open, flowing forms, portraying movement and the expression of life….
Artist Statement
It is my goal to create sculpture and images that bring joy, connection and meaning to people who experience it. I shape and fabricate metal into open, flowing forms, portraying movement and the expression of life. Each sculptural piece is plasma, laser and/or flame-cut from steel, bronze or stainless, then sanded, hammered and welded. For public works in human form, a colorful powder coated finish adds a bold statement and symbolic meaning. For natural forms of all sizes, I may choose to leave the metal in its natural color, add patina, or embellish the surface with colorful layers of glass enamel.
Fusing enamel to the surface of the work, adds depth and narrative in lustrous layers of glass. I am excited by the reflective qualities of this medium and the ability to illustrate a story in minute detail on sculpture, wall reliefs, panels and jewelry. Images are built up in several kiln-fired layers of liquid enamel, which are applied using variations of dipping, spraying, sgraffito and painting techniques.
Nature and its unseen connections inform my work. Sketching and documenting while on hikes, bikes, paddles and skis throughout the seasons, I look for signs of connection and movement … seedlings sprouting through lava rock, clear water flowing and bubbling over snags, and fungi fruiting near tree roots from the hidden mycelium network.
The purpose of my work is to inspire the connection and care of our planet and each other, by bringing attention to the healthy ecosystems that we all depend.
Artist Bio
Best known for her award winning outdoor sculptures, Alisa Looney has exhibited in the U.S. and Canada. Her work is in a multitude of private and public collections, including Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, WA, and several U.S. cities in the Northwestern states of Oregon, Idaho and Washington.
She expresses her ideas through sculpture, dance, painting and enameling in her Bend, OR, Studio. At the age of four, Alisa began drawing and building with clay and sand on the banks of the Spokane River, in Northern Idaho. The movement of the river is still present in her work today and she donates a portion of her sales to keeping our rivers clean and flowing.
She fell in love with metal arts as a silver smith in her early years, received her BFA in Design from Boise State University in 1983 and began welding in 1998. Alisa returned to Idaho in 2010 to study with enamellist and BSU Professor Emeritus, John Killmaster, which has allowed her to merge sculpture design and narrative enamels into what she considers her most precious work to date. She loves sharing these enameling techniques through workshops in her Bend, Oregon studio and also offers online classes for enamelists near and far.