PebbleCreek Art Club
Artist of the Month
If creativity is about spirit, energy, experimentation, then Marsha Lisle uniquely deserves to be PebbleCreek Art Club Artist of the Month. Marsha and her husband, Doug, retired from Iowa to PebbleCreek in 2005 and have enjoyed many hours since discovering Arizona: hiking, fishing, exploring the mountains and parks and trails, indulging their love for travel and the out-of-doors.
Marsha has always enjoyed the arts. During her 33 year teaching career in the Des Moines School District, she engaged her students in art, music and dance. Because of her dedication and creativity, her colleagues frequently called upon her to develop projects for their students as well. As a result of their encouragement, Marsha began to study drawing and painting, took classes, and enjoyed their positive feedback. When she retired, though many of her predecessors choose art pieces, Marsha selected as her parting gift an easel and supplies, so she could continue to create her own paintings.
Once arriving in PebbleCreek, Marsha soon began to take classes and expanded her experience beyond drawing and watercolor. In John Balogh’s class she acquired proficiency in watercolor pencil and colored pencil. She has done work with acrylics on watercolor paper and also took workshops offered by the Art Club with Sue Hunter, Joye Moon, and Grace Haverty. Now on her travels, Marsha follows Grace’s inspiration and fills her sketchbooks with lively and colorful renditions of the scenes she encounters. In fact, on a recent trip to the Mediterranean, while sketching in her journal, she was approached by a Southwestern portrait artist who was familiar with Grace’s work and wanted to watch and learn from Marsha—quite a compliment, indeed!
During her first several years in the PebbleCreek art community, Marsha felt intimidated by all the talented artists. She took classes, but worked and practiced alone and only gave family and friends a glimpse of her work. Now, having discovered that her new colleagues in the Art club were “kind, encouraging and extremely helpful,” Marsha wants to encourage everyone to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities provided at the Creative Arts Center. Her art pieces are filled with lively color, imaginative details and a commanding versatility of subjects. Yet, she can also be found teaching or playing mahjongg, taking pilates, yoga, or swimming—always describing her interests with a contagious enthusiasm. She has wonderful stories to share about hunting ducks in Arkansas, deer in Iowa, or fly fishing in Grand Mesa.
We are very proud to honor Marsha and invite you to view her work on display in the Eagle’s Nest and Tuscany Falls clubhouses and in the Creative Arts Center.