Grace in the ordinary, brought to life.
Using what God gives and she acquires (namely, pigment, paper, and liquid), Lisa Marie Campo aims to portray the invisible and offer a fresh rendering of the visible world. Grace in the ordinary is brought to life in pastel, watercolor, and other media…with an acquired palette.
“On Being” Soft pastel on UART paper Not for Sale
Sample Portraits Soft pastel on Pastel Premier sanded paper
A process rooted in prayer.
Prayer is an integral part of her artistic process. Lisa gives her artistic talent to the Lord each morning in prayer, and prays an act of surrender of her whole being before starting a painting. Whether a work is completed in one sitting or after multiple weeks, she prays the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and God’s Word as she watches swaths of pigment be transformed into a unified work. For Jewish art works, she prays the Torah, Psalms, and the Word from the Prophets.
More and more, Lisa “gives God the brush” and pastel sticks. She reminds herself often that it is God’s work and her “yes” to His direction and inspiration. Mindful of His Presence and His eternal care for both the big picture and details therein, Lisa attempts to imitate that care and act in His image and likeness. Lisa finds that she is confident (and without the angst of blank-canvas uncertainty) as she lets Him, the Master Artist, work freely in her for the good of others.
History that is little, and growing.
A self-taught painter, Lisa Marie Campo became interested in art just after receiving a B.A. in Corporate Communications in 2002, when she began painting scenes in oil and acrylic. She is blessed to have encountered New England artist Maddi Alana, who, during a private workshop, inspired Lisa to venture into the largely unpredictable and fussy (yet, freeing) land of watercolor. Artwork was largely a side-hobby, and she earned an MBA in Finance from Villanova University in 2008. Lisa continued to paint in watercolor and gouache, with an occasional oil. She completed her first work of sacred art in 2012, portraying Jesus as the Good Shepherd in a watercolor painting coated with high-gloss resin.
After a 22-year career in strategic marketing, Lisa continued to produce art following a major layoff, but with a focus on photography and film-making for close to a year, co-directing and producing several films, including a 75-minute documentary entitled Lead, Kindly Light. Then, on Easter Sunday 2023, Lisa’s parents surprised her with the gift of a pastel workshop. Unbeknownst to them at the time, God had made it clear to her in prayer that He wanted her to resume painting, but in soft pastel – which, ironically, she had avoided for more than 20 years (…due to fearing dust with cadmium. Really.)
VIDEO: plein air painting at Spring Lake
These moments of grace congealed, and Lisa dove right into the beautiful mess that is full of resolute trust, intentional focus, blessed spontaneity, and copious amounts of brilliantly colored pastel dust. She opened The Acquired Palette in October 2023, focusing on soft pastel works. In February 2024, Lisa began to study under the acclaimed Alain Picard, a Master Pastelist known for his painterly style, expressive portraits, and bold landscapes. She is a member of Cultivate, a vibrant cohort of pastel artists that studies with Picard and engages in critiques.
Lisa was juried into the Pastel Society of America (PSA), and is also a member of the Philadelphia Pastel Society, part of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS).
She is currently accepting private commissions and now offers, in addition to original art and giclee prints, art-inspired products. She continues to photograph and reference moments of grace in the ordinary– leading to sacred art, portraits of humanity, and landscapes of God’s creation.
“The Holy Spirit, “the Breath” (ruah), is the One referred to already in the Book of Genesis: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (1:2). What affinity between the words “breath - breathing” and “inspiration”! The Spirit is the mysterious Artist of the universe....Every genuine inspiration...contains some tremor of that “breath” with which the Creator Spirit suffused the work of creation from the very beginning. Overseeing the mysterious laws governing the universe, the divine breath of the Creator Spirit reaches out to human genius and stirs its creative power. He touches it with a kind of inner illumination which brings together the sense of the good and the beautiful, and he awakens energies of mind and heart which enable it to conceive an idea and give it form in a work of art. It is right then to speak, even if only analogically, of “moments of grace”, because the human being is able to experience in some way the Absolute who is utterly beyond.”