By:Brian Shappell
Lisa Walsh’s palette of life has been anything but a dull black-and-white — it’s been an ever changing, colorful landscape.
Ms. Walsh will be the featured guest artist at Art in the Park this weekend, the first of five to be held this summer. This will be the second time in the two years that the series has existed in Cranbury that the local muralist will lend her expertise.
“I’m amazed at the number of artists in Cranbury,” said Ms. Walsh. “It really interested me to arrive at (last year’s) Art in the Park and find people not just from here but from all over the state.”
Art in the Park, sponsored by the Cranbury Arts Council, gives artists of all ages and all skill levels a chance to explore their artistic medium at Village Park, under the auspices of local, accomplished artists.
Ms. Walsh didn’t grow up with the dream of being an artist. Rather, her path has taken a longer, indirect route.
Ms. Walsh admits that the option of becoming an artist seemed anything but a reality during her childhood and early teen years.
After years as a self-admitted “average” artist, Ms. Walsh began to receive encouragement from several sources, including art teachers in high school and, especially, from her close friend Leila Bickford.
“Instead of going to the beach, we went to museums to do sketches,” Ms. Walsh said. “Leila and her family were all artists. They had such an impact on my life.”
Instead of going to a university for a degree in science or liberal arts, Ms. Walsh decided to attend the College of Art at the Maryland Institute in Baltimore. While there, she studied fine art and illustration, an experience that Ms. Walsh describes as something that did wonders for many aspects of her life.
“I felt like I couldn’t get enough information from the teachers,” said Ms. Walsh. “It opened a new world to me. As an artist, you become so much more aware of the world and so much more alive because it allows you to open yourself up.”
As a result of her education in Maryland, Ms. Walsh entered the world of graphic artistry in Connecticut where she worked for 10 years. Ms. Walsh and her family relocated to Cranbury during the summer of 1994.
Following the move from Connecticut, Ms. Walsh decided she needed her own, personal, change of scenery. The graphic designer then turned her knowledge and experience in art into more than just a hobby, but a career pursuit. Instead of finding a job in her old field, Ms. Walsh started her own mural painting company, Atmospheric.
“When we moved to New Jersey, I wanted to be home with the children instead of going back to work,” said Ms. Walsh. “I got commissioned for one mural and then one thing lead to another. The idea of having something custom, that no one else will have is appealing to people.”
Since the move, the artist has volunteered her expertise to the community in several other ways. Aside from volunteering for Art in the Park, Ms. Walsh, also has taught art classes for children through the arts council and continuing education at the Cranbury school. She also is a member of the Middlesex-county based Watercolorists Unlimited.
“Without working full time, I’ve found so many opportunities to create art,” Ms. Walsh said. “It’s great that this community really admires and encourages artists.”
Ms. Walsh will be lending herself to people of all ages and skill levels who want a critique of their art work at Village Park and to possibly help open them up, as she was in college, this weekend at the free event. Among those in attendance that will be getting pointers will be her own children, 7-year-old daughter Hailey and 10-year-old son Kyle, who draw and paint regularly.
Those interested in getting a glimpse of Ms. Walsh’s work had better make it Sunday; her scheduling availability for commissioning a mural is backlogged to September.
Sunday’s Art in the Park event will be held from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. by the Gazebo in Village Park. Event organizers are inviting all to attend the free event.
