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| photo by Jeremy Willits |
Originally
from Erie, Pennsylvania, Lisa Willits moved to Charleston in 1988. A graduate of Mercyhurst College in Erie and
Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, Lisa earned both B.S. & M.S. degrees in Biology and was employed in the biomedical
research field. Following her lifelong interest in art, she began taking photography & later, drawing &
painting classes at the Gibbes Museum School in Charleston as an after-work hobby in the mid-1990s. After years
of storing the paintings from these classes under the bed in her guest room, friends and family encouraged
Lisa to get her art "out there" for others to see. Now able to follow her passion, Lisa has been painting
full-time since 2005. She is most inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape of the Lowcountry and strives
to capture its enchanting atmosphere. An avid outdoor enthusiast, it is only fitting that skies, water &
trees are among her favorite subjects to paint. Lisa also loves the challenge of painting outdoors & often uses
her studies painted on location as the basis for larger works. Lisa is an exhibiting member of the Charleston Artist Guild, an associate member of Oil Painters
of America, and formerly the coordinator of Charleston Outdoor Painters (COPA). She recently served as Director of Artistic
Growth for the Charleston Artist Guild. Lisa has taken classes & workshops with many instructors in Charleston
over the years, including Jim Darlington, Rhett Thurman, Karen Hagan, Hilarie Lambert, Laurie Meyer & Chris Groves. She recently received an Honorable Mention for her painting,
"Ocean Twilight" in the Charleston Artist Guild Juried Spring Signature Show. She and her husband Jeremy live in downtown Charleston with their yellow lab, Abby & cat,
Zeus.
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