Artist Interview - Alisa Marie
An artist conversation about encaustic painting, color, and the creative journey.
Alisa Marie relaxing in her studio at Lane House Arts Center.
Contemporary encaustic artist Alisa Marie creates luminous paintings using layers of pigmented beeswax, heat, and intuition. Working from her studio inside Lane House Arts Center, her work explores the emotional language of color and the ways art can bring comfort, reflection, and connection.
Her work has been exhibited in galleries and exhibitions throughout New England and internationally in digital exhibitions in Rome, Italy, and Barcelona, Spain.
Q: How did your journey with encaustic painting begin?
My journey with encaustic painting began in 2013 after a traumatic brain injury. During that time, creating became less about perfection and more about presence.
In the years that followed, I also faced ongoing challenges with autoimmune and chronic illness. Art became not only a creative practice, but a way to slow down, listen inwardly, and find balance through color, movement, and the encaustic process.
Working with molten beeswax, pigment, and heat allowed me to reconnect with creativity in a very intuitive way. Each layer of wax holds movement, texture, and light. The process mirrors life in many ways. We build layers, we fuse them together, and sometimes the most beautiful parts emerge from what was once hidden beneath the surface.
Q: What is it about encaustic that continues to inspire you?
There is something magical about the depth and luminosity of wax.
Pigmented beeswax is fused with heat, allowing layers to build and reveal themselves slowly. Sometimes colors blend softly, and other times unexpected textures appear.
The process requires patience, intuition, and a willingness to let the painting guide the next step. In many ways, the wax teaches you how to listen.
Q: What inspires your work?
Inspiration often begins with color.
Sometimes a particular color appears in my mind before a painting even begins. Other times, it emerges slowly through the encaustic process as layers of wax and pigment are fused with heat.
Nature, emotion, and personal experience all influence my work. I’m especially drawn to how color can hold feeling and memory in ways that words sometimes cannot.
Each painting becomes a quiet exploration of movement, texture, and the emotional energy of color.
Q: Why does color play such an important role in your work?
Color speaks before words.
People often feel drawn to certain colors without fully understanding why. I believe color carries emotional and energetic messages. Sometimes the color we are drawn to reflects something within us that is seeking expression, balance, or healing.
Through my work, I invite people to notice which colors call to them and explore what those colors might be saying.
Working in encaustic, Alisa Marie builds layers of pigmented beeswax and fuses them with heat to create depth and movement.
Q: How would you describe your artistic style?
My work can be described as contemporary intuitive encaustic painting. Using layers of pigmented beeswax and heat, I build surfaces rich with color, texture, and movement.
Each painting evolves through an intuitive process. Rather than following a strict plan, I allow the layers of wax, color, and heat to guide the work as it develops. This creates depth and unexpected moments that often become the most interesting parts of the painting.
Color plays a central role in my work. I’m fascinated by how color can hold emotion, memory, and energy. Through my paintings, I explore the expressive and healing language of color, inviting viewers to connect with the colors that resonate with them.
Q: You often describe yourself as an intuitive color guide. What does that mean?
As I worked with color over the years, I began noticing patterns. People would choose pieces or colors that deeply resonated with what they were experiencing in their lives.
Over time, this evolved into my Healing Through Colors work. I create art and jewelry inspired by color energy and offer intuitive color readings that help people connect with the colors they feel drawn to.
It’s less about predicting anything and more about helping people listen to their own inner knowing through color.
Color has a language of its own. This personalized Color Speaks experience invites you to explore the colors you feel drawn to and the message they may hold.
Q: Which artists have inspired your work?
I’ve always been inspired by artists who express emotion through color and storytelling. The bold movement and expressive use of color in the work of Vincent van Gogh has always resonated with me.
I’m also deeply inspired by the honesty and symbolism found in the work of Frida Kahlo. Her art carries powerful personal emotion and reminds us that creativity can hold both pain and beauty at the same time.
These artists remind me that meaningful work often comes from creating with authenticity and courage.
Recent encaustic paintings created in the studio using pigmented beeswax and heat.
Q: What do you hope people feel when they experience your work?
I hope people feel a sense of connection.
Sometimes a piece brings calm. Sometimes it sparks joy or curiosity. Other times it simply feels familiar in a way that’s hard to explain.
If someone stands in front of a painting and feels something shift inside them, even for a moment, then the artwork has done its job.
Q: What advice would you give to artists who are just starting out?
Trust your own voice and give yourself permission to explore.
When I first began working with encaustic, I experimented, made mistakes, and slowly discovered what felt true to me. That process is part of becoming an artist.
It can be easy to compare your work to others or feel like you need to follow certain rules. But the most meaningful art often comes from curiosity, patience, and the courage to create what feels honest.
Stay curious, keep showing up for your work, and allow yourself to evolve in your own time.
Working with heat to fuse layers of pigmented beeswax in the encaustic process.
Q: What is the message behind your work?
My work is about resilience, transformation, and the quiet language of color.
Life leaves its marks on all of us, but those layers can also become sources of depth and beauty. Through wax, pigment, and intuition, I create pieces that invite people to reconnect with their own light, creativity, and inner strength.
Q: What are your hobbies outside the studio?
Creativity shows up in many parts of my life. I enjoy designing, cooking, writing poetry, singing, playing the keyboard, and reading.
Writing poetry has become a meaningful companion to my artwork. Sometimes the words come first, and other times they arrive after a painting is finished, helping express what the colors and textures are already saying.
I believe creativity isn’t limited to one form. Whether through art, music, or words, it’s all part of the same language of expression.
“Wings I Leave Behind,” an original poem by Alisa Marie exploring love, memory, and presence.
Q: What has the creative process taught you?
The creative process has taught me patience and trust. Working with encaustic requires allowing layers to build slowly and accepting that each stage of the painting contributes to the final piece.
It reminds me that growth often happens beneath the surface, and that beauty can emerge from unexpected places.
Q: Where can people experience your work?
My work can be experienced in person at my studio inside Lane House Arts Center, where visitors can see encaustic paintings, jewelry, and the creative process up close.
Open studio hours are Wednesday and Saturday from 12–5 PM, and visitors are always welcome to stop in, explore the artwork, and see what colors speak to them.
You can also explore artwork, jewelry, and Healing Through Colors offerings online at artbyalisamarie.com.
Large-scale encaustic painting (48 × 72) by Alisa Marie displayed in the gallery outside her studio at Lane House Arts Center.
✨ Sometimes the color that calls to you is the one your soul needs most.