Lisa Riannson
IG: @lisariannson
Fb: /LisaRiannsonArt
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/LisaRiannson
“Helping people build confidence in their creativity and make work they’re proud of brings me just as much joy as creating my own.”
What made you want to join Art Gym? I wanted to join Art Gym for two main reasons. First, I was looking for a community of artists I could learn from and connect with. Making art can feel isolating sometimes, and being around other creatives helps me stay inspired and motivated.
Second, I needed space—literally. My home studio is great for watercolors and smaller mixed media works, but I wanted to start making larger oil paintings, and I just didn’t have the room. Art Gym seemed like the perfect fit. It offered the space I needed, and being a part of a shared studio environment felt like a good way to stay accountable to my art practice and keep showing up for my creative goals.
How has Art Gym helped with your art practice? Art Gym has definitely helped me build a consistent studio practice. I’m creating more work now—and more regularly—than I ever have before. That habit has had a huge positive impact, not just on the quality and depth of my work, but also on how I think about and approach my art career as a whole.
I’ve also learned that when I’m in the studio, I’m really in “work mode.” I’m focused and productive, which is great—but it’s also been really meaningful to connect with other artists outside of that headspace. Community programs like life drawing, happy hours, and field trips have been a fun and refreshing way to build relationships and stay inspired.
What are you hoping to communicate through your work? At the heart of my work, I’m trying to communicate something deeply human—how we feel, remember, and experience the world. I’m especially interested in the emotional layers that live beneath the surface of ordinary moments.
My Distressed Memories series, which I developed at Art Gym, explores the fragmented, imperfect nature of memory. It reflects how we often carry only pieces of the past—blurred, faded, or distorted—but still deeply felt. That tension between clarity and distortion shows up a lot in my work.
I’m also drawn to light and shadow—both visually and metaphorically. Whether I’m working in watercolor or oil, I like capturing a specific feeling in a specific moment. That could be the way sunlight hits a glass jar or the quiet weight of nostalgia in a figure.
With the rise of AI-generated images, I’ve been thinking a lot about why human-made art matters. For me, the process is just as important as the final piece. Making art is a very human act—it’s how we reflect, process, and connect. I hope my work invites people to slow down and feel something real.
