I have been drooling, oohing and ahhing over Sydney based pencil artist Lisa Lapointe for a long time now and I am so excited to share her stunning Art and insight into her world with you today.

Lisa creates large scale, vivid colour pencil art works that are truly breathtaking. You will be in awe of her skill and creativity when you see these pieces... many cannot fathom that they are created by hand.

"Lisa Lapointe, draws upon spiritual, religious and indigenous mythology in her art. There is also an obvious connection with the primitive, but the colours are if anything futuristic. This ‘Yin and Yang’ in her work is pertinent for it allows Lapointe to take risks. Nothing is as it seems and the aesthetics found in her work are not necessarily there to please. The end result though, is unashamedly optimistic – “We are heading into a new future,” Lapointe enthuses."

Tell us a little about your background – what path led you to becoming an artist?
I always wanted to be an artist. Being creative – drawing and making – was the main theme of my childhood. In senior school I majored in arts and then went to study a BFA at CoFA UNSW. It just seemed to be the natural thing for me to do. I worked in fashion and interiors through my twenties, which I believe played a huge part in developing my aesthetic.

How would you describe your work?
As large scale colour pencil drawings that are quite simple, geometric, primitive and colourful.

Where did your love of working with coloured pencils come from?
It has developed over the past few years. I originally took to pencil after my daughter was born, as it was an easy medium to use sporadically – minimal mess and clean up. I now love it for all its boundaries and rigidity. Working in large scale has an extremely meditative quality. I have really enjoyed refining my technique –which requires control, drawing in - internalizing. It’s the opposite to letting loose, unraveling externalizing.

What processes are involved in the creation of your pieces?
I work from miniature sketches, meaning that I basically have the whole work mapped out before I start. My method of using pencil is so unforgiving so this helps me balance the work in terms of colour.

What does a typical day involve for you?
I typically spend the day alone encapsulated in a dream state punctuated by smell, sound and colour – the main themes are coffee, the vast dirty white of fresh paper, pink, blue, sandalwood, bouncy bright green banana leaves, the stillness of an empty house, apples, the necks, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. General peace.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Meditation and basic philosophical and spiritual conversation that I mostly have with my partner. We are both fascinated with the mechanics of the mind, spirituality, religion, society and nature. Our continual dialogue on these subjects spurs imagery that then becomes my work.

What designers, artists or bloggers do you love at the moment?
I cant say that there is anyone in particular that I follow. My true inspiration is colour and texture – I follow that path and that comes from anyone, anywhere at anytime.

Do you have any upcoming exhibitions where we can see your work?
I don’t have anything scheduled, but plan to have another show in Melbourne next year. I have recently taken a new studio space where I live in Avalon NSW that I share with my very good and talented friend Sonja Stubbs of The Goods Co. We invite people to drop in here to see our work if they are passing by.

Lisa Lapointe here - Shop here - Instagram here

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Lisa Lapointe...