Lisa McShane Art

Last week I went to Chicago with my husband and son and we went up in one of the super-tall skyscrapers twice to see the views and have tasty adult beverages (that last would be me.) I was struck by the horizon. It's an unbroken line in every direction. I'd seen Chicago on a map but never really thought that it's essentially a city on the plains. How does this impact your view of the world?  We loved the city - the architecture was stunning, the people warm, the winds cold and the food delicious - but I was unsettled by the horizon.  We talked about it awhile because our son is planning to spend the next four years at a small college in Wisconsin far from the ocean and mountains that establish our internal compasses every day of our lives. He/we thought it may seem disorienting.  Flatness. When he goes for a walk how will he know which way is north?  From where I sit at this moment, in my corner office on the second floor of my house I can see the Pacific to the...

Two Mangoes. Oil on Linen on Board. 6 x 8". These are from a local store but mangoes always remind me of a road trip my husband, our daughter and I took more than 20 years ago. We had an old diesel Volkswagen Rabbit and decided to drive to Chiapas from California. Yes, Chiapas, the far south of Mexico. Yes, that was crazy. Yes, my mother was worried. We made it as far as Puerto Angel along the Pacific Coast but had to turn east towards Oaxaca and Puebla because our car kept breaking down. Wonderful people rebuilt it at the Volkswagen factory in Puebla. We had many great adventures but back to mangoes - We were driving south along the Pacific just north of Acapulco. We were the only car on the highway but lining the road for approximately 2 miles were people sitting with boxes of mangoes. All for sale. But no buyers. Miles of mangoes. It was a striking image and I think of that everytime I see a box of mangoes at the store. Finally - buyers.