Lily Casciaro Dircksen is a figurative oil painter based out of Santa Cruz, CA. She is originally from Stockton, CA, where she attended art classes at San Joaquin Delta College with a focus on figure drawing, still lifes, and portraits from life. She worked as an electron microscopist in San Jose until the birth of her daughter, and has since gotten back into making art. She has exhibited her work at local galleries including the Santa Cruz Art League, where she is a member and attends art critiques and volunteers.

She uses a variety of drawing and painting materials, but in recent years often paints in oil using photos taken by herself and her husband for reference. She is inspired by the Santa Cruz landscape, day-to-day moments, and love for her husband and daughter. She paints in loose, expressive brushstrokes with soft edges on repurposed panels and canvases. Her method of painting is very intuitive — working quickly, before the mind has a chance to take over.