Lisa Houck's work in oil on wood began in 1987 when she was invited to create a mural for the Kendall Square subway station in Cambridge, MA. She decided to use oil enamel on wood because it would be durable in a public, outdoor setting. This project led to a number of other large-scale paintings, as well as a series of screens. Houck's work in oil is filled with vibrant colors and strong graphic shapes. She creates imaginative, fanciful worlds filled with cultivated fields, fruit trees, stylized rivers, oversized flowers, and inviting pathways. Houck enjoys studying the landscape from a scientific point of view, looking at strata and rocks and mountains and the way the water shapes the land. Whether viewing things from the air or from underground, she aims to create a vibrant, active painting full of color and life.