"Tenzin Gyatso, The Fourteenth Dalai Lama". This six foot painting was presented to His Holiness and Lobsang Sangye, the Prime Minster of the Tibetan Government in Exile during the consecration of the Kalachakra Stupa for World Peace in Medford Massachusetts in 2012.
There are two working titles for this allegorical painting: "Flight of Love" and "The Peace Keeper".
Every painting I create is a love affair. In this landscape entitled "Calm at Quaise, " I fell in love with the place and the moment at hand, the Nantucket light, the summer, and the silent reflections of the sky. I gave it to my mother for Christmas.
Preliminary sketch for "Calm at Quaise". (See above)
In this charcoal drawing heightened in white chalk, a young man from Nantucket looks to the future.
"The Gaze". Sometimes its nice to just look and be looked upon with grace.
Charcoal heightened in white chalk.
"The Little Boy from 4 Quail Lane, Nantucket", charcoal heightened in white chalk on toned paper. This darling boy just stole my heart. It resides at his grandmother's house in Lithuania.
My great niece, "Bella". Charcoal never felt so wonderful.
"Cranberry Bog on Polpis Road, Nantucket", Charcoal.
A View from Lower Main St., Nantucket, Charcoal.
"Brant Point, Nantucket", Pencil.
"Wren" was a student of mine for many years. I remember her by this painting.
Context is everything! Here "The Pianist" is placed at home in her piano room. Truly a room with a view.
Head study copied from "Portrait of a Man" by Franciabigio
Painting from Leonardo's cartoon. Practicing old school techniques is how you earn your chops.
"Figure Study in Grisaille". This was an early work of mine that I painted from life.
Cast Drawings, "The Five Etudes of The Apollo Belvedere". These charcoal drawings were made on toned pumice paper which allows for velvety transitions and archival virtue.
A book I wrote called "Drawing the Cast, A Return to Wisdom, Knowledge, and Beauty", Foreword by Juliette Aristides, Introduction by Graydon Parrish.
V.4 of 5, Etude of the Apollo Belvedere, Charcoal, heightened in white chalk on handmade pumice paper.
Venus Humanitas was no small undertaking. Here she is in grey scale (right), color print (center) and oil painting (left). This won first prize for the US Utrech Award.
One word: "Eternity".
"Brian Lawler".
"Morgan Tracy-Fortner". A quick sketch can capture the soul.
"Lily Garnough, Nantucket". This quick sketch is so poorly photographed but I had to feature Lily on my website. Her presence is timeless.
"Nature Boy". This sketch was drawn from my imagination. I imagined the boy in Nat King Cole's version of Nature Boy, a song that has always reminded me of my life long friendship with my best friend and film maker Ann Petrone, This is what emerged.
"Julia Zhan". Julia has been my neighbor for many years. She is, as the image shows, highly focused.
"Thomas Cadrin". Thomas is a fabulous guitarist and performer.
Here he poses for me with introspection.
In this portrait painting, my art dealer, collector, and dear friend Daniel Lloyde-Miller poses while painting in his art studio in Back Bay. It won the 2018 McNutt Award.
"Pamela Sandy ". What beautiful woman would not want to be portrayed amidst the flowers of Fantin Latour?
Oil sketch of "Doma". Sometimes its nice to leave a few brush strokes out and keep it loose.
"The Great Miley Cash". Miley and Joe Haley spent many a legendary day hunting with the Myopia Hunt Club.
Peabody Essex Museum, "Artist Lisa Sawlit paints in an office-turned-studio at PEM as camera captures her in progress". This pre-production shot was taken for the "Impressionists on the Water" installation. "The Studio Boat", Landscape Painting and Time Lapse Video Installation.Salem, MA.
2014 Muse Award (Honorable Mention) from the American Alliance of Museums for my oil painting animation featured in the "Impressionist on the Water" exhibition that recreated Charles-François Daubigny’s, Le Voyage en Bateau (The Floating Studio), held at the Peabody Essex Museum.
Me and my pals seated in the boat at the "Impressionist on the Water" opening.
The "Faberge Revealed" exhibition opening at the Peabody Essex Museum. We recreated the Russian Royal Portraiture Hall for the Trustees...ish.
"Brian Lawler ". Oil imprimatura on panel.
Me in full character. Cheers!
And thanks for visiting!!
Lisa J. Sawlit is a native of Massachusetts where she received her BFA and MFA at Tufts University. From 1994 to the present she has focused her energies on classical painting and drawing and taught these disciplines at Montserrat College of Art from 1998 to 2014. Sawlit’s book entitled “Drawing the Cast, A Return to Knowledge, Wisdom and Beauty”, foreword by Juliette Aristides and preface by Graydon Parrish was published in 2008. In 2010 Sawlit presented her six-foot portrait of His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama to him, Tibet's Prime Minister Lobsang Sangay and an audience of two thousand people with world wide live webcasting syndication at The Kurakula Center, Medford, MA. In 2013 Sawlit installed a live drawing studio for charcoal portraiture contextualized within a replica of the 19th century Russian Royal Portraiture Hall for the Trustees’ Opening at the Fabergé Revealed Exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum. She also received a 2014 Muse Award (Honorable Mention) from the American Alliance of Museums for her 2013 oil painting animation featured in the Impressionist on the Water Exhibition that recreated Charles-François Daubigny’s, Le Voyage en Bateau (The Floating Studio), also held at the Peabody Essex Museum. Sawlit was notably the only living painter to have been featured amongst the likes of Monet, Renoir, Matisse, and many others in that exhibition. She interviewed on National Public Radio in 2015 and has been featured in many essays and articles internationally.
Sawlit continues to paint at her studios in Boston and on Nantucket Island. Her portrait commissions and allegorical paintings are held and exhibited within several public and private collections throughout the world.