Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Soderlund.
Lisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in Montana and had a good foundation of art education in high school. After high school I spent a wonderful year as an exchange student in Austria, followed by a year in college before I moved back to Montana. There I worked full-time as a bookkeeper and administrative assistant for 17 years while being a mom to my fabulous kids. When I moved to Texas about nine years ago, I was finally able to start doing art full-time thanks to the support and encouragement of my partner and husband, Eric. It’s been wonderful.
How did I get started doing collage? I got involved in an online discussion forum where I made many good friends. One member is an art director who started a creative project where anyone who wished could do the various projects he assigned. One such project was called “Tear it Up” where we had to create an image using magazine pages without using any scissors. My first collage using ripped magazines was my collage of Audrey Hepburn, who had special meaning to my husband and me as we were getting to know each other. He has always encouraged me in my art, so I incorporate into every collage a special “E” as an homage to Eric. Look closely and maybe you can find them all!
Has it been a smooth road?
Being a mom who is a working artist is a struggle, especially when my studio is located at home. When I dedicate myself fully to my art, the household order suffers. When I dedicate myself fully to the home, my art suffers. It’s difficult for me to find the perfect balance, especially when it’s not easy to will myself into “art mode” (or “housecleaning mode” for that matter!).
Specializing in collage art is also a bit difficult because of how long each piece takes to complete. I’ve been fortunate to have many collectors who are patient and willing to wait for the collage they want most. It’s been wonderful being so supported and appreciated.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Lisa Soderlund Fine Art story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in fine art collage created from bits of magazine pages glued onto paper or canvas. Something that sets me apart from most other collage artists is how I use the paper bits like paint rather than neatly cutting out entire images of cool objects and arranging them artfully. My work is made even more unique with the added challenge I give myself to not use a magazine picture of the thing I’m portraying. For instance, if I’m creating hair in a portrait, I refuse to use pictures of hair to get the look of hair. This adds a level of uniqueness to my work that adds interest and depth.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The art industry seems to be served well by the advance of social media and online shopping venues. Artists no longer have to be supported by brick-and-mortar galleries (that generally take 50% of the retail sales price as their fee) to be successful. It seems to me that there are numerous ways for artists to support themselves in this new online environment, and I can only imagine that as technology advances, so will opportunities increase for artists like me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.lisasoderlund.com
- Email: lisasoderlundfineart@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collage_diva/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaSoderlundFineArt/
Image Credits:
© Lisa Soderlund
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