd like to share on creativity that you think would help people? Anything that comes to mind?

Lisa Zylstra (27:09)
gosh, I don't know that I have any pearl of wisdom, but I know for me, you know, as a professional artist, there's a lot of fun in the business side. There's always joy in a sale when you know that somebody connected with your work and was and somebody was willing to part with money for your work. I mean, that's a big deal. You know, it really shows that there was something that I created that connected with somebody.

So it's very joy-filled for me. I love that part of sharing my work and selling my work and the business side parts of it are fun. But also for me, it's very important that I don't lean more in that direction. I always wanna keep my joy in my painting. And as an artist who's a professional, and you may feel this as well,

You know, we're always, again, going back to balance. Trying to keep that balance with the business side and the fun that comes with that. But when it starts to feel like a job to me, it's very important to me to take a step back and say, you know what? If it's not joyful and it's not fun, joy is not gonna come out of my work. And what's the point? know? So I think that...

I don't know if it's a pearl of advice for anybody, but I know for me it's just remember that it is a gift and a privilege to be able to do what we do. You know, how many people come up to you and say, I wish I could, I wish I could paint. You know, for me, I, I, I look at musicians like yourself. You're also a musician and say, I wish I could do that. But the gift that God gave me is my, painting and my artwork. And I always want to remember that that's a gift and a privilege.

and a responsibility and as somebody who's a person of faith really allowing Him to work through me and to create things that are joyful and will connect with people. So keeping that balance.

Shannon Grissom (29:20)
That's definitely a pearl. You've got a whole necklace worth of wisdom there. So where can people find more about you? Where online can they find you?

Lisa Zylstra (29:32)
I have a website, so of course I'm on Facebook and Instagram, but I have a website with it. It's just my name, LisaZylstra.com. And I try to update my work on there. I'm recently starting to upload a little bit at a time, work from a painting trip I just took out to the coast with my painter friend, Teresa Sharp. And we had an incredible week of weather out there. And so I'm starting to load those paintings on there. But yeah, you can check out my website if you're interested.

And if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter. I send them out probably three times a year just to keep up to date on what's going on in my world and what's going on up here in the foothills in terms of what we're doing as a group of artists.

Shannon Grissom (30:17)
Well, thanks for being here. You have totally been inspiring and gives me lot to think about as I move forward in my own art. So thank you.

Lisa Zylstra (30:28)
Thanks for having me and Shannon. are an amazing inspiration on so many levels. just truly you inspire me and your artwork in your work ethic. Just in your your interest in life in the way that you continue to create and try new things like this podcast. You're just so fun and you really inspire me. So thank you for thinking of me. It means a lot.

Shannon Grissom (30:53)
You are so welcome, thank you. Well, that wraps up this episode of Painterly Life. Please visit our website, painterlylife.com, and you can find us on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. We'll see you next time.