Buster Levi Gallery is pleased to present Between Observation and Abstraction, a solo exhibition of new work by Lisa Diebboll, on view at 121 Main Street in Cold Spring, New York, from May 3 to May 31, 2025. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 3, from 5–7 pm.

This is Lisa Diebboll’s first solo show at Buster Levi. The exhibition features landscapes that range from small plein air studies to larger studio paintings. The purposely quick, direct studies capture a scene’s essential light, color, and form on-site, while the studio paintings build upon and expand the information provided by these studies—sometimes combining multiple studies into a single composition.

This evolution is evident in Diebboll’s studio painting Tree Figures. The initial study is simplified, distilling the scene down to its essential elements. The studio version develops into a more complex horizontal composition with added defined trees. Here, the color is finely tuned to depict a specific quality of light, and the tonal range helps define dimension and depth, unifying the painting. Diebboll’s eye for shape and subtle spatial relationships is firmly realized. The space is flattened to emphasize the picture plane; however, depth is carefully manipulated to allow air and movement throughout the painting. Diebboll has stated that her process involves a direct response to what is happening on the canvas, which is plainly evident in the layered adjustments that give Tree Figures its energy and accentuate the artist’s hand.

Diebboll, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, worked in abstraction for years before eventually shifting her focus to landscape. For her, direct observation enhances the painting process, creating what she describes as a “personal language” of color and spatial relationships. Though representational, her work is driven by formal concerns—exploring how color, shape, and the picture plane interact to create rhythm, weight, and atmosphere

Buster Levi Gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 12–5 pm

Artist Website: Lisa Diebboll