Pursuit of Greatness Drawing

Born and raised on the slopes of the Rocky Mountains in Utah, Alexander Lisman learned to appreciate the pristine surroundings and the quality of light that only the mountains can provide. Through his study of the great masters of the past and the present Lisman discovered his artistic voice in bronze figurative sculpture. For Lisman, translating the clay maquette to a completed bronze sculpture is deeply spiritual and represents the human process of self-perfection. The creative process begins first for Lisman by developing themes based on myth, legend, dance, or theater. His series of six to eight pieces are then tied to this central idea or story. Detailed graphite and charcoal drawings are made of all views of each figure before translating them into three-dimensional clay maquettes. The sculpting process begins with the emphasis on capturing the movement and emotion of the theme as he develops the larger muscular shapes, manipulating the piece until it has the desired motion and emotion. Finally, he fine-tunes the figure by placing the minute details of expression in the face, hands, and feet. The piece is only complete when Lisman feels it has the right energy and spirit. When he can finally let go of the attachment to his work, then he knows it has reached its full potential. Lisman completed his Bachelor in Fine Arts and Art Education at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in 2010 and completed a Masters in Art in Fine Art from Regis University in 2018. He has a love of teaching and tutors private art students on an individual basis, helping them to find their own voice and develop their own creative style. You can find him currently working as the head of the art department at Eagle Ridge Academy in Brighton Colorado. Forged by a sound understanding of technique, Alexander Lisman suggests the positive nature of mankind in his work and adheres to his philosophy that “Men are that they might have Joy.”