Lisa Koorbusch

Artist Statement

My focus is on people and places—particularly iconic locations—and on light. Light is everything. Whether I am working in watercolor or acrylic, it is light that shapes the mood, defines the form, and gives the subject its presence.
Because I’m rarely able to paint en plein air, I work primarily from photographs, most often my own. I gather images without always knowing which will sustain a painting; time reveals that. The image that endures is often unexpected. Working from photographs allows me to hold onto a specific moment—capturing not just what was seen, but the energy within it. At times, I work from another photographer’s image with permission, using it as a point of departure and transforming it through paint into something distinctly my own.
I move between watercolor and acrylic, exploring different techniques without committing to a single visual signature. Exploration is central to my process, and I allow each subject to guide the approach it requires.
I rely on strong drawing skills and use every tool at my disposal to render detail, light, and form with clarity and discipline. Precision is not the end goal, but the foundation—grounding each painting in careful observation before making deliberate artistic decisions that bring the work to its final expression.