Meet Lisa Tomczeszyn | Fine Artist

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

Hi Lisa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I believe that the ability to take risks is essential to a creative life. Following an artistic life path is not for the faint of heart. It requires that you trust your instincts, that you have absolute faith in your work – even if no one else does. I believe without risk an artistic practice is in danger of becoming stale. You have to give yourself the ability to fail, you have to be able to tear up work, you have to be able to stretch a little bit further each time you create new work, and you have to give yourself the permission to change course. I left home at age 17 the day after I graduated from high school and moved to New York City to attend the summer program at Parson’s School of Design. I was supposed to start attendance at Rice University in the fall of 1974 – where I had a scholarship the Fine Arts Program. In midsummer, unknown to anyone else, I applied to the Fashion Design program at Parsons and was accepted. Without blinking I sent Rice a regret letter and moved full time to New York. And in 1976 when I had 6 weeks left to graduate – I quit the program at Parsons over a disagreement with a supervisory designer over a garment. I then returned to school for Fine Arts, where I graduated from Southampton College with a BFA in 1980.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
It is challenging to answer “how did you get to where you are today”. My road has been far from linear. I was lucky that my father deeply appreciated creative practice. He was my wall of support, he made sure I had a variety of art supplies, he took me to see art and performance, his joy in my creative expression gave me the confidence to live the artist life. My mom, loved me dearly and the idea of anyone following a “freelance” career path was terrifying to her – she periodically sent me applications to UPS until I established a career as a costume designer.

As a single mother in my mid 20’s – I had about 5 job schemes running all the time:
Bar manager, waitress, decorative artist, special finish designer, theatrical designer,
and fine artist.

After I received my MFA from the Yale School of Drama – I was finally able to drop down to tow careers – Costume designer for Theater, Film and Television and Fine Artist.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have so many favorite days for friends and family who come to Los Angeles. Here is one version – after picking up at LAX –I take them to the BEACH! We park on lower Washington Blvd then depending on the time of day – we would either get coffee at “Cow’s End” or margaritas and guacamole at “Baja Cantina”. Followed by a long walk in the sand. From there we check out the westside art venues – LA Louver, Artspace Warehouse, and Bergamot Station or if we have the stamina – we head to The Getty or The Skirball.. Day 2 would be centered in Northeast Los Angeles – my beloved neighborhood. Breakfast at Kitchen Mouse – then we would walk N Figueroa and check out the “Good Fences” art on the Krails a collaboration between the Arroyo Arts Collective and the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Highland Park is home to historic murals the essential is Artist Joe Bravo’s new “Water is Life” mural on N Avenue 63 and Meridian. Next would be a hike either in Debs Park near the Audubon Center, or the lower Arroyo by the casing pond. I would introduce them to Avenue 50 Gallery, The Gallery at The Brand Library. The day would end with cocktails and dinner at Checker Hall.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I was very fortunate to have encountered an inspirational art teacher when I was 11 years old living in Waco, Texas. Local Artist, Don Magid taught classes in his home at that time – he was a lifeline to a young creatives. As time passed
he founded a non-profit named aptly for the times “Do Your Own Thing”. He allowed me to open my first business – a little shop selling our original silkscreen t-shirts. He was a lifeline for a girl who tried to “walk the line” but still often considered a little out of the box. His example is my inspiration to always offer my support to emerging creatives.

Website: www.lisatomczeszynart.com

Instagram: @yaya.designstudio

Facebook: Lisa Tomczeszyn

Image Credits
All art photos Lisa Tomczeszyn Sarah Tomchesson / Photo of artist