Most of my paintings start with a simple black and white scribble sketch. Which you would never guess, since most of my paintings are very vibrant in color! Anyway, I have started to develop those scribbles a little further, and add some dimesnion with a little bit of paint. The final product is on canvas paper and matted to fit simply into a frame.

My friends at Tangram Studio asked me to display my art in their loft showroom for DTLA Artwalk last night. Top floor of the Pac Mutual building in downtown Los Angeles...my skyline paintings were in their natural habitat, displayed against the skyline! The space was beautful and my colorful paintings added a great splash of color to the loft space.

Miniature paintings make the best and most special birthday cards. I painted this one for my awesome Mom, who's been the biggest source of encouragement and support in my art. <3

This commission is my largest painting yet! The client, a private hospital in a Chicago Suburb, wanted a bold piece for their new board room. I came up with the idea of tying a little bit of the urban cityscape of Chicago with the more rural hills and fields found in Geneva. The piece is super textured and full of color!

Handmade Valentines make the best Valentines. This year, I painted little 4" x 5" miniature paintings for all on my nice list!

One Valentine even got featured on The Champagne & the Stars fashion blog today, with an outfit to match. Thanks to my sweet friend Josephine for the LYZ design love on her blog!

check out the post here! :http://www.champagnestar.com/2013/02/a-valentine-by-lyz-design.html

www.champagnestar.com is a fashion blog with BIG personality! You'll fall in love with my friend Josephine, her closet and her rockstar personality :)

Empire State of Mind gets a new home! This beauty was sold at RAWards and arrived at its new home in Boise, ID this week. Love the infinite texture, layer and color of this piece.

Details: 'Empire State of Mind' | 24 x 48 | heavy body acrylic on canvas

I've started a new technique, combining my sketch method with a little paint to add some depth. I love the energy the loose lines evoke. Let me assure you...no city will be left unturned!

The annual RAWards showcase, hosted by the RAW artists organization, was held at the beautiful Belasco Theater in downtown LA. The show was packed with talented artists from all walks...visual art, music, fashion, hair/ makeup, film, photography, jewelry design and more! So honored to be featured as a Founder's Favorite at this show! I was set up in the Underground Art Lounge, complete with fences, street lamps and live music for an citywalk feel. Perfect ambience for the bright colors and urban energy of my art! Thank you to all my friends who came to support. Love you guys!

Special thanks to my Mom, my biggest cheerleader, who flew all the way from Wisconsin to come and support me. So grateful she got to experience this show with me :)

www.rawartists.org 

Tonight's the big night! I will be one of 17 Visual Artists representing at the RAWards showcase in downtown LA. I've been selected as the Founder's Favorite by the Founder/Executive Director of RAW: natural born artists. The showcase honors the top 9 artists NATIONALLY (out of 10,000!) in 9 different categories, plus the Founders Favorites! RAWards is the biggest indie arts award show in the world! So honored!

http://www.rawartists.org/rawards2012

One thing I miss about the Midwest is the 4 seasons; Fall being one of my favorites with the crisp air and brilliant colors of the changing leaves. My parents sent me the most amazing photo taken up at our cabin this fall...and I immediately wanted to paint it. Here is the painting, their Christmas present...that is now hanging perfectly up at our cabin in Northern Wisconsin, overlooking the lake and its reflection. (with the original photo below...photo cred to my dad!)

My lucky sister's Christmas present!

This is my first 3 panel painting; a collage of the St. Paul Cathedral, downtown skyline, capitol building and Wakasha St. bridge...all located in St. Paul Minnesota. Each panel is 3 ft high and the painting spans almost 5ft horizontally when hung. What a great focal point for my friend Anne's dining room! And just in time for the holidays. Love these colors, don't you?

One of my latest commissions was a wedding gift for a couple who owns a cupcake shop in Eau Claire, WI. How sweet?!

I've been selected as the Founder's Favorite by the Founder/Executive Director of RAW: natural born artists for the Annual RAWards held in downtown LA! The showcase is January 13, 2013 and honors the top 9 artists NATIONALLY (out of 10,000!) in 9 different categories, plus the Founders Favorites! RAWards is the biggest indie arts award show in the world! So honored!

http://www.rawartists.org/rawards2012

My beautiful friend Joey, with whom I've been friends with since 6th grade came to Minneapolis to support my painting at the Art Incognito event! Please check out her post from the show on her blog, The Champagne & The Stars...who doesn't love a little fashion mixed with art?

http://www.champagnestar.com/2012/10/art-incognito-lyz-design.html

"3 weeks ago Free Arts Minnesota held their 3^rd annual fundraiser, Art Incognito, at the Ford Centre. This event, combining all the fun of an auction with all the mystery of an Agatha Christie novel, is one of our biggest fundraisers and 100% of the proceeds go towards helping the children who participate in our program.  Over 150 guests came to enjoy food, drinks, and, most importantly, art! Our silent auction had guests bidding on pieces without knowing who had created them; once the bidding was over we took down each piece to reveal the artists name."

My dontated painting reached the maximum bid in the first hour of the event and was the highest bid of all pieces for the night. So proud to help support such an amazing cause!

For more info, photos from the event and other participating artists...please see links below: