1. When I was 8? My brother and I had 4, red ear pet turtles we got from our uncle’s pet store one spring. We excitedly brought them home and promptly named them after the four Renaissance painters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Donatello, Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. We kept them in a large bowl in the kitchen, they never grew any bigger, slowly stopped eating, grew lethargic, and died that winter. Burying the bodies myself was a lonely affair, the ground was frozen, so I wrapped them in plastic and stuck them in the freezer until the ice melted outside. I don’t know where my parents were, I just remember dealing with it myself. There were no tears shed, nor hugs, nor kisses given after I lost my first pet, which might explain how my displaced feelings end up in paintings with animals all the time.
2. When I was 12, I had a beautiful red and purple beta fish. It lived in my room and I fed and cleaned the bowl it came in as instructed. One day after school I found it had jumped out of the bowl and committed suicide, whether on purpose or not, I’ll never know. Down the flusher it went, another very lonely experience.
3. When I was 13, my family got me a hamster. It was a cute little furry thing but it bit me when I tried to play with it. I remained its caretaker, putting food out for it, letting it roll around the house in his exercise ball, and cleaned his cage when it got smelly. I wouldn’t say we were best of pals but the playful rattle in his cage was always decent company. He escaped his cage one night though and we didn’t see him for weeks, until I came home from school one day to learn that he was found dead behind the washer. I was told he got into a fight with a rat and that was the end of that. Didn’t have anymore pets after that.

Is that why I paint so many house pets? They’re always thriving too, this one’s got a big hunk of cheese. He’s trapped his enemies, the snake and the cat, in cupboards because he’s a resilient MF with a litter of babies too. This house pet is doing just fine 👌

Mouse In Da House
acrylic on canvas
4 x 4 ft.
2021
Still avai!

#museumoffailures #housepet #cuteanimals #housemouse #surreal

1. When I was a kid, I played a prank on my friend and made her a birthday video. I mooned her in it and she played it at her birthday party. 😂 I can’t believe I did that 😑
2. Vacationing in Jamaica, my top fell off in the water: I had no idea, could have happened to anyone. The lifeguard had to alert me, oops.
3. Art school, 2nd year, I did a performance piece in the nude, about vulnerability and protection. I projected everybody’s faces and their live reactions of my body, onto my body. Everyone could see each other, while I remained hidden under their projection. The awkwardness was all theirs. An enlightening experience, no regrets.

A naked mole rat in his lair, just being himself. You can’t argue with nature, some animals just gotta be. A painting for someone not afraid to show their true selves, despite the awkward pressure!

Naked Mole Rat
acrylic on canvas
9 x 12 inches
2022
Still available!

#pantsoff #nude #nakedmolerat #surrealartwork #cuteanimal

1. When I was 13, a boy gave me a bracelet around Valentine’s Day. I think I just looked at him puzzled and said, “Thanks?” It didn’t even occur to me that maybe he had a crush on me until a classmate pointed it out. I never asked for one, and nobody ever gave me jewelry, and my parents were never particularly affectionate, so I was just kind of confused. I feel bad about it now, it probably took a lot of courage on his part and I probably reacted worse than flippant. I ran into him a decade later, he’s happy, he’s a cop.
2. In my 20s, people tried to kiss me at parties. I swear I give out no signals, but excuse me I do get excited sometimes talking about art or music. I remember a funny time I passed on someone’s advances only to learn they fell down the stairs soon after, and then decided it was promptly time to go home 😂
3. If you asked me to grab a cup of coffee anytime before the mid 2010s, I would have likely said, “No, I don’t drink coffee.” Didn’t realize this is just something people do to hangout as friends, or as dates. Like chilling and getting a bite to eat, or going for an ice cream, “a beer,” or going for a joint together, or a smoke. Took me awhile to realize, “We should get a coffee sometime,” meant let’s hang out and be friends or get to know each other, and it’s not really particular to the beverage itself. As a parent in my 40s, I drink it now, for energy.. but how many friendships, networking opportunities, and connections I axed over that misunderstanding, I’ll never know. “Coffee means sex?” George Costanza. I am weird.

An adorable reclusive rain frog, kinda weird, just doing its own thing. Comes with a Rene Magritte painting too. Don’t take it personally, she’s just in her own little world, if you require a response, provide more explanation !

Black Rain Frog
acrylic on canvas
9 x 12 x 1.5 inches
2021
Still available!

#museumoffailures #magritte #crush #heartbreak #sociallyawkward

1. 18th birthday, drank, not even that much. Ended up barfing so hard, pizza came out of my nose. I didn’t even really like the taste of it.
2. Clubbing days, early 20s. Saturday night, 2am at the club, Madrid, Barcelona, Montreal, Quebec City or Toronto. blasting music, bright flashing lights, drunk break dancing, then I’m asleep, at the booth, in the club. Turns out, clubbing’s more fun on coffee and weed than gold schloger and or absinthe for me, but to each their own 🍻
3. Lowest of lows, haven’t touched party alcohol since, the end brought Whisky. Mid 20s, art school party days, end of the year, the reality of summer, me and my now bridesman, barfing on each other. Real bonding experience.. Sort of fun story to tell, but I only mess with party grass now.

