A New Direction in Your Art with Lisa Goren (#73)

We all seek success (whatever it means to us individually) but
aren’t always prepared to deal with it when it comes along. And
that’s okay, because as you’ll hear in this episode, you will learn
how to deal with unexpected success if it’s something you really
want.

My guest is Lisa Goren, an artist whose work took a surprise
U-turn when the pandemic hit last year, and she went for it.


Lisa Goren works in watercolor to show an unfamiliar landscape in
a new light. By using vibrant colors and taking risks with
different surfaces, she makes the viewer reevaluate their
understanding of both the landscapes and their beliefs in the
potential of the medium. Her works create questions about the
nature of abstraction and our planet as many of her pieces are
representations of unfamiliar, threatened terrains. More
recently, Lisa has begun painting animals who had started showing
up in unusual places during the pandemic.


​In our conversation, Lisa shares the artist residencies and
serious work reflecting climate change that she was making before
Covid hit. But when she was no longer able to travel to
photograph and paint the wildlife and melting ice around
Antarctica she turned her attention to the delightful animals
that were visiting museums, aquariums and towns. Lisa shares her
success dilemman: the new work was taking off and taking over.
Her new journey is to regain control over where the work is
headed while being open to whatever the future holds.


Highlights




Lisa Goren details the path — and thick skin — that led to
her successful art business. (2:25)




Painting ice, bones, and deep blue colors in Antarctica,
Alaska, and Iceland. (6:04)




The importance of creating artist support groups in your art
business journey. (9:07)




Lisa reflects on the plans she had for 2020, how the pandemic
changed it all, and the pivoting point that led to a new
success. (12:17)




Inspiration can come from anywhere, including free roaming
penguins in museums. (17:47)




Creating and pricing high-demand art that you didn’t intend
to sell. (19:45)




Responding to a call for art during the pandemic created
additional interest in Lisa’s work from The Washington Post.
(22:16)




Handling the “problem” of success and why you might consider
selling low-priced originals instead of prints. (26:45)




Making connections with buyers and offering hope through art.
(31:24)




How to adjust your pricing to better control your schedule.
(33:33)




Lisa details the assignment that led to her return to
painting penguins. (34:41)




Transitioning from the artist you may be known as to the
artist that you currently are. (36:54)




Lisa details her marketing channels, how she connects with
the photographers that inspire her work, and whether she
replaced her lost income in 2020. (40:31)




If the pandemic ended tomorrow, would Lisa continue painting
animals? (45:24)




Mentioned




Lisa Goren Paintings




Washington Post article




Shedd Aquarium




Expeditionary Art (Maria Coryell-Martin)




Resources




Photos and full show notes




Art Career Success System




Art Biz Success Community




Art Biz Success Planning Sessions




Intro and outro music by Wildermiss




 


About My Guest


Lisa Goren was born in California and raised in NYC, and yet she
has dreamed of Polar landscapes since she was in her teens. Her
first trip took her to Antarctica where she was inspired and
captivated by the landscape. Her watercolors show an unfamiliar
landscape in a new light. By using vibrant colors and taking
risks with different surfaces, she makes the viewer reevaluate
their understanding of both these landscapes and their beliefs in
the potential of the medium.