Featured artist: Lisa Skelly
Golden Harbor, 6x12, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
After a house fire, Lisa Skelly relocated to Newport Beach, CA and resumed her longtime love affair with the ocean. Pastel plein air seascapes are her favorite subject and continue to be what she paints most often.
Deep Blue Adventures, 9x12, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: You have a twin sister. Does she share any of your artistic abilities?
My twin sister Lora does share a love and an aptitude for art. She studied Nuclear Engineering and went on to become a Rocket Scientist. She loves painting, and we actually started our own mural and faux finishing business when our kids were very little.
Crystal Blue Persuasion, 11x14, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: After studying graphic design at Northern Illinois University, you wanted to travel the world and become a flight attendant for a while. What is your favorite place that you visited?
I love traveling and would love to do more of it. Adventure makes my soul happy, and there are so many places that I have yet to visit. My favorite place is still California. I would love to keep traveling, painting, and exploring the world, but I’m always happy to come home too.
Tres Amigos, 6x8, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: You weren’t always a pastel plein air painter. Tell us a little bit about finding this medium.
In 2006 I injured my knee pretty badly and was on crutches at the local art supply store. I saw a class going on at Riley Street Art Supply in Santa Rosa, and they were teaching a pastel class. I signed up and fell in love with soft pastels. Soon the teacher started asking me to teach him how I was painting. Well, soon after that, I started teaching and taking more steps to get better and better.
Reef 2 at Heisler, 8x10, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: Do you prefer painting outside or in the quiet of your studio? Why?
I love plein air painting because I am completely immersed in experiencing nature with all of my senses, and I get to capture a beautiful moment in time if all goes well :)
Torrey Pines, 6x8, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: You also own a gallery in Newport Beach, CA. How rewarding is it to be a part of sharing other artists’ work?
Oh, my goodness! I couldn’t be more honored to represent the best artists working in plein air today at The Huse Skelly Gallery. I have followed many of these artists for years, and now I get to represent their beautiful art and share their stories with collectors and visitors worldwide. We are going into our 25th year this coming spring. It’s so very exciting to be the Steward of Debra Huse’s Legacy and the gallery that she founded in 1998. She is a true visionary trailblazer in the world of plein air.
Aqua Shore Break, 8x10, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: You are surrounded by beautiful scenery in California, but is there a place you dream of traveling to paint?
I love painting big surf and coastal scenes. If I ever get to see Cloudbreak in Fiji in person when the waves are huge and paint those waves, I would be fulfilling one of my dreams. In fact, I’d love to see all of the big wave surf locations around the world. It makes me smile just thinking about it.
Big Canyon Sentinels, 20x16, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: Your family home burned down in the Sonoma County wildfires of 2017. What positives can come from a tragedy like this?
I like to focus on all things positive and turn obstacles into opportunities. After we lost everything in 2017, I felt free of all my material possessions and decided to start a new adventure. We moved to Southern California to be closer to family, and everything fell into place. We are now settled into a new home. So many blessings have emerged in the wake of those challenges. I feel that the most important things in this life are the relationships that you build and the way you treat others.
Spring in the Air, 9x12, pastel on Ampersand Pastelbord
Q: What do you love most about Ampersand Pastelbord for your work?
I have found that Pastelbord has the perfect texture and color for my work. I love the sand color the most and use it for everything. I also make sure to have Pastelbord in all of my workshops so that my students can feel the difference and have the greatest chance for getting great results. I also love that it’s archival and that I can wash off a painting that didn’t come out well and reuse the board. It’s fabulous!
Artist Bio:
Lisa Skelly was born in Richmond, Virginia, and grew up outside Chicago, Illinois, in a little town called Wauconda. She went on to study graphic design at Northern Illinois University and started her lifelong career in art. Right out of college, Lisa decided to travel the world as a flight attendant until her first child and husband grounded her in Manhattan Beach, CA. In that little beach town, Lisa started her first art business, Deux Brosses, a faux finishing and mural company. In 2001 Lisa moved to Santa Rosa and fell in love with fine art, especially plein air. She explored many different mediums and decided on pastels as her favorite.
In 2017, Lisa relocated to Newport Beach, CA, and resumed her longtime love affair with the ocean. This is where Lisa met Debra Huse, the founder of Debra Huse Studio Gallery. Debra and Lisa became fast friends, and as kindred spirits, Debra asked Lisa to take over the gallery. This was an opportunity that she couldn’t pass up, and now Lisa runs the Huse Skelly Gallery with Debra close by her side. Lisa has always loved the beach and has been inspired by the beauty and power of the ocean. Lisa paints in plein air and has been a juried artist in the prestigious Sonoma Plein Air Invitational in 2019 and 2021. To see more of Lisa's work, visit her website and Instagram.
Learn more about Pastelbord here.
