Painting Outside the Lines
I grew up in upstate New York riding and competing Hunters & Jumpers. At the age of 42, I began rising at 4 AM to paint, unschooled, but driven by visions of horses and the desire to capture their energy. Two years after quietly posting these first works online, my work is highly sought after in equestrian art, and regularly selling out at events around the country. My most recent commissions include equestrian Olympians in the U.S. and Europe. I’m currently spending summers in Dallas, Texas painting, and the winter competition season in Wellington, Florida and Millstone, New Jersey.
Horses have always been a thread in the tapestry that is me. My mother tells the story of when I was a little girl, our backyard too small to have a pony, standing in our front yard eyes closed, listening to the sound of our neighbors palomino hooves striking the pavement as she rode by my house. When asked what I was doing, I lifted my chin and said “I’m pretending that I’m the one who’s riding him.“
As an artist, that same magic that I felt when I was just a little one is what drives me to put pencil to paper, and create a story. Even when I was finally able to start riding and having horses in my life full time, I was still sketching the sights and sounds of the barn, spinning tales with my paintbrush.
My enthusiasm for everything equine has led me on a long and interesting career. It has found me behind a camera, in front of an easel, and on top of the backs of some successful mounts. If I’m not riding or teaching, I’m at the ring watching, or on the top rail of a paddock sketching. I’m an early riser, so my day begins with coffee and a paintbrush. After that, a broom and a pitchfork!
Because my equestrian pursuits have covered so many facets of the sport, inside and out, painting connection, energy, and emotion are what I try to pour out onto the canvas. Revealing a new piece to a client or gallery member can be a powerful experience. After learning the reason for an individual to be drawn to a particular painting, or sharing the emotion after completing a commission, I realize how fortunate I am to be doing what I love – both in the saddle and out.
I invite you to drop by often. Join me, as we close our eyes, hear the hoofbeats – and remember when we first fell in love.
I hope you enjoy browsing my work and join us at the next gallery event!
Lisa Marie Bishop
Large scale commissions are available for your home, farm, office or corporate lobby. Please contact me for more details!