Creating the Visual Journal – Leslie Stainton

Lissa is obviously talented and organized, but she’s also super generous. Before taking this course, it had been nearly 40 years since I’d done any sort of visual art to speak of. I was apprehensive about my abilities, and horrified by my first efforts in the class. Lissa unfailingly gave me the encouragement I needed with each and every assignment. Now that the class is ending, I feel as if drawing in particular, and visual art in general, are back in my life in big and meaningful ways.

I honestly don’t know how Lissa finds the time to respond as copiously as she does, with incredible detail, helpful suggestions, references to other resources. She is beyond generous.

Lissa inspired by example—both her own work and the many links she provided to others’ work. One of the joys of this class was that I didn’t feel pressure to conform to a given standard, but was rather free to explore and experiment. That’s liberating.