“I invite you to escape reality and step into the magic of my art,” says artist Lisa Jill Allison, who has fashioned her Lisa Jill Allison Art Gallery in Fort Pierce in a way that embodies her cheerful outlook on life.
Visitors enter into a vivid world of mermaids, lily pads and golden sunlight, along with such magical works as a fanciful pink kangaroo with a joey in her pouch, and a fluffy white dog wearing an impish smile. The sky is the limit with Allison’s art, which she hopes is a channel for unrestricted exploration and pure joy.
“With bold strokes and vibrant explosions of color, my work opens a space where judgment fades, innocence is rediscovered, and healing begins,” she declares.
\Not surprisingly, that carefree attitude extends to Allison’s approach to her artwork. Some painters spend years formally studying art, while others prefer to let their paintbrush be their guide. Allison is proud to be in the latter category.
“I haven’t studied art and I try not to. I want to explore what my own personal vibe is,” says Allison, who has sold her large-scale paintings to collectors from around the world.
“I do a lot of commissions. Fort Pierce is a super eclectic town with a lot of people into art,” Allison explains.
“One day, a gentleman from Germany came in with his wife looking for a gift. They couldn’t find the gift they had in mind in my gallery, so I completed a piece for them.”
The classic Florida seascape she painted for them now hangs in a castle in Germany.
Many of her other works are on display much closer to home. The artist has donated her paintings to Tykes & Teens, a mental health service for infants, children and youth on the Treasure Coast, as well as Guardians of New Futures, which serves abused children on the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee.
“It’s a privilege to give back to the community. My art is uplifting and I can give people in those arenas a boost by donating my art,” she says.
Allison moved to Fort Pierce 40 years ago from her native New Britain, Conn. Her gallery has been open to the public for the past 15 years, and she’s moving “full speed ahead” with her art.
The retired reading teacher mainly works in acrylics but also experiments with inks and mixed media. As she creates paintings that she classifies as “emotional Impressionism,” Allison follows a simple process – artistic freedom.
“Reckless abandon is my process,” Allison shares.
“My paintings are very colorful, joyful, emotion-based, bursty and happy, not overly complex. I’m not a fan of detailed realism. It’s not my natural vibe.”
Paintings of her rescue Border Collie mix, Buddy, nicknamed Snaussy Dog for his sausage-shaped body, exemplify this playful spirit. Utilizing personification in her whimsical representations of Buddy, she has the pup waving at an invisible camera in one painting, and holding a yellow balloon in his paw in another.
Before Buddy came on the scene, Allison had a beloved Maltipoo named Rosy Roo, who stars in a series of children’s books she has been working on.
“The Adventures of Rosy Roo and You” and a newly released title, “Monsters under the Bed,” are approximately 30 pages each and are geared toward elementary readers.
“My books are illustrated in watercolor. I like that soft look for children’s books,” Allison reveals.
Another of her illustrated children’s books, “Please Know,” is a poignant letter from a parent to a child about how adults are still learning and don’t know everything.
Her own interest in artist expression began as a child.
“In Connecticut, I was always fiddling with something. Outside, I picked different colored berries and leaves. Then I took some Elmer’s glue and glued them on paper plates. Plus, my mom would give me art kits.”
Today, Allison is passing along that passion to her 14-year-old grandson, Gavin, who resides in Satellite Beach with her son Luke.
The recently remarried artist also collaborates with her husband, Brad. The couple have launched a line of coastally inspired home furnishings such as coffee tables, desks and night stands to sell at the gallery. While Allison selects the pieces, her husband paints them in soothing ocean blues and invigorating tropical greens.
Allison’s gallery enjoys a prime location in historic downtown Fort Pierce, just steps from the Sunrise Theatre and popular eateries, so patrons often like to browse before having dinner or attending a show.
But the gallery didn’t always have such a coveted location.
“It’s a really quirky story. I was showcasing my art at the Farmers Market and ran into a gentleman in the parking lot. He told me that he had vacant space, but it wasn’t in my budget, as I had just left my full-time job and was newly single.”
Amazement still clear in her voice, Allison recalls, “He just handed me the keys and I opened shop the next day and sold $2,000 worth of paintings. It was truly a miraculous cascade of events.”
Although she may have been given a miracle, she also believes in self-made miracles; those crafted from effort, confidence and perseverance.
“I encourage everybody, because everyone has some kind of creative talent, whether it’s cooking, sewing, language skills, there are all kinds of creative outlets. It doesn’t have to be drawing or painting. Just do it!”
Photos by Joshua Kodis