‘Creating art is a meditative process.’
Hello and welcome to my creative space! My name is Lisa Mitchell and I am a professional nature artist based in Oshawa, Canada.
Born in Toronto, I spent my early childhood in the city until my family moved to a small rural community in Southeastern Ontario when I was 10. In this quiet setting surrounded by fields of cows and horses, I developed a deep love and appreciation for nature and the outdoors. Without the convenience of friends or recreational activities close by, I filled much of my free time drawing, painting and spending time with our many family pets, including a very grumpy goat.
At 19, I moved out of my family home to attend York University where I later graduated with a visual arts degree. Although I longed to be a professional artist, I took a more conventional career path after post-secondary and worked in the developmental services field for many years. After starting a family, I found myself lost in motherhood and filled with stress and anxiety while struggling to find that illusive “work-life balance” that people so often search for. Just after our third child turned 2, I started carving out small blocks of time for drawing and painting again. While creating, I regained a sense of self, independent of motherhood, and felt calmer and more present. I quickly realized how important art was in life, as it served as a form of meditation to quiet the busy world around me. Suddenly, squeezing in a few hours here and there for art making was not enough. I wanted more. With the support and encouragement of my family and friends, I made a commitment to work towards my forever dream of becoming a full-time professional artist.
Today I create my artwork in a small home-based studio where I live with my husband, two sons, and daughter.