Artist Lisa Noviasky will demonstrate her work in oil with a live portrait and landscape at Skaneateles Artisans this weekend.

Noviasky said some of her previous work had been done in acrylics, but she now paints almost exclusively in oils. The body of her work includes en plein air landscapes and portraits a la prima, done in one sitting.

Her demonstration will include creating a portrait from scratch, probably using a family member as a model to work up a quick portrait.

“People say you're so daring to paint anything at one sitting,” she said, “but anything you put down can be done again, if need be. It's such fun!”

She will also paint a landscape from photographs which she has taken in this region near Skaneateles and Jordan, in Cayuga County or western Onondaga County. She describes her work as impressionistic.

“It's harder to get the coloring just perfect in a portrait,” she said, “but once you paint a landscape, you can lose the atmosphere if it isn't just right.”

A recent arrival to this area, Noviasky moved from the Adirondack region with her family to Jordan in November. She is in the process of setting up her studio there and hopes to have an open studio this summer.

“It's a big, old house in the Erie Canal historic district, and I plan to have one whole room dedicated to the studio,” she said.

Noviasky plans to teach art as soon as she can get her studio set up. She said Jordan is in the process of developing a historic artistic trail.

A former occupational therapist, Noviasky is now following her passion for art, which she has been pursuing to varying degrees since high school.

“I'm delving into this and doing as much as I possibly can,” she said. “Art is in everybody; it's just a matter of tapping into it.”

Her work has been shown at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Art Institute in Utica, where she studied painting. She also had a show at Limner Gallery in Hudson on March 6. She did figure work in acryllics. She also won the Master's Division at Old Forge three years ago for a landscape in oils.

“Now that I'm in oils, I'm never going back,” she said.

Her portraits are usually on 2-by-3 or 3-by-4 canvases. Her landscapes are as large as 16 by 20 feet.

“I just feel more comfortable painting them larger,” she said.

Sandy Philips, chairman of the events committee for the gallery, said once a month the gallery would be featuring an artist creating a work of art. Besides Philips, who painted a portrait at the gallery, Warren Ritchie demonstrated pottery making, Evelyn Dankovich and Philips made Christmas ornaments and Linda Bishop demonstrated beading.

Philips said the gallery will also be offering a lecture series once it has finished remodeling its back room, which will almost double the size of the store. She expects it to be ready within a month to six weeks.

“The lecture series will be free or nominal to the public,” Philips said. “We want to share our art with the public and invite the public to enjoy the art as well as purchase it.” Lectures will be held on the third Saturday of the month. A couple of topics already planned include framing or preserving art and antique art.

A multi-dimensional shop to serve as a classroom for potters and beaders will be open downstairs to give support to local artists.

“People can learn about art, interact with the artists and enjoy themselves,” Philips said.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net

If you go

What: Artist demonstration featuring Lisa Noviasky

When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 22

Where: Skaneateles Artisans, 11 Fennell St., Skaneateles

Info: Call 685-8580