Local Talent - Artist Lisa Skelly
By: Dawna Clark
In a quaint little artist studio on Balboa Island, you will find a talented Plein Air Artist named Lisa Skelly. Her beautiful paintings capture the essence of Newport Beach and coastal living.
Lisa was born in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in a small town about an hour outside Chicago called Wauconda, Illinois. Just five years ago, Lisa relocated to Newport Beach and was asked to take over the Huse gallery on Balboa Island. The Huse Gallery was founded in 1998 by Debra Huse and is now named The Huse Skelly Gallery. Lisa refers to herself as the steward of her legacy, and the two have become best friends and enjoy helping each other with their art careers. They are grateful to have each other and create a beautiful experience when people visit the gallery. You can find some of the best award-winning Plein Air Artists in the country. ('Plein Air' means to paint in the open air, from real life)
Lisa has a background in graphic design, which is helpful for everything she needs to do in Fine Art and Art Marketing. She is a Plein Air Artist, meaning Lisa takes her easel and paints out on location and from real life. She loves to capture the energy of the ocean; big waves and seascapes are her favorite subjects.
"There is nothing like being in nature and having all of your senses engaged and capturing a moment in time. It's also very much about translating my impression of the light on my subject, inspiring me to want to paint it."
Lisa recently received the Best Plein Air Pastel for the Plein Air Salon in April and June 2022. She also received a 1st Place award for her 'Quick Draw' painting at SoCal Papa at a recent Newport Beach Back Bay event. This year, Lisa is one of 35 Artists invited to the Laguna Plein Air Invitational, something she has been working toward for a very long time and a milestone she is proud of accomplishing. So many exciting things are happening in Lisa's career now, and she feels honored. Whenever she has the opportunity, Lisa enjoys talking to other artists and hearing about their journeys.
Lisa welcomes her fellow Newport Beach neighbors to visit and explore the treasured Huse Skelly Gallery. You will see beautiful Art and learn the stories of the award-winning artists represented.
Visit HuseSkellyGallery.com to learn more and to sign up to be notified about upcoming events and workshops.
In early August, they celebrated the 17th Annual Just Plein Fun event, which showcased ten award-winning artists who painted Plein air scenes around Balboa Island from sunrise to sunset. The freshly painted work was available to view and purchase each day.
Follow Lisa and the gallery on Instagram @lisaskellyart, @huseskellygallery
