Studio Visit: Lisa Schulte's Nights of Neon

[From Veronica Beard Blog, Photos by Erik Melvin]I want it all. Over the years, this phrase has become somewhat of a brand motto, but it's about way more than wanting to shop. It's about wanting it all out of life, which for us means following your passions and surrounding yourself with all of the things that inspire you.We’ve been longtime fans of Voltz Clarke Gallery artist Lisa Schulte's striking work and were excited to tap her to create custom “I Want It All” neon signs for our Madison Avenue, SoHo and Melrose Place stores.  Lisa, also known as the “Queen of Neon,” has been working with neon for the last 32 years. The Los Angeles-based artist also owns the space Nights of Neon, a creative hub and showroom that specializes in custom neon pieces and serves a studio space to work on her sculptures.We jumped at the opportunity to visit her at Nights of Neon to take a closer look at her work and discover what drives her.  What do you love the most about what you do?Many things. Getting to be creative every day, being totally committed, showing up to the studio almost every day and my passion for my art.  What do you love about working with neon?Bending and shaping light is a very powerful thing. Taking a line and making something out of it – the light and space I can create, all of the colors I can use. It’s so many things.Where do you look for inspiration?Dreams, my unconscious, museums, gallery shows and people.  Favorite art destinations in LA:LACMA, Hauser & Wirth Gallery, the Broad, Getty Museum, and MOCA – all the usual suspects.If you could have dinner with five artists, who would they be and why?James Turrell, he is the master of creating light and space installations. Tracy Emin, for her neon text and her confessional artwork. Yayoi Kusama, for her sculptures and her use of bold colors and the worlds she can create. Robert Irwin, for his ability to create sensory and temporal experiences. And Georgia O’Keeffe. I would like her to be our host for our dinner party in her magnificent casa in New Mexico!  Describe your aesthetic in three words:Imagine, Create, Perform