Biography

As early as she can remember, Lisa Hershman spent most of her time drawing people. During her years at grade school, she felt most at home in art class. Throughout high school Lisa won art exhibitions, and in 1980, accepted an art scholarship at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana. During this time, Lisa studied many forms of art; the inspiration of one teacher, Jerry Savage, fostered her fascination for watercolor painting. Lisa’s decision of becoming a graphic designer influenced her art into a highly stylized and colorful approach. After completing her Fine and Applied Art degree in graphic design, Lisa spent six years as a graphic designer in Chicago. These, and the following years were spent developing both her watercolor and design skills. After moving to Southern California, Lisa continued her art education with Javier Alvarez, developing her skills in both watercolor and acrylics.

Lisa’s use of watercolors is unmistakingly fresh. Her style not only utilizes the transparent qualities of watercolor, it builds layer upon layer to get rich and vibrant effects. Lisa combined her interest in the culinary arts with her love of people and portraiture to create the Heritage Hearts series. In this series, each portrait of a baby or young child, centers on a family recipe and embraces the family’s heritage and traditions. With the utmost attention to detail, the warm and realistic portrayals are prominent in her still-lifes. There is usually an element of surprise in each painting.

Lisa’s art has come full circle in her “At the Limelight” series. The paintings portray a world of luxury and glamour. People are still the emphasis — their connection and disconnection with each other make the paintings more intrinsic. The characters are in the same setting, yet each in her or his own world. The colors are bright and vivid like the characters in the paintings.

In acrylics, Lisa’s style becomes more fluid. The patterns are chosen and used to bring depth and a more abstract expression to her paintings. In each portrait, it is evident that the feeling and true personality of her subjects comes through.

Lisa Hershman has donated her art towards worthy causes to help support children and their families. Her paintings have been commissioned and displayed across the country.