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Lisa Middleton
Growing up on the Upper Mississippi River valley, Lisa Middleton’s bedtime stories were tales of her parents’ adventures in Australia, south Asia, and Europe, where they were backpacking and travelling as teachers in the 1970’s. Family trips in her parents’ RV to places like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Arizona, and Florida, were the highlight of her childhood. She always knew she would become a traveler herself. Her journey has taken her to places like Nepal, Haiti, China, Western Europe; she has lived in Seattle and Chicago, and now resides in the beautiful state of Montana. Thanks to her mom, a Mississippi historian and writer, old books and old maps were always a part of her daily life.
Lisa took an interest in art at about the age of seven, but at the age of twelve, she began corresponding with renowned “camouflage artist” Bev Doolittle who encouraged her to become an artist. Her art was always around as Lisa blossomed, and Doolittle became a big influence in her life. Other artists who influenced Lisa include Louis Tiffany and Alphonse Mucha. Entirely self-taught, Lisa started out painting abstracts using acrylic and cotton paper, which she sold on the streets of Seattle and in small galleries. She also sold some of her own renditions of Tiffany’s stained glass. At age 22, she began experimenting with painting maps, and over the course of 13 years of trial and error, perfected her skill, and now, painting historic maps is at the heart of Lisa’s art business. Her work, Father of Waters is the map on which her entire business was built. It is a beautiful hand painted map from 1887, depicting the headwaters of the Mississippi River to the Delta of the Mississippi in the style of the historic ribbon map.
When not working on her next masterpiece, Lisa relaxes with her books on travel, exploration, and adventure. She also enjoys watching historical dramas. This traveler’s journey is still in progress, and her maps will take you on a journey of your own. Take the journey with her!
"Missouri River Ribbon Map" Artistically Enhanced Historical Map by Lisa Middleton
The Missouri River, flowing east and then south for thousands of miles is North America’s longest river. It is a gem of natural resources and a vital transportation pathway. Nicknamed the “Big Muddy” and “Dark River” because of its silt material, the river begins at the confluence of the Madison and Jefferson Rivers in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana. The river flows across eastern Montana, then continues through the center of the Dakotas on its southern trek, before becoming the state line between Nebraska and Iowa, then dividing Kansas from Missouri. The Missouri travels east again across the upper part of the state that carries its name before entering the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis.
The Missouri River valley was the home of several Native American tribes around 1500, including the Mandan, Arikara, Missouria, Lakota, Hidatsa, and Otoe, among others. French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, in 1673, were the first Europeans to see the Missouri River. However, it was the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) that produced the most promise and paved the way for the Missouri River to define the American Frontier. The discovery of a navigable Missouri River route made possible the growth of the fur trade in the early 1800s. Fur trappers in the upper Missouri River basin bartered iron, brass, knife, blankets, cloth, metal, firearms, metal containers, and even alcohol with Indians, for beaver pelts and the hides of bison and buffalo.
The function of the Missouri River has changed over time, and today, tourism and recreation are the two key features of the river. Kayaking, canoeing, bird watching, camping, fishing, and hiking are some of the activities that can be enjoyed on or along the river. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which crosses eleven U.S. states and retraces the course of Louis and Clark Expedition, is a feature attraction along the Missouri River. Still, the Missouri River flows through or past many National Historic Landmarks including the Big Hidatsa Village Site in North Dakota, and Montana’s Fort Benton, among others. There is plenty to explore and enjoy!
Lisa makes her own reproductions. She will scan the map and paint the scan, not the original historic map. Starting with B&W, she then adds layers of stain, color to give the painting some of the parchment feel and weathered look. Lisa uses layers of watercolor and tea, pen and ink work to restore letters, and pastel and watercolor pencils to add dimension to her beautiful maps. Every wrinkle and stain is the work of the artist. It’s a process that has evolved through time and experience.
Like every artist out there, she has a reason for creating beautiful maps. In her words, “I would like to add beauty and warmth to their [buyers] lives, and give their home a sense of roots and history. I want to remind them [buyers] of a place that they love very much, and to inspire wonderful memories and a feeling of well-being.” She also wants her art to appeal to the buyer on many levels. Bev Doolittle believes that Lisa has achieved this, stating, “Art just gets better when it can connect on many levels: artistically, intellectually, historically, and narratively. Lisa Middleton has blended-in the old with new technology, a hard nut to crack these days.
6" x 36" overall size print
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"Missouri River Ribbon Map" Artistically Enhanced Historical Map by Lisa Middleton
The Missouri River, flowing east and then south for thousands of miles is North America’s longest river. It is a gem of natural resources and a vital transportation pathway. Nicknamed the “Big Muddy” and “Dark River” because of its silt material, the river begins at the confluence of the Madison and Jefferson Rivers in the Rocky Mountains of western Montana. The river flows across eastern Montana, then continues through the center of the Dakotas on its southern trek, before becoming the state line between Nebraska and Iowa, then dividing Kansas from Missouri. The Missouri travels east again across the upper part of the state that carries its name before entering the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis.
The Missouri River valley was the home of several Native American tribes around 1500, including the Mandan, Arikara, Missouria, Lakota, Hidatsa, and Otoe, among others. French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, in 1673, were the first Europeans to see the Missouri River. However, it was the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806) that produced the most promise and paved the way for the Missouri River to define the American Frontier. The discovery of a navigable Missouri River route made possible the growth of the fur trade in the early 1800s. Fur trappers in the upper Missouri River basin bartered iron, brass, knife, blankets, cloth, metal, firearms, metal containers, and even alcohol with Indians, for beaver pelts and the hides of bison and buffalo.
The function of the Missouri River has changed over time, and today, tourism and recreation are the two key features of the river. Kayaking, canoeing, bird watching, camping, fishing, and hiking are some of the activities that can be enjoyed on or along the river. The Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, which crosses eleven U.S. states and retraces the course of Louis and Clark Expedition, is a feature attraction along the Missouri River. Still, the Missouri River flows through or past many National Historic Landmarks including the Big Hidatsa Village Site in North Dakota, and Montana’s Fort Benton, among others. There is plenty to explore and enjoy!
Lisa makes her own reproductions. She will scan the map and paint the scan, not the original historic map. Starting with B&W, she then adds layers of stain, color to give the painting some of the parchment feel and weathered look. Lisa uses layers of watercolor and tea, pen and ink work to restore letters, and pastel and watercolor pencils to add dimension to her beautiful maps. Every wrinkle and stain is the work of the artist. It’s a process that has evolved through time and experience.
Like every artist out there, she has a reason for creating beautiful maps. In her words, “I would like to add beauty and warmth to their [buyers] lives, and give their home a sense of roots and history. I want to remind them [buyers] of a place that they love very much, and to inspire wonderful memories and a feeling of well-being.” She also wants her art to appeal to the buyer on many levels. Bev Doolittle believes that Lisa has achieved this, stating, “Art just gets better when it can connect on many levels: artistically, intellectually, historically, and narratively. Lisa Middleton has blended-in the old with new technology, a hard nut to crack these days.
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