Lisa Norman
My interest in art began as a young child. I was always fascinated by artists and loved to watch anyone doing portraits or caricatures from real models.
Throughout my school years however, my interest in the field of medicine kept me dreaming about a career in Physical Therapy (PT). I volunteered in the PT department of our local hospital in the rural town of Buffalo,WY where I grew up. Following high school I went to college intent on pursuing this field and after 3 ½ years of school my interest in art started to grow more and more. I found myself drawing detailed notes in my Anatomy and Physiology classes and enjoying my electives in Art History more than the many required science courses in Pre-Med.
I began to think that a career in Medical Illustration would be an exciting turn and decided to attend the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, CO to strengthen my abilities in illustration.
Throughout my school years however, my interest in the field of medicine kept me dreaming about a career in Physical Therapy (PT). I volunteered in the PT department of our local hospital in the rural town of Buffalo,WY where I grew up. Following high school I went to college intent on pursuing this field and after 3 ½ years of school my interest in art started to grow more and more. I found myself drawing detailed notes in my Anatomy and Physiology classes and enjoying my electives in Art History more than the many required science courses in Pre-Med.
I began to think that a career in Medical Illustration would be an exciting turn and decided to attend the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver, CO to strengthen my abilities in illustration.
During my years in college I often worked full time as a home health nurse, singing in a local dinner theater, and professional cake decorating for a gourmet health food store to pay my bills! While attending one of those weekend trips back home to the land of “wide open spaces” I met a man who changed all of the plans I’d ever made. After graduating from CIA with a degree in Visual Communications I married Denley Norman, a cowboy originally from New Mexico.
In the 20 years that followed we lived in several different places of inspiration in Texas, Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota. Naturally, my focus in subject matter turned to the people and animals who were a part of our everyday life in the ranching industry.
In the 20 years that followed we lived in several different places of inspiration in Texas, Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota. Naturally, my focus in subject matter turned to the people and animals who were a part of our everyday life in the ranching industry.
We worked side by side and the ideas for many of my paintings sprang from the day to day scenes I enjoyed being a part of…whether it was working cattle horseback, or tending to baby calves in the wee hours of a cold spring morning. My love of realism and the perfect details found in nature have been evident in the expressions of both the people and animals that I photograph and paint. Though cowboys are generally thought to be the strong silent type, I found that the fastest way for one to find his tongue is to paint any little detail wrong on their tack, the stance of a horse, or the way a rope coils. My late husband was one of my best critics, and a treasured part of my correct portrayal of this way of life.
My work has been shown in galleries and private collections across the U.S. and abroad. I also market my own originals, limited edition prints, notecards, and boutique items through my website. My original works are rendered in oil, watercolor and charcoal. I have branched out into mural paintings for both commercial and residential clients in several different states and Canada.
My work continues to focus on whatever brings a bit of joy and inspiration into my own life, and hopefully the lives of those who view my work. The Big Horn mountains and wide open spaces of Buffalo,WY where we have returned to, continue to inspire my creativity and my insatiable love of the west.
My work continues to focus on whatever brings a bit of joy and inspiration into my own life, and hopefully the lives of those who view my work. The Big Horn mountains and wide open spaces of Buffalo,WY where we have returned to, continue to inspire my creativity and my insatiable love of the west.
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