If you’ve lived any of these stories with me: ❤️

A Purple Furry selfie with gold highlights, maybe you’re hungover, for the day after. You did something bad last night and you just don’t feel like looking anyone in the eye today, and can we keep the lights dim? I made bad choices last night and just want to be held and coddled today. & can we proceed on gently today with a little forgiveness? Humility is so fun, humility is for everyone.

#museumoffailures #baddrunk #artschooldays #furry #surrealart

1. In nursing school they had us do a 45 page paper documenting a full head to toe assessment on one patient. My printer crapped out on the vital signs page without me noticing. Despite the other 44 pages of info, I ended up getting a C. I still passed the class with flying colours, which tells you what a stellar nurse I am when my printer works.
2. My first shift in a hospital as a new grad was on New Year’s Eve through an agency at one of the busiest downtown hospitals. It was so hard getting my foot in the door, I was desperate to get anything. Worst shift of my life, they gave me zero training on their IV pumps, blood sugar monitors, barely a tour of the supply room. Nobody told me I was supposed to chart in two different places until after I clocked out and left the unit, and had to promptly return. I remember one staff nurse looked me up and down and said agency? no further questions, she ran around doing her job and picking up the slack of mine, like she must have done it every New Year’s Eve before. I survived that night, and so did all my patients, bless that nurse’s soul, I work in home care now.
3. My first needle stick poke. I was a few years into my home care job already, so my confidence was high. Between fumbling in and out of messy homes, I ended up giving myself a good jab, trying to cap a needle after I had already left my patient, total rookie move. Spent the next 48 hours as I ended my shift, trying to track down a coherent family member to figure out if I needed further treatment for anything. In the end I was fine, never want to go through that level of stress again.

Nursing, silently humming away in the background, scurrying this way and that, camouflaging ourselves into the chaos of beeping machines, stressed out family members, and immersed in the needs of others and rarely our own. Never the star of the show, but the doctor’s eyes and ears, forever resilient and always adaptable, this painting sees the silent and beautiful work you do.

Eyeball Vase
acrylic on canvas
16 x20 inches
2016
Still available!

#museumoffailures #nursing #nursingstudent #coolart #homecare

Cow Milk Cabinet acrylic on canvas 12 x 9 x 1.5 inches 2023 Still available!

1. Didn’t think I wanted kids until one day when I was 35. Took 2.5 years, a few rounds of intrusive testing, and 1 miscarriage, before we luckily conceived our first. Felt like a failure at the time even though I realize everyone just has their own journey.
2. I failed to breastfeed my second. I did, for the first 6 months.. with my first, but even that was gruelling, and I HATED it. My second had a protein allergy also which made things extra tricky. Both turned out fine as “formula babies.” My only regret is that I wasn’t easier on myself.
3. This one still feels raw because I’m still living it, not great at regulating emotions. I am in therapy, I rant and rave in empty rooms, and apologize to my family on a pretty consistent basis 😞 it sucks to be bad at something but I am able to identify and work on it so that’s a win 💪 Humility is no fun; humility is for everyone.

This mommy cow’s not perfect, but she gives it her all. The cost and gains of of parenthood, and how it shapes us.

#parenting #motherhood #breastfeeding #nursery

Hi friends, just formatting the coloured pages for my next picture book, Polar Chair’s Magic Workshop!

Time is zipping by, I’m juggling a lot and getting kid’s summer schedules all in a dizzy. I gotta work on regulating my emotions, which I could if we would just let me paint! A

Updates on the Spooky Astronauts drawing club picture book, the drawings are 90% done! It will take me time to process everything and get a good cover designed. Just gonna have to pace myself.

In other news, Hamilton, ON, my hometown, just successfully protested against an ai data centre being built here. I don’t know the absolute specifics and it’s a long road ahead, and I didn’t realize how much they disrupted the ecosystem of the city, but I’m glad people came out and let their voices be heard! They got the result they wanted, and in peaceful protest. It made a difference, and I hope they reconvene about a better way to do things. & let that be the perfect segue into the 2 picture books I illustrated on democracy and the right to free speech!

Forever relevant, Zebrathenia, a group of free thinking zebras use teamwork and democracy to figure out the best way to defeat their oncoming enemies, the lions!! Available in my online shop:

For generations of free thinkers to come, Maple’s Garden. Inspired by a true Canadian story, of how the right to have a wild garden on your front lawn, became a protected right of free expression! Available at Indigo and on Amazon.

I am extremely proud of these books, and even more so now. Anytime I hear of a civil carfuffle, whether it was solved in peaceful protest, or extreme violence, I will always think about how these books will always remain relevant to a civilized, thriving world.

#hamiltonontario #aidatacentre #freedomofspeech #childrensbooks

Father’s Day is coming up and before you start stressing, let me propose: a Lisa Ng painting makes the best Father’s Day Gift. But what are the 3 pillars of what makes the BEST Father’s Day Gift, let’s review:

1. Longevity: A great gift lasts for generations to come, and keeps on giving. A family heirloom, it tells the story our lives, a lasting legacy, but also, you’re essentially getting yourself a painting 😉 (Your kids too, if you have ‘em.)

