Meet Lisa Mansour: Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Mansour and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I was 46 years old when I was brave enough to pursue an artistic career. Back in college I majored in marketing and worked in the field of advertising – the most creative outlet I could find in the business world. Still, art was an important part of my life. I was happily painting or taking classes and workshops whenever I could. My daughters would come home from school with pictures drawn of our family and I was always depicted as Mommy the Artist. This made me dream of going back to school to study art, and to live up to their perception of me. And, I’ll admit, I always knew there was an artist inside of me. 9 years ago my dad died of pancreatic cancer at the young age of 70. I realized that life is so short and I felt compelled to pursue a formal art education. I was accepted into the Post-Baccalaureate program at Laguna College of Art + Design and graduated in 2017. My journey as an artist may have started later in life but I’m proof that you are never too old to pursue your dreams.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am an oil painter with a love for making people happy through my art. I’m known for my colorful art, and in particular my donut paintings, and am endlessly inspired by Wayne Thieubaud. After graduating from LCAD I jumped into Laguna Beach’s art world, first as a Sawdust Art Festival artist, and later as a juried member of Quorum Gallery, Laguna’s longest-established artist cooperative gallery. The Sawdust is the most magical place in Laguna and I love being an exhibitor, doing demos, and teaching classes on the grounds. COVID has changed the scope of the show but we look forward to the day when we can all be together again. I have had some unique art opportunities, like designing the top of a pizza box for a local restaurant in town, Slice Pizza & Beer. Using only black ink, I created an image of the iconic Main Beach Lifeguard Tower. Perhaps that is the beauty of becoming an artist later in life – I am not afraid to try new things! Lately I’ve been venturing outside to plein air paint, and have become enamored with mint tin painting – which is a self-contained painting and palette on the inside of a mint tin. It’s a great way to get out into nature and get lost in art. I released my first collection of mint tin paintings last month and I plan on painting many more. The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way of being an artist is that there are always more lessons to learn. I continue to audit a class every semester at LCAD, take workshops, watch art videos, and most importantly, show up to my studio and paint everyday.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were visiting Laguna, the first place I would take her is to the Wayne Thiebaud “Clowns” exhibit at the Laguna Art Museum. What a gift to have this show in our city and to have an art museum of such high caliber too. Next we would head to Forest Avenue Promenade. COVID has necessitated creative solutions in our city and we now have a pedestrian only street where we can gather safely to eat, listen to music, and shop. And speaking of listening to music, we would definitely visit The Yard Bar, run by Lumberyard restaurant. They have a full bar, live music almost every evening and the best outdoor ambience in town. Let’s pretend it’s summer and the Sawdust Art Festival is open so of course we would head there for an unforgettable experience, taking in the monumental murals in and around The Hive on our way. We’d spend a considerable amount of time hiking in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. I’d find a perfect spot to paint a mint tin, and then we’d pick up lunch from Active Culture. I love the Rustic Kale salad and can’t resist the salted caramel frozen yogurt. An afternoon snack at Zeytoon Cafe, and then watching the sunset after strolling Heisler Park and checking out all of the amazing public art would cap off the visit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I dedicate my shoutout to John, my husband of 30 years, and our 3 beautiful daughters, Chloe, Tessa, and Isabel. They have supported me every step of the way on my journey to becoming an artist. Making them proud is my most gratifying achievement.

Website: lisamansourart.com

Instagram: @lisamansourart

Image Credits
Isabel Mansour