Lisa Woodward (b. 1961) is a Canadian abstract artist based in Ottawa, Canada. Self-taught, she paints bold, multi-layered abstract landscapes in acrylic and mixed media, influenced by earlier careers in environmental sustainability and international development. Woodward has strong connections with the rural landscapes of Ireland, India and Jordan, and the Canadian wilderness. The interrelationship between people and geography is a recurring theme in her paintings. Her work is held in private collections across Canada, the USA, Ireland, United Kingdom, Germany, Jordan, Myanmar, and Australia.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Land and people inspire my work.

I am fascinated with the ways we leave traces of our activity on rural lands – the paths, fences, fields – while the land in turn shapes us. Conversations about people’s local histories, their families and their work contribute to what I see in the land, what I remember about it, and how I choose to paint it.

Abstraction gives me a way to describe the deepest impressions I have about landscapes. Influenced but unconstrained by what I see in literal terms, I use expressive lines, colours, shapes and symbols to translate less tangible elements into my paintings.

My recent work has explored themes of journeys, migration, and how we connect with others across distances and long periods of time.