Welcome, or welcome back, to my Stanford Pen Studio (SPS) series. If you haven’t seen my previous posts, I suggest you check them out to see the amazing work the SPS collective produces. This entry is spotlighting Lisa Strachan who you can find on Instagram
SPS Series Posts: SPS Overview | Brandon Lodewyk | Carla Nel | Di Möhr | Hanna Farmer | Kseniia Nel | Lana Le Roux | Lisa Strachan | Val Myburgh | Yulia Glas | Zelna le Roux | Initial Wrap-Up
I’m still trying to determine what pen(s) I’d like from Lisa. Several of her pens have been highly tempting, and I was too slow to get a couple that I would have liked to own, like her Bird of Paradise pen. Lisa specializes in botanical illustrations, but not just on paper and pens! She has an amazing portfolio of textile arts.
How did you learn about Stanford Pen Studio?
I saw an article pop up on Instagram and asked if I could paint a pen for a friend’s 80th birthday present. They were in the process of contacting me to see if I wanted to paint pens for them as they had been given my details. Win-win.
I think It was my friend’s birthday present which came first, as it was quite monochromatic. It gave me a sense of how to mix and apply the paint. I normally work in watercolour, so swapping to acrylic was a challenge.
This sounds like serendipity. Lisa was clearly meant to work with SPS. And, I don’t know about you, but I’m very happy that she is. Her first pen for sale, the Lucky Bean knocked it out of the park, and she hasn’t let up since.
How do you feel about creating art on pens? And what was your first thought when you learned about it?
I enjoy all the challenges involved with creating artwork on pens. There are so many different subjects to choose from, and then to figure out how to position and place the subject ‘in the round’ gives one a rush. It’s all done freehand with very little margin for error. You can’t mark out your subject and then just colour it in! Once completed, you have to pray that nothing goes wrong during the finishing process!
It almost boggles my mind that such beautiful, detailed works of art are all done free-hand! I would have expected that sketching happens first.
What do you consider the hardest part of working on pens?
It’s a happy challenge to paint on the curved surface and to fit everything on but I enjoy detail and small scale so it works.
You’d never know, from looking at Lisa’s pens, that painting on a small, curved surface is difficult. Her work ranges from stunningly precise to delightfully gestural.
Has pen work affected your non-pen art in any way?
No, the pen work hasn’t affected my other work at all. I have a nice balance between the illustration work and my textiles. My illustration work is very dependent on nature, so in the quiet periods between flowering times, I make time to get creative on pens.
I better understand why Lisa’s work has been in bursts. With South Africa in spring, she must be incredibly busy right now.
Has your work on pens turned you into a pen person?
I’ve always been a pen person, and I love what each different artist comes up with in terms of subject matter. I love painting on pens as it gives me a break from my botanical illustration and vice versa.
Wow! Someone we don’t need to entice over to the pen side. I have to agree with Lisa, it’s always interesting to see what the various SPS artists decide to paint.
Get an SPS pen with Lisa’s art!
Lisa currently only has one pen available at the time of posting, but keep an eye out to see what she paints next. Click the photo to learn more and to purchase.
I appreciate Lisa taking the time to answer these questions. I eagerly look forward to owning at least one pen with her beautiful art.
What do you think of Lisa’s work? Do you own any of the pens she has helped create? If not, would you be interested in one? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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