After 25 years as a portrait photographer, Lisa Frosch knew exactly how to build an image — where the light hit, how the moment looked, what the final product would be. Painting didn’t come with that same structure.
“I just jumped in and painted from my heart,” Frosch said.
Frosch is one of several local artists set to showcase work at Art in the Garden on May 9, a community event that will feature a range of mediums displayed across private gardens in Picacho Hills, with a starting point at 1338 Picacho Hills Drive.
Originally from Houston, Frosch moved to Midland in the early 1980s and built a photography business from the ground up after finding limited teaching opportunities. What followed was a decades-long career that expanded into portrait, family, and wedding photography, supported by a small team behind the scenes.
“I had a goal to retire by the time I was 50,” she said. “I was turning 50 and I thought, I’m going to do it.”
Stepping away created space, but it didn’t remove the need to create. After a short break, she found herself returning to something that had always been part of her work, even if it wasn’t the focus at the time. During her years in photography, Frosch painted her own backdrops — large-scale pieces designed to keep her work from feeling repetitive. That habit eventually turned into a new direction once she had the time to explore it more fully.
“I wasn’t really sure what my style was when I started,” she said. “But I just kept coming back to abstract.”
The shift marked a departure from the structure she had worked within for decades. Instead of building towards a defined subject, her work now develops through color, movement, and instinct.
“It’s a beginning point, not an ending point,” she said.
Even with that shift, the foundation of her earlier work remains present. Years behind the camera shaped how she sees light, contrast and composition, elements that continue to guide her process as each piece takes form.
“I’m always looking for the right light source, the right angles,” she said. “But then I simplify it and let go of what I saw.”
That balance between control and freedom continues to define her approach. Some pieces begin with photographs before evolving into something more abstract, while others start without a reference point entirely.
“It’s okay to let go,” she said. “It’s okay to start something without a big plan.”
Frosch works with a range of materials, including cold wax and encaustic techniques, building layers and texture through movement rather than precision tools. The process allows her to create depth while keeping the work fluid and open-ended. For her, the focus is not on directing interpretation, but on keeping people engaged with what they see.
“You can’t be wrong when you look at my work,” she said. “I want people to keep coming back to it, to keep finding something new.”
Rather than pushing a single meaning, she aims to create something that holds attention over time.
“I want them to feel a sense of enjoyment,” she said.
The transition has also reshaped how she views creativity in her own life.
“I have to have a creative outlet,” she said. “I can’t do life without it.”
Whether it’s painting, cooking or learning something new, Frosch said the act of creating continues to shape how she moves through everyday life.
“Never quit learning, never quit trying,” she said. “Just enjoy it.”
At Art in the Garden, that mindset will be reflected in her work as it joins other local artists in a setting designed to bring art and community together.
