October 2015 Artist Profile: Lisa Mishler

My Father's Legacy

Inspired by stories in her father's book, artist Lisa Mishler has created powerful artwork that expresses her father Sol's story about surviving the Holocaust and has used all this to create a memorable book. The story is about love, war, and heroism. Through artwork, prose, and memoirs, their story is told. Luba and Sol, two remarkable people, endured the unimaginable and survived against all odds to be able to create a new beginning in the United States. Rabbi Stephanie Aaron was inspired by the moving imagery to create her heartfelt writings. The combination of imagery, literature, and the actual excerpts from Sol's memoirs leave you with an experience that will stay with you.

Always with Me

About This Body of Work

I was asked to paint this particular body of work in remembrance of the Holocaust by Rabbi Stephanie Aaron. I am a Tucson artist as well as the daughter of Holocaust survivors and heroes Zalman and Luba Kotz. My father wrote a book about their experiences and I have heard many excerpts from their story throughout my life. I recently read through the pages in my father’s book and did some of my own research. After much contemplation, I experienced an emotional journey which inspired the paintings presented here. Every painting has a deep meaning to me in relation to my parent’s story. From the creation of the artwork, an exhibit of the work and memoirs was shown. After the exhibit, I was asked to create a book based on their story using my artwork and Rabbi Aaron’s prose. I was able to get the book published and it is for sale through Amazon. So far the reviews have been wonderful.

My long term goal is to complete my father’s story by putting it all in a book, get published by a large publishing house and then have a movie produced. My parent’s story reads like a movie unfolding before your eyes.

Rise of the Forgotten

About the Painting
 "Rise of the Forgotten"

One night I had a dream that I could not stop thinking about. The dream was very dark and eerie. The thoughts and images from this dream continued throughout my waking hours. I was then inspired to paint "Rise of the Forgotten". It seemed as though I was painting to honor the souls of those murdered in the holocaust.

Lisa’s Current Creative Activities

Presently I Teach for The Drawing Studio where I teach abstract painting.

Dragonfly show "Shades of Blue" Encaustic

October 10 I have an exhibit with three other people at the Dragonfly Gallery where 50% of sales goes to benefit children at Dragonfly Village transitional housing.

The work that will be shown there is all Encaustic which is done with Beeswax and Dammar Resin, an ancient art form about 4000 years old.

Dragonfly Gallery Encaustic " Sea Creature"

I love to experiment with different mediums. The book that I produced, L’Chayim-To Life, reflects all the techniques I work in. The painting in the book titled "Red" was actually shown in the Museum du Louvre this summer, receiving the 5th annual Exposure Award. My photograph was included in a digital display of images presented at the Exposure Award Reception at the Louvre on July 13, 2015. All images from the Louvre were later produced in a photo book.

More of Lisa’s work can be seen online at www.lisamishler.com, and can be Lisa can be contacted at lisa@liamishler.com

Children's March

About the Artist

Lisa Mishler is a prize-winning painter who lives in Tucson, Arizona. She studied photography and media arts in college and spent 20 years as an interior designer. While working full time she also found time to take art classes and to paint.

After retiring, she continued to develop her painting skills and became certified to teach at The Drawing Studio (TDS). Today she teaches abstract painting classes at TDS and teaches for a variety of arts organizations in Arizona.

Today she works mostly in acrylics creating abstract, landscape and portrait pieces. She has become more experimental in this work adding texture using state-of-the-art mediums and incorporating collage on the canvas. "I want to be known as a versatile artist as I delight in experimentation and discovery," said Lisa in a recent conversation.

My Mother's Journey

Artist Statement

At the core of my work is the engagement between humanity and the natural world. Art is also a way of expressing my deepest emotions and finding a new way of seeing. I am able to bring my feelings to life by creating unique shapes, forms, and colors. This experience can often bring profound joy and a more intuitive connection to the world. I delight in experimentation and discovery and am inspired by everyday encounters with my family, dogs, or even early morning walks through the desert. I bring these experiences to my studio and create from those experiences.