"New Day" Painting

My name is Alise Loebelsohn and I am artist from Brooklyn who got my start at the Pratt Institute, where I earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. My mother was a fashion illustrator, so art and art materials were always part my life along with my twin sister. It was natural to study art. I always loved big murals as a kid, so when one of my professors at Pratt had a program to beautify hospitals and mental institutions with murals, it was another natural step for me to take that jump and it started my career. I painted a fish mural on the Coney Island boardwalk that stood 136’ long. After graduating, I continued making large outdoor murals for several years, and worked for Evergreene Painting Studios. I worked with the architect Richard Haas and completed projects at places like the White House and Grand Central Station. I then carved my own path to become the only female billboard artist in NYC for seven years, working on billboards in Times Square and all over the city. After having children I did not want to go up 40 stories in the air so I created Pompeii Studios LLC. It is a decorative and mural painting company, where my team creates work for commercial, corporate, and private settings.

Throughout my career, I have been producing her fine art, which is heavily informed by my work as a muralist and decorative painter. My experience from my commercial art career gave me knowledge of materials and techniques which I would not have known otherwise and which I employ in my fine art. I build up layers of plaster, the force of which compresses and reveals cross sections of the material. Sanding between layers of plaster and paint give my work atmospheric depth. I draw from the random patterns and images found in nature, and memories that fade but reappear unexpectedly to explore unclear truths and make sense of the world in which we live.

Over time the materials and techniques have evolved into a more personal narrative. The images are sublime and resonate with most people because they are very accessible. The play with line, pattern and color are very important to me.

It seems that the rich patterns have struck a chord with others. My work is now being printed on silk scarves, handbags, pillow’s and on prints in large scale production. The use and manipulation of color in modern technology make samples with different colors and patterns easier to plan out and experiment with on the computer.