Lisa Faulkenberry is a Western artist with a primary focus on horses. Deeply inspired by the awe-inspiring beauty of nature and the enduring spirit of animals, her work captures both the strength and the soul of the Western lifestyle. Her creative journey is rooted in a passion for exploration, learning, and storytelling through expressive art.
Originally from New York, Lisa grew up surrounded by the peaceful landscapes of the East Coast countryside, where her love for animals—especially horses—and the natural world began. For the past 37 years, she has made her home in Bakersfield, California. She and her husband have spent the last two decades living on a small horse ranch nestled in the foothills, surrounded by beckoning mountains, golden grasslands, and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets. These surroundings now serve as daily inspiration for her work.
Lisa blends realism and abstraction with expressive energy, using bold brushwork, layered texture, and an intuitive sense of composition. Her subjects—horses, cattle, landscapes, barns, cowboys, and cowgirls—are painted with vitality and reverence, reflecting her deep emotional connection to the Western way of life. She works primarily in acrylic and mixed media while continuing to explore the immediacy and richness of alla prima oil painting.
Her current series, Women With Horses, honors the powerful bond between women and horses—a relationship grounded in trust, intuition, and shared strength.
🌿 A Deeper Dive
Lisa Faulkenberry’s work is a heartfelt expression of a life lived close to nature, animals, and the healing power of the natural world. With a primary focus on horses, she captures not only their physical beauty but also the soulful connection between humans and these majestic animals. Her artistic journey is one of resilience, transformation, and deep personal healing.
“I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t creating in some form or another.” ~ Lisa Faulkenberry
A lifelong creative, Lisa has always found meaning through making. From her early woodworking business, Lisa’s Pieces, to years spent restoring and repurposing furniture, to dabbling in photography—creativity has always been her compass. But it was profound personal loss that ultimately brought her back to the canvas.
In 2015, following the passing of her mother, Lisa—an only child—fell into deep and consuming grief. She took a leave from work, struggling to navigate life without the grounding presence of her mother. During that time, it was her horses—especially a special cow horse named Stormy—who became a quiet, steady source of comfort and strength.
Stormy eventually coaxed Lisa back into the saddle and into the show arena, reigniting a sense of joy and purpose. The pair traveled and competed together, forming an even deeper bond. But when Stormy was later diagnosed with Cushing’s disease, Lisa made the tender decision to retire her to a life of peaceful trail riding. Once again, she felt untethered.
Then, while sorting through her mother’s belongings, she came across her mother’s old art supplies. Something stirred. What began as a gentle exploration soon became a vital form of expression. Painting became her new voice—a way to process grief, reconnect with her roots, and share the stories that lived in her heart. It was one last, unexpected gift from her mother.
Her current series, Women With Horses, is a tribute to the deep, intuitive connection between women and their equine partners—a relationship woven with trust, empathy, and mutual strength. Through her brushwork, Lisa invites viewers into quiet moments of grace, healing, and kinship.
