Biography

Lisa Gentile is a painter based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the natural world often finds its way into her work—sometimes through backyard birds, sometimes through the greater California coast.

Lisa creates art that invites viewers into moments of whimsy and wonder. Her work explores liminal spaces—borderlands where human and animal behaviors blur, where curiosity opens doors to deeper connections. She sees the world as a vibrant web of habitats, full of unexpected beauty for those who pause, notice, and imagine.

Her inspiration deepened in 2020 after moving to a home on the edge of town with a small forest in the backyard followed by rolling green space and a view of the bay in the distance. With wild characters just outside the kitchen window—foxes, coyotes, deer, rabbits, herons, raptors, and song birds—her creative focus shifted toward storytelling and a sense of place. 

Current projects include Bird Party, a playful series celebrating avian life, and Intertidal Wander, an exploration of the California coast’s intertidal zones. Research for landscapes in Arcadia, Greece, and Northern California is in progress. Her work was recently featured in a solo show, Rascals, in Dublin, Ca.

A former learning and development department head, Lisa shares her passion for learning and travel through classes and retreats that help others build a personal visual vocabulary, explore acrylic techniques, and develop a joyful art practice.