Take one look at Lisa Madigan’s stunning portfolio and you’ll be inspired by the absolute beauty that her work exudes. Described as a creative ‘powerhouse,’ Lisa combines her Fine Arts practice with styling and floristry to create stunning environments for the purpose of anything from private functions, product launches, weddings, styled shoots and editorial. Lisa’s artwork is soft, layered and beautiful and we are truly in love.
Almost 8 years ago, Lisa and her husband purchased The Cottage in the heart of Kangaroo Valley. Lisa’s vision was to share this historic gem with others and The Cottage is now available for intimate events, getaways and location hire. The charm that this cottage holds is a story in itself. Head to the journal for more information on The Cottage, including all the beautiful pictures.
You have been able to utilise your artistic talents in many ways, could you tell us a bit about the work you do and how it came about?
I’m an artist, stylist and creative director working in the realms of interiors, events, editorial, installations and exhibitions.
I believe everything in life informs who you are and what you create, developing your own narrative and creative flow, finding what works for you and how to best utilise your voice and expression is one of life’s joys. The assemblage of moments, hunger, knowledge, appreciation, experience and fine tuning all of theses things to best serve your vocation. For me that expression is certainly multi faceted and natural, an extension of who I am and how I live, what I love and what I know is my true calling.
I’m forever seeking to explore more through my work and to have a canvas both literally and spatially to bring my touch to is something forged through many years of cultivation and dedication, meeting and working with some truly wonderful people along the way.
Each realm of my work is essentially about providing an experience, through art, through an environment or through an exchange.
What do you enjoy most about styling?
I love the development of an aesthetic narrative, from the initial writing and musing on origins and concept development, to the hands on creation of it all. Bringing life and beauty and greater meaning to places and touching people with those moments and magic.
I love diving into the story of the why and how, the substance and integrity behind the pieces, the florals, the people and places I’m working with and creating an aesthetic resonance that has depth and sensory layers to it.
Threading floristry into my practice also allows me to work in another dimension, both on a smaller scale for interiors or large-scale concepts for events. Nature informs so much of my work and I have forever been compelled by the beauty of flowers and the incredible textures and structures of the natural world.
It’s also exciting to hunt for pieces and view things in a different way, creating balance and harmony with the unexpected, finding synergy and allowing authenticity to shine through.
Making manifest the vision and sensibility of it all and the flow on effect that has on people.
What inspires you to paint?
Inspiration to paint for me is as natural as breathing. It is an impulse. A heartbeat. Much like meditation, a place that I am in awe of diving back into again and again. The adventure of leaping into the unknown. The kindness and familiarity of being in my natural habitat of the studio. The pure delight of creation and seeing the work connect and touch the lives of others.
My work is deeply inspired by nature but equally compelled by my own experiences and the filtering of these collected sensations, moments and visions and their transcendence to become something more open, more universal and ethereal in their own unique expression.
Where would we be likely to see your artwork?
My website, Instagram and Facebook
My work is also often featured with some wonderful creative spaces, Temple and Webster, The Design Hunter in Sydney, Bloom and Co. in Melbourne, Saint Cloche in Sydney, James Lane in Sydney.
There are some incredibly exciting collaborations and collection releases coming up this year too, so stay tuned!
Can you tell us one of your favourite artists?
Boticelli. Turner. Rothko. Rimbaud. Monet. I know, that’s five for good measure.
As someone who has renovated your own property (The Cottage, Kangaroo Valley), what lessons did you learn from the experience?
I love brave interiors and I love those who tell a story through their spaces whilst also allowing the bones and substance of a building to shine through. This harmony in architecture/ design/ styling is what intrigues me and captivates me most. Even in homes that are absolutely new, building from a foundation of soul and substance with attention to how it sits on the ground, how it’s inhabitants and passers by interact with it, it’s impact both emotionally and cosmetically I believe are fundamentally key, it’s never just cosmetic.
For us, we were lucky to find a gem just waiting for us to place our touch on it and it was very important for us to embrace it’s originality and unique features whilst also stripping it back to have a cleaner line with an absolute impression of the vision we held for it. It was always destined to be turned into a country retreat to share with the world, as accommodation and a place for beautiful and unique things to happen, so the second phase of turning it from a home into a place for others was also a lovely process and it’s such a treat to share.
Not being afraid to mix old and new, this is something I am truly passionate about, it’s a beautiful thing to create a synergy between floor boards from the 1880’s against a concrete bench top and industrial style kitchen. The freshness that white offers an interior I never tire of, I often get asked about the perfect shade of white paint, the secret, trades white, it’s the cleanest purest white there is, so it’s definitely my pick!
The obvious choices are not always the best and the excitement comes from thinking laterally about a space and a forward vision.
Research, plan, prepare and get a proper sense of the space, the way it works with light, seasons, setting and then go for it.
Do you have artwork displayed in your home? What kind?
Absolutely. I have a number of beautiful lithographs and prints collected on travels both near and far, I love a good ornate frame against contemporary lines. I recently purchased a beautiful photograph by Martyn Thompson and a portrait by Dickerson remains one of my all time favourite pieces.
Name one item in your home that you could not do without.
Candles/ ambient lighting/ touches of nature.
When you’re not styling or creating wonderful artwork, where would we find you?
Quite possibly at The Boathouse Palm Beach, one of our local favourites.
For more about Lisa Madigan and to view more of Lisa’s work, please visit Lisa’s website, Instagram and Facebook
