From Sunday's Tennessean:

Vanderbilt medical center displays bright yet restful botanicals

7:54 PM, Aug. 19, 2011 

Lisa Ernst's Lotus Lake, acrylic on canvas, is on view at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. /

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Nashville painter Lisa Ernst’s work is well-suited for public spaces. Her paintings are large and bright, her floral and botanical subjects are generally calming, soothing despite the vivid colors of her palette. Eight of Ernst’s paintings are displayed in Botanic Immersion in Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Mezzanine Gallery through Sept. 30.

The best vantage point for the works is from across the open space of the lobby. Indeed, the bursts of color are visible from the circular drive out front. Up close, the paintings offer macro views of natural materials, including a pile of leaves running the full spectrum of fall colors, from red and orange to yellow and green.
Ernst’s other paintings include vibrant bunches of calla lilies the color of peaches, and a study of the veining found in the underside of leaves.

While most of the paintings in “Botanic Immersion” are full-frame images of blooms, Lotus Lake is an aquatic scene of blossoms and other vegetation along with reflection-filled water.
Ernst has been focusing on the connection between art and healing for nearly a decade, and her work is part of hospital collections in Houston and Chicago. An installation of her botanicals and abstract paintings was also featured in the Arts at the Airport program last spring.

"Callas" 36" x 48" acrylic on canvas

The Mezzanine Gallery is in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center lobby, 1211 22nd Ave. S., and is always open. For information about the gallery, call the VUMC Arts office at 615-936-1234. For directions and parking information, go to www.mc.vanderbilt.edu.
— MiChelle Jones, for The Tennessean

Gabby and The Bubbles

My husband and I attended a family gathering over Memorial Day in Florida. The youngest of the group was a two year old girl, Gabriella, who was entertained much of the time by a couple of bubble machines. The two machines produced a plethora of bubbles and created some fascinating visual effects. I photographed several for the fun of it. My favorite is the one below because the center left bubble looks like someone painted a watercolor landscape in it!

Painting in a Bubble

I was so intrigued with the idea of making art from bubbles that I bought a couple of bubble machines when I got home. Finally I pulled out my camera and revved up the machines a few weeks ago. I took the photos against a light morning sky, before it turned deep blue. The result is a colorful array of bubbles, some which look almost surreal against the morning sky. These photos were not manipulated in Photoshop -- this is how the bubbles actually looked. I'm planning on doing some encaustic pieces with the bubble images.

Bubbles in Color