OklahomaHorses Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

November/December 2020 • OklahomaHorses 23 L isa Jewell has loved art as long as she can remember, so it’s fortunate she was gifted with the ability to draw animals in a life-like manner. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, she moved to Oklahoma in 1989 while working in the automotive business and soon met and married her husband Mark. But working long hours kept her from her two loves: art and animals. After a 10-year stint in Colorado, which allowed her to slow down a bit, Lisa and Mark moved back to Oklahoma. The couple lives on 10 acres with five dogs, three horses and a constant flow of foster puppies. “One of my goals is to never have to live without horses again,” Lisa says. Her love of both photography and animals led her to photograph and foster puppies for the Chouteau pound, and eventually become the director of Chouteau Pound Pals, which she shares with us and more in the following Q&A. Q. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A PAINTER OR PHOTOGRAPHER FIRST— OR BOTH EQUALLY? A. At this point in my life, I would have to say photographer first because I haven’t sat down at my painting easel in quite a while! Q. ARE ANIMALS THE ONLY SUBJECTS YOU PAINT OR PHOTOGRAPH? WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT THEM? A. Animals are pretty much the only thing I paint. I work days photographing vehicles for a local new and used automobile dealership, but in my free time, I do prefer photographing animals. I have always been an animal lover and enjoy spending my time with them. I try to bring out their true personalities and beauty in my photographs. Q. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ART? A. My painting style is realistic, many times with solid bright colored backgrounds, though I have attempted to step out of my comfort zone a few times and add some bright fun color to the animals’ fur! Q. WHEN DID YOU START PAINTING, AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LOVED ART? A. I have been drawing since I was a child. I painted with watercolor years ago, and at one point I worked at an art gallery in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where I hand-tinted photographs that had been taken in the early 1900s. I began painting with acrylics about 12 years ago and have stuck with that medium. Q. WHAT IS YOUR PAINTING PROCESS? A. I prefer to paint from my own photographs, but I have some portraits of animals who have crossed over the Rainbow Bridge so I worked with what I was given. The smaller works, I freehand draw the subject on canvas in pencil before painting. For the larger works, I draw a grid on the canvas and on the photo and freehand draw in each box until it is finished and then paint. Q. WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE AWAY WHEN THEY SEE YOUR ART? A. I would hope that they see the beauty in the animal and that I have captured the essence of its personality. Q. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH RESCUE? A. I got involved in rescue eight or nine years ago when I offered to photograph dogs at the Chouteau pound; that evolved into fostering puppies and eventually becoming the director. I am no longer with Chouteau Pound Pals, but I still foster puppies for a couple of Colorado rescues and a Minnesota rescue. I am on the board of Sommer’s Rescue Transport, and when I have time, I do drive transport. Since my husband and I began fostering a little over seven years ago, we have had over 300 puppies at our place, and they always make for great photo subjects! To learn more about Lisa and her work, visit artbyjewell.com . EQU I NE ART I S T S Art by Lisa Jewell ANIMALS IN ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY WRITTEN BY: Anna Holton-Dean Lisa Jewell