Meet Lis Rafailedes | Artist & Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lis Rafailedes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lis, why did you pursue a creative career?
I think I have always been restless in my careers. When I started college I pursued a Culinary Degree. I wanted to do something artistic, but didn’t have the money or resources at the time to attend art school. I found a college in Florida that let me in on a scholarship. While pursuing a degree Culinary Arts, I worked various part time jobs that allowed me to be creative. After Culinary School, I continued towards a Bachelors Degree in Business. Throughout various career shifts and volunteering, I found that creative problem solving and using my artistic ability in work settings always brought me happiness and gave the job more purpose.

After I had my daughter in 2017, I decided life was too short to settle for a job in a field my heart wasn’t 100 percent into. If I was going to be spending long hours away from my daughter, I wanted to have a career that was fulfilling. I began making changes to focus my work around painting and design-two things (besides my family) that bring me the greatest joy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Most of my art is centered around color theory. I like to utilize colors that invoke positive emotions and reactions for the viewer. I incorporate a lot of tropical flower silhouettes native to Florida where I grew up, and merge them with floral silhouettes from the Pacific Northwest. When I was a kid some of my happiest memories were hiding in the garden at my grandparent’s house. They had all kinds of beautiful tropical plants in their yard. My sister and I would make forts and spend hours playing in the garden making memories. After I moved to the Pacific Northwest I created more joyful memories taking my daughter on hikes and watching her explore nature around her. I like to merge these two parts of life in my textile design and paintings. I work a variety of projects-mostly murals- with some commissioned paintings, gallery pieces, and textile designs peppered in.

One of my favorite projects, to date, was in February 2022. I created some whimsical interior murals for Bellwether Housing, a non-profit out here in Seattle. Bellwether Housing creates stable communities and access to opportunity through affordable housing. They also develop and manage homes for people with limited incomes near job centers, transit, and services. I was creating some interior office murals to brighten up their new work space. It made me happy to create some colorful art for people in our community who are doing such important work. That’s a project I am most proud of!

You asked how I got to where I am today professionally…I would have to say I’m still trying to get there! It hasn’t been an easy process. It’s been hours of work and dedication. It’s easy to look at other artists and think “wow, they are so successful, they are working on so many projects!” When we observe these things on social media, what we don’t see is the back story. In order to be successful- you put yourself through a constant carousel of applying for new opportunities and getting rejected for projects. I’ve never had a career before where I have to leave myself pretty vulnerable. I have definitely developed a tougher skin than when I originally started, and for that I am thankful. I would also say that anytime I am selected for a project or a contract goes through with a new client, I am incredibly grateful! There is a thrill that comes with that and I hope that thrill never goes away for me.

I think the biggest lesson I have learned to date (and am still working on!) is balance. I am learning to balance the constant work load of applying for projects (while working on current ones!) and trying to be present and involved for my daughter. It’s very important to me that she sees I am a woman and mom who is chasing my dreams and working at something that I am passionate about. Despite all that, I want to model being completely present with her. That means putting the phone, tablet, computer down and spending time with her-distraction free.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would say first day, we would explore Ballard. I would take them to Ballard Coffee Works in the morning, then while we sip our coffees, we would check out some of the great shops. Definitely Annie’s Art and Frame to check out some local artists and eclectic gifts, then Gold Dogs after to glimpse their giant wall of cowboy boots.

For lunch we would grab some sandwiches from Un Bien to go, and eat them while hanging at Golden Gardens. Sometimes in the summer there is a live band playing on the boardwalk there. Dinner would be a late one at Sam’s Sushi Bar and Grill in Ballard, followed by some pool and darts at The Old Pequliar. We’d end the night with a Slooper sized beer at Sloop Tavern. There are always some cool artists hanging out there, and the music selection is vast, but always spot on.

Another day would be an exploration of Capitol Hill. I would take them to Volunteer Park conservatory. In the summer this is one of my favorite spots to people watch and sketch. The Seattle Dahlia Society puts careful time and effort into their Dahlia Garden there. If it’s a bit cold, you can dart into the Conservatory and admire their cactus and succulent collection. After that, we would walk up the steps of the Volunteer Park Tower and glimpse a cool view of the city. I love to walk in the city and explore, so we would probably walk from Volunteer Park up to 15th to grab lunch at Bakery Nouveau. Their pizza slices and chocolate croissants are my favorite. Dinner/ Happy Hour at Bait Shop. Probably walk down Broadway and do some more exploring, then ending the night for some dancing at The Unicorn.

Sandwiched in between exploring my favorite neighborhoods would be some hiking. Snoquera Falls, Maple Pass, and Twin Falls are some of my favorite hikes in Washington.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Yes-Love this! I would like to give my shoutout to a non-profit out here in Seattle, Urban ArtWorks.

I had been studying design and teaching myself Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate in the evenings after my daughter was in bed. Even though I didn’t have a ton of confidence in my design skills, I would post little pieces that I would make through some of those design courses on my Instagram account.

In 2020, a project manager from Urban ArtWorks reached out after finding some of my work on Instagram. Under the guidance of Paul Nunn (current Project Manager), Derek Wu (talented artist who I met through my first large scale mural project with Urban ArtWorks), and our Executive Director, Amanda Hashagen, I found the mentorship and art community that I didn’t know I had been missing. I am so grateful for their guidance and encouragement throughout the last several years.

Website: LisRafailedes.com

Instagram: Lis.Rafail