About the Collection

Sea & Sky: a summer collection of paintings from the coast

Exhibition Dates: July 24, 2025 through Labor Day

Click here to view the Sea & Sky Collection

There is something about Summer that captures the imagination…

Dear Friends and Collectors -

Like so many of us, I grew up going to the seashore in the Summer, and it’s a special place many of us return to again and again. A place we feel connected, a sense of timelessness. To be ‘by the sea’ ignites a feeling of freedom and opens us to inspiration. The busy-ness of life drifts away effortlessly, like the retreating waves. We reconnect with each other and savor the simple joys in life. Take time to cultivate quiet, to read and reflect. Space to breathe, to play, to dream.

It is where we add to the canvas of our own life!

I’ve been living year-round in California now for five years. Even though the Pacific Ocean is omnipresent, and there are distinct seasons that unfold throughout the year, Summer has a magic all it’s own. This is what inspired my upcoming online exhibition “Sea and Sky: a Summer Collection of Paintings from the Coast”. I wanted to capture that special Summer magic - the feeling of the sun and sand, swimming in the sea, and gazing at the sky without a care in the world - and translate it into a collection of paintings.

Art to bring the ‘Eternal Summer’ home - to remember and enjoy - all year round.

For ‘Sea & Sky’, I set out to curate a collection of my artworks that express that experience - fully and deeply. I mined my own personal collection and studio archives to select paintings done in a variety of mediums, including watercolor, acrylics, and oils, that I’ve created over the past decade. There are 27 original works — ranging from impressionistic to expressionistic, to purely abstract — all interpretations of the traditional Seascape and Skyscape genres.

Some highlights from the collection:

• The show includes some early watercolors from my ‘Ocean Series’ that I began painting when we first started coming to Santa Barbara in 2013. These works are serene and peaceful, with tonal, horizontal brushstrokes that mimic the subtle variations in color that nature reveals each day. In these meditative paintings - the horizon represents the present moment, the sky - the future, and the sea - the past.

• Two painterly, impressionistic and deeply evocative ‘Seascapes’ in oil on canvas, “On The Water’ and “On The Journey”, depict the sea and the sky in changing conditions. These paintings act as a mirror for the human experience, reflecting the emotional and spiritual changes we go through in our own life.

• Lyrical explorations and varied compositions of ‘The Sky’ and ‘The Sea’, including “In The Moment”, “Let The Sun Shine In” and “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever”. These expressionistic paintings inspire feelings of joy, freedom, and endless possibilities, leading us to a profound experience of life’s beauty and grandeur.

I am so excited about this “Sea and Sky” collection. As always, I’m happy to answer any questions and offer assistance with additional photographs or further insight into my work to help you in your selections. And if you are local or visiting Santa Barbara, I’m taking appointments for studio visits to view my work in person. Please get in touch with me via email at lisa@lisa-miller.com. I love to hear from my collectors!

Wishing you a Summer filled with magic -

Lisa Miller