Lisa Gilley's work is a narrative transcendence of place. She is a painter of the American West. Being originally from the Northwest, the northern landscapes of Lawren Harris, Emily Carr (both associated with the Canadian Group of Seven), and Rockwell Kent were profoundly influential, as well as many Southwest artists such as Georgia O'Keefe, Maynard Dixon, and Victor Higgins. The commonality between all those artists who inspired her work is that they, too, brought modernism to realism, giving landscapes an emotional voice.

Lisa spends much of her free time in the backcountry, hiking, fly fishing, riding horses, and gathering images for her work. Over the last decade, many of her landscapes have focused on National Parks and Monuments, wilderness areas, and lands seeking protection under different Wilderness Acts. Gilley works continuously with many wilderness, river, and salmon-protective coalitions and has been an artist in residence at the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Capitol Reef National Parks over the last several years. Her time in these National Parks solidified her desire to live and work in the Southwest.

Gilley splits her time between her farm on Marrowstone Island, Washington, and her property in Ridgway, Colorado. Lisa started her career in the advertising industry as an illustrator and creative director in Seattle. Twenty-five years ago, she left the corporate world to become an equine injury rehab therapist. During this grounding transition, she also returned to the studio and revisited painting, leading to a professional fine art career just a few years later.

Lisa Gilley's paintings are in museums and prestigious private collections around the United States, Canada, and Europe. Her paintings are in many public/corporate collections, including the Paul G. Allen Collection, Microsoft Art Collection, Four Seasons Hotels, and the National Parks Art Collection. Woodside Braseth Gallery in Seattle, Washington, represents her work.