2. Uniqueness: One of a kind originals only, your dad is an original, he deserves something of high esteem. Nor do you want him having matching ties and hoodies that were on sale for Father’s Day, with all the other neighbourhood dads.

3. The “Je’ ne sais quois.” element: The, I don’t know what it is, but I’ll name it when I see it element, or what is also referred to as the WOW FACTOR 🤩 Your dad doesn’t need more tools made in China he can purchase @ Crappy Tire, he needs a conversation starter. Something that tells him you see and support his values: hand crafted, Canadian made, supporting independent, local businesses. A gift that can hang on the wall at dinner parties he can brag to his friends about, what a cool, amazing kid he has, that truly sees and appreciates his weird sense of humour.

& this is why I believe the following 5 Lisa Ng paintings would make the BEST Father’s Day gifts:

Perfect for the dad that manages the grill in the family, maybe he enjoys star gazing too. Hot meats forever roasting on an open flame, we got heavy cheeses down below, I know your dad needs PROTEIN.

Maybe dad is a dog person, doubles for a cat person too. What I love about this is, is kid is featured too. Comes with the most recent Hamilton, ON eclipse, and a nod to that kitschy painting, of dogs playing poker. Hang it in his game room, see if he notices.

Ok if your dad is the fishing, cottage country, or go down to Florida in the wintertime type, you def. NEED to get him this. A resilient adapter, this cheeky guy in chinos and clogs makes climate change work for him. I gotta make another version, wearing Kirkland pants. I could do a whole series of bears in different dad outfits. (Cue in picture book idea.) Commissions are welcome!

Man cave, say no further. This would look remarkable above the couch. He’ll love it because all the neighbourhood kids will and he’ll own the block. Let the other dads get jealous.

This one’s hyper niche, but if it suits your dad, act fast. Angry Asian dads no more, stop the cycle of generational trauma with this friendly fella, in traditional Chinese dress. A father to be of 3 little tadpoles, let your dad know you see him and how much he misses home, and remind him that he doesn’t have to leave it all behind.

#FathersDayGifts #SurrealArt #FunnyGiftsForDad #ArtGifts #GiftIdeasForHim

Gonna try to make a more conscious effort to make a post once a week, consistency counts.

I sold my painting! I painted it 10 YEARS ago. It contains a hidden heart, for every crush I was too inept to reciprocate. Art is a long game..

I painted this in 2014, I was just a few months into my first steady nursing gig, as a visiting nurse. That job was challenging, chaotic, kinda nuts, but it really did make me grow in so many ways. I’m such a better parallel parker now, I can regulate my emotions whilst sitting in rush hour traffic as my phone buzzes off the hook with people in need, I can prioritize what needs to be done first, and I can take it easy on myself when appropriate, to stay sane. In that time I moved back to my hometown, had two babies, back to back, and started illustrating, then writing, then publishing picture books! You ask me if any of this was coming while I painted this, and I would have said, “It’s never going to happen, because I can’t sell this painting.” Turns out, just ahead of my time again, by approx. 10 years.

There’s a Cindy Sherman quote I think a lot about, and I’m likely doing a bad job paraphrasing, “Fame first, the real money comes about 10 years later.”

(As I write this, I actually just sold another painting.. one of a Frilled Lizard..)

A talk with my old art teacher, Doug, comes to mind. I think he was testing the waters to see if I’d ever consider being an art teacher, “You can be immersed in art, without having to cater to the market.”

I think about that a lot. I ended up being a nurse because of better job flexibility, also I wasn’t so sure of myself as a practicing artist quite yet. I didn’t want to be an art teacher to only teach kids how to go to art class. I wanted to pick up skills to survive well, then funnel the resources into my risky artistic experiments, knowing that I had something to catch me if I fell.

I did get some feedback from my kid’s school. I had dropped off a copy of Maples Garden and my new book, Zebrathenia. The principal had initially expressed interest, but turns out the library budget is out, so a better time to approach may be October. I’ll try again. I’m glad I did, so now I know.

Rejection is never fun, nor is waiting for sales, but so crucial to being an artist. For everything you make and try to put out in the world, with it, comes the possibility that it won’t be well received. I wish I didn’t have to go through it, but at the same time, I’m an Artist, and I’d rather not live than not make Art. That’s the deal you make. Art like a sport, dream high, love lots, fall hard, and you get back right up again. It’s because I’m trying something new, and that’s what makes it exciting for me. The highs are high, and the lows are low, but if I could just step back and realize, just to be on the rollercoaster, to get to a point in my life where I can make whatever I want, and share it with the world, no matter on what scale, is blasting fun enough 🤩

Here’s where I’m at in the Animal Furniture picture book! All the pages are painted up, just gotta squeeze in time to scan them. I can’t wait to see the finished product, to both share it with the world and to risk getting rejected.

#ContemporaryArt #CanadianArtist #WomenArtists #ArtBlog #ArtistLife #CreativeJourney #OvercomingRejection #KeepCreating #HamOnt #HamiltonArtist #OntarioArt