About the Artist

Over the last decade, Lissie has emerged as one of the Northeast’s premier portrait artists, having painted numerous prestigious families and their children. With an eye for detail and a passion for capturing the beautiful nuances of her subjects, Lissie consistently delivers superior quality portraiture that exudes class, sophistication, and elegance.

Since earning her degree from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), Lissie has provided portrait painting services to dozens of valued patrons. And today, while busy in her studio, running a small art school for children and booked with various commissions, Lissie remains ready to find and realize the essence of your portrait's requirements.

History

Lissie Backus attended Choate Rosemary Hall where she discovered a natural talent in figurative work. Her extensive studies of the human form led her to create her first self portrait in oil. After entering her portrait in an International competition of High School Seniors, she had the distinct honor of winning first place and a scholarship to the Savannah College of Design.
In the summer Lissie has studied at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Parsons School of Design, The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and The Cape School of Art, where she studied portrait painting under Cedric and Jonette Egeli.

Lissie lives in Larchmont, New York, where her winter studio is located. She has a small art school where she teaches children how to paint. When it comes to teaching young children, she believes in free expression and enjoys guiding them, while allowing them to discover their own unique approach. Her summer studio is located in East Dennis, Cape Cod, where she was exposed to portrait painting as a young child. She enjoyed many trips to Provincetown as she sat for portraits by Jonette Egeli, her son Arthur Egeli, and in later years for Ingrid Egeli. The Egeli family, renowned portrait artists, intrigued her and triggered her own passion and talent to become an artist.