A short video of how I spent most of the past year - hunched over, listening to Beck, working

I spent the past year cranking out work for a bunch of deadlines. This was both a good learning experience and excruciatingly stressful. Moving forward with new work this year. I am focusing on intentionally making changes in how I work and what I am aesthetically producing. I want to risk more, tear up all of my old tendencies/habits and build some new ones. 

ETSY SHOP SALE!!!

I am having a SALE in my etsy shop this month. 

Use coupon code "DECEMBER" at checkout and you'll get 20% off of your entire order.

Liza Sylvestre & Sakura GIVEAWAY

I have just plunged into the world of smart phones and instagram. Yep, thats right, up until a few weeks ago I had a phone that wouldn't do anything beyond texting. I will be using my new instagram account as a blog with daily shots of my studio and the things I'm working on. To celebrate I have joined forces with Sakura, the makers of the micron pens I use in almost all of my artwork, to create a giveaway. If you follow @liza_sylvestre and @sakuraofamerica on instagram you will automatically be entered to win a Pigma Artist Gift Set (valued at $170) and a limited edition fine art print from me. 

Also, Sakura created an awesome new website and they included a feature on my work, which you can see HERE. 

Lake Vermillion

Recently we took a trip up to Lake Vermillion and stayed at one of the most magical cabins in the world, Stub-a-Toe. This cabin is owned by some dear family friends. They have owned the land since they graduated from college in the 60s and everything, absolutely everything, is hand built. They have repeatedly decided not to hook the place up to "the grid" so everything is generator and propane run. It is an amazing place and I feel lucky to have been able to visit it throughout my childhood. This past summer we got to stay in the "grown up" sleeping cabin which is nestled on the edge of a cliff. We woke up every morning to the sun rising on the private bay and the loons calling. Here are some photos from our stay. 

Yep, that's a hand built wood fired hot tub. 

Our sleeping cabin perched on the side of a cliff. 

Just big enough for a bed. Our view from the sleeping cabin. 

The second floor of the main cabin.

My hot stuff reading Hot Stuff.

Cabin essential.

Bubba and I hanging out on the dock. 

This summer

This little corner of my studio has seen a lot of action:



















I have been listening to this album repeatedly: 



And I discovered this movie, which is almost flawless in my opinion:

Mostly I have been working this summer. I had three deadlines(two of them major) back to back to back and although I learned a lot, it wasn't much fun. And now the days start and end in a cool curve that is not summer and I prepare to teach again and take comfort in the fact that the year ahead of me will be calmer and full of just one really big project that I am so damn excited about. 

Enormous Tiny Art 16 at Nahcotta

I love Nahcotta and I'm excited to be a part of another Enormous Tiny Art show with them. This show opens September 5th in Portsmouth, NH.

You can also see all of the work I have in this particular show here.













































Element LX
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXI
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXIII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXIV
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXV
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXVI
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element LXVII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Elements Unheard at the MacRostie Art Center

My solo show "Elements Unheard" opened at the MacRostie Art Center last Friday. It was a great night with an impressive crowd and I didn't pass out during my artist talk, so that's good.

It has been a year of deadlines and lots and lots of time in the studio working. I am thankful to have work that I love and spaces to show that work in. I'm thankful to be an artist working in the state of Minnesota. I am thankful to have been awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant to complete the work for this show. I am thankful to have a partner who believes in me and who understands what it means to be an artist and who was right there while I went through the highs and lows of creating all of this work. 

Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.












































Haematic Susurrus I
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
21.5" x 29.5"

Haematic Susurrus II
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
21.5" x 29.5"

Element LVII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
12" x 24"

Element LVIII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
12" x 24"

Element LIX
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 22"

Element XXX
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
11" x 14"

Element XXXI
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
11" x 14"

Element XXXII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
11" x 14"

Element XXXIII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
11" x 14"

Element XXXIV - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
9" x 12"

Element XXXV
Acrylic and Ink Panel
9" x 12"

Element XXXVI - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
9" x 12"

Element XXXVII
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
9" x 12"

Element XXXVIII - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element XXXIX - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element XL - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 10"

Element XLI  - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
8" x 10"

Element XLII - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
10" x 8"

Element XLIII - SOLD

Element XLIV - SOLD

Element XLV - SOLD

Element XLVI - SOLD

Element XLVII - SOLD

Element XLVIII - SOLD

Element L - SOLD

Element LI - SOLD

Element LII - SOLD

Element LIII - SOLD

Element LIV - SOLD

Element LV - SOLD

Element LVI - SOLD
Acrylic and Ink on Panel
16" x 20"


It was important to me that I explore some larger scaled works for this show. These are acrylic paintings and they are very much paintings (with none of the drawing that is found in my mixed media work). I loved the experience of engaging more of my whole body during the creation of these pieces. I loved that it was a lot of physical work and that I would ache by the end of the day. I loved that at night I would close my eyes and see colors blooming before I drifted off to sleep. Feels like the beginning of something I want to explore more.

Mazarine Tessitura
Acrylic on Canvas
36" x 48"

Circular Tessitura
Acrylic on Canvas
48" x 48"