Annalisa Lawrence | Saltwater Woman

Annalisa Lawrence is an Australian artist known for her evocative, pared-back figurative paintings that explore human connection, inner stillness, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. Working under the name Saltwater Woman, her practice draws from a deeply personal well, shaped by extensive travel, motherhood, and a life lived close to the ocean.

Her path to the canvas was unconventional. After beginning art school in her early twenties, she spent five years working internationally across Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, and Europe. Those formative years taught her to see beyond surfaces, developing an intuitive understanding of human connection that transcends cultural boundaries. This global perspective infuses her work with emotional intelligence and authentic depth.

Her process is intuitive and layered, often beginning with gesture and memory rather than fixed ideas. Using acrylics, oil sticks, and mixed media, Annalisa builds textured surfaces that carry a sense of movement and presence. The figures she paints are often solitary or caught mid-motion - faceless forms that invite viewers to project their own experiences of freedom and release.

At its core, her practice is about honesty, about capturing the nuance of what it means to be present in a body, in a moment, in relationship with the world. Her work emerges from integrated life experience - someone who has navigated profound challenges and emerged with an unshakeable knowing that beauty and authentic expression are not luxuries but necessities.

Annalisa has been featured in exhibitions at Gallery Alchemy, Manyung Gallery, Leda Gallery, Leighton Contemporary, Artkind Byron Bay and Onwards Studio. She works closely with curators, interior designers, and stylists across Australia. Her work has appeared in Belle, Inside Out, Art Edit, and Swell Magazine, as well as online journals and YouTube channels including The Local Project, Hunting for George, and Kyal and Kara's Bay Builds. Her paintings are held in private collections throughout Australia, Europe, and the US.

She lives and works in Newcastle, NSW, with her surfer husband and son, spending part of each year traveling with her family to Indonesia - annual journeys that restore her creative spirit and deepen her connection to the waters and cultures that continue to inspire her work.

Her work resonates with collectors who are drawn to art that feels grounded, timeless, and emotionally authentic - visual reminders that choosing a beautiful life is both possible and essential.