Meet Lisa Motto | Motto DNA, LLC [DNA stands for Design and Art] Oil Painter and Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Motto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lisa, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?

My hope is to be remembered for my dedication to continuous improvement of the quality of my work! During college, I elected to pursue majors in 3 areas, Design, Illustration & Painting. I believe the years spent in my design career serve me now to elevate the quality of my painting, whether it is better composition, color theory or years focused on photography, I believe all my prior creative areas of focus work synergistically to elevate the quality of my paintings.

It has become a priority for me to attend 2 or 3 Oil Painting workshops per year, for the past 6 years, taught by those Painters whose work I admire the most. Not only are the workshops inspiring, but they provide a wealth of new information every time. For example, If I feel that my work is becoming overly realistic, I will select a looser style painting instructor to study, to help reshape the outcome. If I don’t think my photo references are the best that they can be, I’ll go take a photography workshop. I don’t plan to ever stop learning or striving to improve.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Every oil painting I do gets me excited, and every painting deserves to have the highest level of focus, attention and drive for excellence. What sets me apart may be my lack of willingness to get pigeonholed into one subject or one style. I believe that could result in painting burn out, and I work hard to avoid that, rather I take action to stay inspired, motivated and keep my work fresh.

Was it easy to transition from design to painting?
There was a somewhat steep learning curve around the chemistry of oil painting that took dedicated focus and practice to pick up. I believe one must be willing to make ample mistakes in order to have the most in-depth working knowledge in a given area. I didn’t expect perfection the first few years, and I hold on to those first paintings to remind myself of how far I have come. The lessons I have learned along the way… (and I always think of painting as a journey), you never fully arrive at your final destination, it is more like a circle of knowledge that never quite gets completed. I’m not just OK with this, I quite prefer it. It prevents me from becoming bored with the process. What I want the world to know about my work is that I will always apply my utmost level of effort to every piece I touch.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have an advantage here because I grew up in Atlanta, when it was less sophisticated than it is today. I know the streets like the back of my hand. I love to explore and try new things, and I am also an intense foodie, so I’m always on the hunt for great new restaurant, which Atlanta has a plethora of at all times. Now that it is springtime, I would advise visitors to be sure and visit some of the hot spots and bars along the Beltline, it is great for people watching, and there are many to choose from. Ponce City Market and Krog Street areas are full of life and experiences. Our Art Festivals are always rich, and our parks are hard to beat, Chastain and Piedmont Parks are beautiful especially this time of year, as are our many hiking trails. If you like to cook, don’t miss a visit to our many Farmers Markets, ie my favorite, DeKalb Farmers Market.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The many painters from whom I’ve learned have been extremely generous with their knowledge, I would not be where I am now without their guidance and ongoing support. To name a few: Casey Baugh; Sean Cheetham; James Richards; Andrew Tischler…

Website: www.mottodna.com

Instagram: @motto_dna

Linkedin: Lisa Motto / Motto DNA, LLC

Image Credits
Max Eremine