Meet Lisa …
Lisa Riehl is a West Coast landscape artist living in Victoria, BC. She paints bold and impressionistic scenes of the beauty of Vancouver Island that surrounds her: ocean and beaches, forests and trees. Many of her paintings are inspired by her favourite destination - Tofino, BC.
Lisa’s passions of camping, surfing & beachcombing provide the inspiration for her many coastal paintings. She never goes anywhere without her trusty camera (usually her phone) and takes hundreds of photos while out in nature (way too many, really … her phone is jam-packed with images). She will never run out of inspiration for her paintings!
A passionate artist and creative mentor, Lisa believes in the joy of making art at any stage of life. With a love for rich textures and expressive colour, she paints primarily in oils and acrylics, capturing the beauty of landscapes, light, and movement. She also finds inspiration in the immediacy of watercolour sketchbooking, using it as a way to explore ideas, document everyday moments, and keep creativity flowing.
Lisa thrives on artistic exploration, embracing the process over perfection and encouraging others to do the same. Through her teaching, she empowers people to reconnect with their creative selves, reminding them that “It’s Never Too Late to Create”!
Artist’s Statement
My paintings are a celebration of the wild beauty and atmosphere of the West Coast. Inspired by the beaches, forests, shifting skies, and rugged shorelines of Vancouver Island - particularly the Tofino region - this body of work explores my emotional connection to the landscape and the memories and feelings these places evoke in me. Through expressive brushwork, rich layers of oil paint, and a focus on light, movement, and texture, I capture not only what these places look like, but how they feel.
Every painting I create is rooted in personal experience: early mornings on misty beaches, the sound of waves rolling onto shore, weather moving across the ocean, and quiet moments spent immersed in nature. Rather than painting in a strictly realistic way, I work intuitively and impressionistically, allowing colour, texture, and atmosphere to guide the process and evoke a sense of wonder, calm, and connection.
Each piece reflects my deep appreciation for the ever-changing coastal landscape and my desire to share the beauty and energy of these places with others. I invite viewers to pause, breathe deeply, and reconnect with the natural world.
Memberships
Federation of Canadian Artists - Signature Status (AFCA)
Federation of Canadian Artists - Victoria Chapter
“art is the only way to run away without leaving home”
-twyla tharp
Song of My Soul, 30x40” oil (available at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria)