Mapping Your Practice
Sometimes the next step isn't finding a new direction. It's recognizing the one that's already emerging.
Most artists reach a point where they need to pause and take stock.
You may be full of ideas but uncertain which ones to pursue. You may sense that something is emerging in the work but haven't yet found the language for it. Or perhaps you're simply looking for a thoughtful, experienced perspective to help you see your practice more clearly.
Mapping Your Practice is designed to create space for that conversation.
Welcome
I’m Lisa Pressman, a visual artist and educator with more than four decades of studio practice.
Over the years, I’ve learned that artists often benefit from having a thoughtful outside perspective—someone who can help them look closely at their work, ask better questions, and make more informed decisions about what comes next.
Together we will explore your studio concerns, current work, creative process, and larger artistic goals. Whether you’re developing a body of work, navigating a transition, preparing for opportunities, or simply seeking greater clarity, these conversations are designed to help you move forward with intention.
Mapping Your Practice offers three hours of private conversation designed to help artists step back and look closely at their work, process, and direction.
Sessions can be scheduled in shorter or longer increments, depending on what is most useful. Some conversations may focus on a specific group of images, while others may look more broadly at your studio practice, materials, goals, or next steps.
Rather than focusing only on finished pieces, we will pay attention to how the work is being made: the materials, marks, habits, choices, questions, repetitions, and discoveries that shape your practice. Together we explore where your work has been, where it is now, and what may be emerging.
Through conversation, image review, and reflection, we identify recurring themes, questions, materials, and opportunities within your practice. The goal is to help you build trust in your process, recognize what is already present in the work, and make more conscious decisions about what comes next.
Although our primary focus is the work itself, discussions may also include artist statements, portfolios, websites, exhibitions, applications, teaching opportunities, and professional goals.
Format
Private Zoom sessions
One hour per session (flexible)
Scheduled over approximately six weeks, or at a pace that supports your needs
Sessions are recorded
Meeting notes and recordings are shared after each session
Fee
$595 (Sessions must be completed within six months of purchase)
Limited enrollment.
Topics We May Explore
Each artist brings different questions to the conversation. Areas of focus may include:
Current work and works in progress
Recurring themes, materials, and ideas within your practice
Developing a body of work and working in series
Process, experimentation, editing, and decision-making
Periods of transition, uncertainty, or change
Clarifying artistic and professional goals
Artist statements, portfolios, and websites
Exhibitions, applications, residencies, and teaching opportunities
Contemporary and historical references relevant to your interests
Identifying meaningful next steps for your work and practice
While our conversations are grounded in your studio practice and the development of your work, they may also address professional opportunities and long-term goals as they relate to your artistic life.
Rather than offering answers, I help artists ask better questions, recognize what is working in their practice, and gain greater clarity about where to focus their time, energy, and attention.
Artists spend a great deal of time alone in the studio. From my own experience, I know how easy it is to become immersed in the day-to-day process of making and lose sight of the larger picture. We all get caught in habits, assumptions, and familiar ways of working.
A thoughtful outside perspective can help us see the work more clearly, challenge our assumptions, and make stronger decisions. Sometimes it means letting go of what's merely working and taking the risk of discovering what might be possible.
Is Mapping Your Practice Right for You?
This program is designed for artists who already have an active studio practice and want the opportunity to step back and look at their work more closely.
It may be a good fit if:
You are developing a body of work and want to better understand the ideas, materials, and questions that connect it.
You sense that something is emerging in your work but have not yet found the language for it.
You are navigating a transition in your practice and want a thoughtful outside perspective.
You would benefit from dedicated time to reflect on your process, priorities, and next steps.
You are preparing for an exhibition, application, residency, portfolio review, or other professional opportunity.
You value honest conversation, close looking, and constructive feedback from an experienced artist and educator.
Designed for artists who are actively engaged in their practice and ready to take a closer look at where their work is leading.
Lisa Pressman: Artist and Educator
I am a visual artist and educator with more than four decades of experience in the studio.
My work has always been driven by curiosity, exploration, and a deep engagement with materials. From my early studies in ceramics and sculpture to my graduate work in painting and the interdisciplinary practice I maintain today, I have been interested in how meaning emerges through process. Layering, editing, repetition, revision, and discovery are central to both my artwork and the way I think about creativity.
My paintings, mixed media works, and works on paper have been exhibited nationally and internationally and are held in both private and public collections. While my materials and methods have evolved over the years, my commitment to inquiry and experimentation remains constant.
Teaching has been an equally important part of my professional life. For decades I have worked with artists in workshops, retreats, universities, conferences, online programs, and private consultations. These experiences have reinforced my belief that artists often possess more knowledge about their work than they realize. What is needed is time, thoughtful conversation, and an opportunity to look closely.
The focus of my work with artists is not to provide a formula or prescribe a direction. Instead, I help artists step back from the day-to-day process of making so they can better understand recurring themes, questions, materials, and patterns within their practice. Together we explore where the work has been, where it is now, and what may be emerging.
I believe that sustained artistic practice is built on curiosity, attention, and a willingness to remain open to discovery. Those values guide both my studio work and my teaching.
“I have taken several workshops from Lisa Pressman and have always come away with a better understanding of the materials used as well as a fresh sense of where I’m going with my own art making. She is an intuitive instructor, adapting her lessons to meet the needs of her students. Individual attention is one of her strengths. She allows ample time for exploration as we discover new techniques and methods for approaching our work. As a mentor, Lisa has helped me take my studio practice to the next level. Her questions are thought-provoking and individualized; her answers to my questions are honest and reliable. She is a valuable resource whether I’m updating my website, preparing for an art show, or contemplating a new body of work. Her humorous yet straight-forward approach is exactly what I need.” — Julie Snidle
“Lisa is incredibly gifted. She helps you articulate what you’re doing, where you’re stuck, and how to move forward. Perhaps her greatest gift as a mentor is helping each student develop their own voice.” — Kathy Cantwell
“Having Lisa as a mentor has pushed me to leave my comfort zone and grow as an artist in ways I did not think possible. Direct , honest , and always supportive , Lisa offers guidance but leaves the work and creative process for me to discover. In this way, she allows me the space to find my own voice while educating me with her expansive knowledge and expert critical eye.
Lisa is not only a great mentor and teacher, but a friend who shares her wisdom and love of art in the very best manner. I couldn't imagine a better person to inspire and help me reach the next level in my painting.” — Sonia McArdle
Frequently Asked Questions
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Artists at an intermediate or advanced level, as well as adventurous beginners looking for personalized guidance and growth.
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You can schedule your 3 hours of Zoom sessions to fit your needs and schedule. You decide how to structure your sessions—whether in 30-, 45-, or 60-minute increments—scheduled at the pace that supports your growth over 6 months. Please email Lisa to set up the first session.
lisapressmanmorepaint@gmail.com
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Your mentoring sessions will be live on Zoom with Lisa.
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No worries. Life happens. Please contact Lisa as soon as possible to reschedule your session. Email
lisapressmanmorepaint@gmail.com
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You have 6 months from the date of purchase to schedule and use all mentoring hours, even sessions needing to be rescheduled.
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Yes! We’ll focus on whatever supports your artistic growth—from the creative process to portfolio development and career strategies.