LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
ARTS & COLLECTIBLES
WILDLIFE ART EVOLUTION
Artist, Lisa Gleim: Mastering the Art of
Wildlife Narratives in Vibrant Pastels,
from Coastal Landscapes to the African Savanna.
TRACEY NORVELL
Bugle Boy, Pastel on map, 22x30 in.
There is a rhythm when watching internationally renowned artist Lisa Gleim as she strikes pastel sticks to panel, creating compositions which are both simple and complex narratives of wildlife subjects.
“Working with the pure pigment of pastels gives me an endless spectrum of colors to literally draw with at work. And the process of layering marks is indeed more that of drawing than painting,” explains Lisa who remembers drawing as a young child using Crayons and colored pencils.
The start of her professional career focused on commissioned portraits. One client who, like many, had become a regular collector, led Lisa to the first of many lively depictions of water dogs and their surroundings. Next her work grew in the direction of western wildlife. The majestic creatures first appeared among mountainous landscapes, and most recently, on the somewhat muted backgrounds of vintage maps and memorabilia - substrates to signify the landscape and historic elements of the wildlife represented in her vibrant pastels.
Bear Butter: The Grizzy and the army cutworm moth Pastel on maps 32 1/2 x 38 in.
Stepping back, it is clear Lisa’s work has consistently evolved into cohesive series, ever expanding in narrative, as her frequent travels take her further around the world from her original roots in the low-county and coastal areas of America’s eastern coast.
Very accomplished with accurately depicting an animal’s complex anatomy, muscular structure and the countless variations of fur and hair in varying climates, Lisa, a graduate of Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the oldest art school in the United States, next is venturing into the creatures roaming the African savanna.
Her first study for this new work recently appeared in “Striving for Perfection Celebrating 20 Years of Goodwood,” a book produced for The International Club of Rolls Royce and Bentley Enthusiasts. The hardbound book features categories of the finest luxury goods found today. The book was recently unveiled in London at events held at the Grosvenor House.
Lisa’s work also has been featured in many museum exhibits and events, most recently at the C.M. Russell Museum in Montana, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma, Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina and the National Museum of Wildlife in Wyoming. In 2024 Customs House Museum in Tennessee will host a solo show of her new work. The Booth Western Art Museum’s permanent collection includes “The Secret Keepers,” a work incorporating the richness of Native American folklore regarding a bear and ravens.
A Cunning Charmer, Pastel on map, 18 x 14 in.
Panthera Pardus, Pastel, 11 x 14 in.
“My career affords me hours of fascination observing my subjects living in, exploring and interacting in their environments,” says Lisa. “For me it’s an endless source of pleasure working to capture the ever-changing light, colors, atmosphere, and activity of the outdoor terrain and its inhabitants of the West or coastal regions. Africa is equally enchanting.”
Lisa’s numerous professional recognitions include being a Master Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies and Master Signature Member of American Women Artists. She is represented by McLarry Fine Art, Lovetts Gallery, Paderewski Fine Art, Floyd Fine Arts, Beverly McNeil Gallery and Portraits Inc.
LisaGleimFineArt.com