Art Show "Rediscovering" by Lisa Sachs and Thomas Hoerber
Reception: Sat., April 11th, 5 - 7 PM
Lisa Sachs
Lisa's Story
Lisa Sachs’ creative path has come full circle. She began in the painting program at the Rhode Island School of Design, but shifted to architecture after discovering she was drawn to problem-solving. That way of thinking stayed with her throughout her career as an architect, then as a construction project manager overseeing large capital building programs through a company she ran with her husband.
Earlier influences shaped that path. Born and raised outside Boston, Lisa spent formative years living in Paris and Geneva, where she absorbed art, language, and culture firsthand. Her adult life unfolded largely in Los Angeles before she and her husband settled in Santa Paula in 2017, moving to an avocado ranch and giving her the space to reconnect fully with her art practice.
With time, resources, and focus aligned, Lisa returned to painting, bringing with her decades of architectural thinking and hands-on building experience.
Lisa's Art
Lisa approaches art as a series of creative challenges rather than fixed rules. Problem-solving drives her process: selecting the right paper to evoke a specific sky, determining which combination of materials will best convey a mood or story.
Her mixed-media works incorporate papers, wood veneer, spray paint, pastel, digital photographs, pencil, ink washes, watercolor, acrylic, and even printmaking techniques. Influenced by French Impressionism and shaped by her time in Paris, her collages prioritize atmosphere over literal representation.
Architecture, animals, live models, and landscapes all find their way into her work. Whether starting from a life drawing, plein air study, or photographs, Lisa builds each piece through layering and design. Melding structure, color, and narrative into a cohesive, painterly image.
Thomas Hoerber
Thomas' Story
Thomas Hoeber grew up on a chicken ranch in Sylmar, where his family raised hens, tended fruit trees, and sold eggs and homemade goods to local families. Drawing was a constant for him early on, even as life at home was complicated. After serving in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968, Thomas struggled with alcohol until a turning point in 1971—after his first date with the woman who would become his wife, he quit drinking entirely, a decision that reshaped his life.
Thomas built a long career in the television and film industry, working for 45 years as a makeup artist. Introduced to the field by his brother-in-law, he found creative fulfillment in the demanding, visual nature of the work, though painting remained something he longed to pursue more fully. Film work required long hours, and art had to wait.
After years of working on productions in Oxnard and Ventura, Thomas and his wife moved to the area in 2019. Retirement finally gave him the freedom to paint every day.
Thomas' Art
Thomas works primarily in watercolor, inspired by the rugged California coastline he has loved all his life. He is drawn to the old and weathered—ships, piers, buildings—using photographs from coastal day trips as the starting point for his paintings.
Largely self-taught, Thomas reads extensively about art and has developed a process rooted in experimentation. He often paints wet-into-wet on high-grade paper and explores the space between realism and abstraction, balancing detailed structure with atmosphere—fog, sea spray, and coastal light. He paints daily and works through many pieces, often throwing some away as part of the process.
With the support of his wife of over thirty years, Thomas participates in local art shows and takes on commissions, allowing him to connect directly with viewers and expand his subject matter. For him, painting is both a meditative practice and a record of peace hard won.
View Lisa and Thomas' Architectural Art at Fox Fine Jewelry from April 9th to July 11th. Join us for their reception on April 11th.
See more of Lisa's work here.