When I paint, I feel like I am diving into a celebration. My festive and witty pieces honor glamorous eccentrics, objects of indulgence, and sweet city moments. My works feature a cheeky elegance and a sophisticated sense of whimsy.

I also write films, plays, stories, and songs, and I see painting as a more sensual and immediate version of storytelling. In my painting and my writing, I am influenced by the 19th and 18th centuries as well as the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s, which to me were eras of grace, formality, and a style of humor that was both refined and over-the-top.

My process can be described as a one-woman dance extravaganza. In order to get to a visceral, physical place where I’m living and creating instead of thinking and analyzing, I turn on club/house/dance/pop music, pour myself a few sips (or glasses) of a crisp white wine, start dancing, and get myself right into the zone. There are occasional pieces, generally still lifes, that I paint in silence and seated. Singing is oftentimes part of my process too (so far, no neighbors have complained).

I invite the viewer to dive into the narratives I offer. My portrait and scene paintings are small moments at cocktail parties where a person can look across the room and ask, “Who is that clever-looking gent in the bow tie?” or say, “That woman looks like she would give smart advice.” My food and drink pieces display what my characters might use to entertain their palates, and my exteriors are the cozy homes these merry figures inhabit. I feel fortunate every time I create a new painting, and I hope that my collectors look at my work and feel that they too are part of the grand soirée.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Lisa Ferber