PEOPLE OF INTEREST
ED DRONDOSKI
The POTTER
Vero Beach artist Lisa Lugo is a painter, potter and sculptor but it’s digging into clay that makes her heart sing.
L isa Lugo was busy throwing clay in October, creating
40 bowls for the 25th Anniversary 2017 Soup Bowl.
The annual event, held in November, brought local
potters together as they donated time and talent to raise
thousands of dollars for the Samaritan Center in Indian River
County. She also made one of the dozen soup tureens that
was raffled off during the fundraiser.
That’s a lot of production for a petite artist in a small studio
that isn’t much larger than the huge slab roller she brought
with her from her New Jersey studio a few years ago.
She said she just couldn’t leave the 60-inch by 30-inch roller
table behind when she and her husband, Angel, moved to
Vero Beach in 2009. It had been on sale, after all. Who could
resist?
“You know, same price on sale as a smaller one that was
not on sale. Second of all, or first of all, however you want to
think of it, I had a much bigger studio in New Jersey, a whole
basement worth of space.” Bottom line, she said, “I was not
leaving it behind.” On the plus side, when it isn’t being used
to roll out clay, it doubles as a sturdy work table.
Lugo has her artistic hands in several mediums in addition
to clay. The walls in her home are lined with her paintings,
many inspired by nature. She keeps a painting studio on the
second floor of her house but enjoyed painting with awardwinning
artist Ellen Fischer in her studio for several years.
“She is an amazing artist, teacher, and a true inspiration to
strive for the best,” Lugo said.
She dabbles in acrylics from time to time but paints mainly
in oils. Tubes of paint and an array of brushes, however, will
never steal her heart.
“My favorite medium is clay, making sculptures,” Lugo
said. “There’s something about hands in clay and 3-D that
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BY WILLI MILLER