Pastel painting of a standing bear on a national park map

The Bear And The Bees
Pastel on national park maps
30 x 40 in.
$10,000
Available at McLarry Fine Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In a masterful realism style, artist Lisa Gleim produces engaging wildlife storybook narratives.

“Animal interactions are captivating and bears, in particular, fascinate me. They are natural models, never short on different poses while at play and work. You could say I’m drawn to them like bees to honey!”

“People often ask about my frequent coupling of bears and birds as subjects. Do bears really hang around with birds? The answer is “yes!” For example, ravens and magpies are scavengers following hunters. And do the bears always take notice? Sometimes!” laughs Lisa.

Also, an accomplished landscape artist, Lisa draws inspiration from the low country of the east coast and the western wilderness surrounding her home studios in Atlanta and Big Sky. The Bear And The Bees from her newest, instantly popular series adds a twist: road, geological and national park maps as backgrounds. An approach which just might give a viewer a nudge to head west and a map to plot the route!

Lisa, a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, has many honors and awards. This fall What Hive We Here will be featured in The Russell Exhibition and Auction hosted by the C. M. Russell Museum. Most recently The Secret Keepers was included in the Recent Treasures: New Acquisitions exhibit at the Booth Museum. In vivid color and detail, the pastel depicts a bear and three ravens.

In explaining why the museum purchased The Secret Keepers, Seth Hopkins, executive director, said, “Our curatorial committee deemed it to be of such quality and distinction and such alignment with our mission that it belonged here in the Booth Western Art Museum’s permanent collection. Lisa’s work combines a wonderful composition, mastery of her chosen media and interaction among the subjects that invites the viewer to create their own narrative; topped off with an evocative title, it’s clearly a winner.”

“The composition and story are based on a Native American cultural belief a bear is the ‘speaker’ for all animals and for the natural world we live in, while the raven is the bearer of magic and a harbinger of messages from the cosmos,” explains Lisa.

Commenting on the same piece, Michael A. Paderewski, The Sportsman’s Gallery, Ltd. & Paderewski Fine Art President says, “Lisa’s treatment of the various textures and elements within this work of art are wonderful. From the multi-hued coat of the bear to the shimmer of the ravens’ feathering, she has captured in pastel the subtleties found in nature. I am most enamored with the triangular composition. My eyes first met the eyes of the curious bear only to fall to the raven on the bottom right. From there my eyes were led clockwise from raven to raven. It seems I was not done viewing the piece until Lisa said I was.”

Equally so, in her low country, coastal and marine pastels, there is an abundance of history, culture, wildlife, carefree living and the boating life. The often-experienced relaxed atmosphere of such scenes can be somewhat deceiving. The fields, marshes, coasts and skies are teaming with activity. This genre of Lisa’s work is represented by Cheryl Newby Gallery & Beverly McNeil Gallery.

Lisa’s work is also available at Paderewski Fine Art in Beaver Creek and Nashville, McLarry Fine Art and Courtney Collins Fine Art.

Contact Lisa at LisaGleimFineArt.com, 770.919.7719, or email [email protected]
And follow Lisa on Instagram.