Groovy Cats Art
Small Town Charm Fuels Creativity
Creativity often grows in small communities, where inspiration comes from the people around you and the landscapes just outside your door. For Greater Napanee artist Lisa Ray Koenig, the region’s slower pace and welcoming arts scene helped turn a casual hobby into a growing creative career.
Written by Kodie Trahan-Guay
Read time: 2 min
Lisa Ray Koenig is the artist behind Groovy Cats Art, based out of Greater Napanee. She previously enjoyed taking paint pouring classes, but it was the 2020 lockdown that caused her to slow down and think about art on a more serious level. Working primarily from home freed up the time to really delve into her art and develop the mid-century modern style that has become her signature.
In the last 6 years, Koenig has made some serious career achievements, including having her artwork featured on cans for Daft Brewery, appearing in Canvas Rubble and Bold Journey magazines and participating in juried entry art shows. Her work can be seen at the Waterfront River Pub & Terrace and Ellena’s Cafe & Pantry in Napanee.
Groovy Cats Art is named in part after the three cats Koenig owned when she started. A self-described cat person, cats are featured heavily in her work and give it a cozy, inviting feel. She now incorporates her cat Felix into every painting, inviting viewers to play “Find Felix” as they explore the artwork. Her husband loves the game and checks to make sure Felix hasn’t been forgotten.
“Forget where’s Waldo? Bring on Find Felix, because it really draws people in, not only taking more time looking at my art, but it becomes a game,” said Koenig.
Napanee has had a big influence on Koenig’s creativity. She finds the region calming and inspiring, particularly the natural landscape. Just as important is the artistic community. Koenig describes a supportive network of local artists who show up for one another, offer advice and celebrate each other’s work. To her, Napanee has a small town charm that is so different from the fast pace of larger cities.
“In a smaller community, you really feel the support,” said Koenig. “There are a lot of cheerleaders around you in a way that you may not experience in larger communities. Napanee is incredible—not just for its location, but for the people and the sense of community.”
Koenig runs quarterly painting workshops at Ellena’s Cafe & Pantry in downtown Napanee. These guided paint nights encourage creativity without pressure. She teaches people that they don’t need expensive things in order to create by using tools like spatulas, playing cards, or scrub brushes. Koenig just wants people to have fun. To her, art is about having fun in the moment of creation. She loves to get people hooked on art and is hoping to expand her workshops in the near future.
Moving to Napanee has been transformational for Koenig as an artist, giving her the chance to find a place for herself. “It has given me the opportunity to show my work and to be a part of the community through my artwork. It’s a small town charm, and that’s what I keep coming back to. There’s no place like it.”
Koenig recently received the Greater Napanee Municipal Arts and Culture Award for Excellence in Fine Arts and is also a Best of the Bay winner for Best Local Artisan.
