Lisa Manolius is a Jamaican-born San Francisco-based emerging watercolor artist. She paints intuitive contemporary abstract and semi-abstract landscapes, typically inspired by California’s natural beauty. Her paintings express her responses to being immersed in the natural world – her favorite place to be. Lisa brings openness and curiosity, willingness to experiment, a love of color, and playfulness to her painting, which continues to evolve in style and scope.
Lisa began painting for the first time in July 2021 without any background in the visual arts and immediately fell in love with watercolor. She has since taken courses with British watercolorist Dolores Phelps, who continues to be an important influence and mentor, and British painter Paul Fowler.
Lisa’s painting, Sonoma Wetlands, won a Judge’s Prize in the 2024 Wetlands Action Plan international watercolor contest held by Rockwell Global Arts. Her paintings have been selected for on-line exhibitions as well as SFWA Artist’s Choice juried in-person October 2024 exhibition, and ArtSpan SF’s 2024 exhibition, Landscapes Real and Imagined. She is thrilled to have been accepted as a SFWA Gallery Member Artist. Her public gallery may be viewed on Instagram @lis_paints.
