Dynamic Dreamer ~ Art Weaver

Posted By lisahuntart on August 30, 2010

Here’s the second drawing in what is becoming a series of time-lapse photography experiments. Drawing Battlefield Ghosts was 25% preplanned, 75% spontaneous creative outpouring. As I worked on this drawing, I kept a loose hand for much of the time, allowing the channel from mind to hand to flow unheeded.

While working on this, I wrote down all kinds of words (as you can see on the paper hand rest in the video) that flooded my mind. Here is a list of the unedited stream of consciousness I jotted down between pencil strokes. These are unedited and reflect what I was feeling at the moment and not how I necessarily feel all of the time.

To be courageous in art, one should not censor the psyche

Don’t be afraid to expose the unseen

Art is part logic, part insanity

Some art requires courage to execute

Art reveals pain

Art speaks without verbalizing

Art is the unadorned soul

Art is menacing

Art reveals that which is not obvious

Art exposes the ineffable

It’s courageous to draw that which you fear

Art can be ugly

Art is 2% creativity, 98% intuitive impulse

Courage + Art= Penetrating

***
Thank you for watching.
~Lisa

Category: Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, Time Lapse, tarot | 1 Comment »
Tags: animation, artwork, Battlefield Ghosts, courage, creativity, drawing, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, inspiration, Lisa Hunt, sketching, spirit, studio, time lapse photography

Posted By pussinboots on August 23, 2010

Close to 2000 photos were taken to help seamlessly capture my watercolor painting process. The final Psychopomp image took two days to paint from start to finish. Once I get into a painting zone, it’s hard to stop!

Here’s the finished painting

The final outcome of a painting is always a mystery. But that’s what makes the whole process continually fresh and exciting, even after so many years of tireless creative exploration.

~Lisa

Category: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
Tags: artwork, creativity, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, painting, psychopomp, watercolors

Posted By lisahuntart on August 18, 2010

In the last few months, many friends and fans have suggested that I somehow capture the creative process on film, so to speak. Though I feel confident drawing and painting in front of others, I have never sketched in the presence of a camera-on-tripod before. I used a remote feature that enabled me to snap a photo in increments (when I remembered to do so!). I shot a total of 160 photos, imported them into iMovie and brought the sequence together in an almost-stop motion fashion. It was a fun experiment with a rather big learning curve.

I hope my demonstration helps to shed light on my process. These days, I do not over-plan an image. During my early years when I was an insecure artist just learning my craft I would plan out every facet and detail. But these days I know my voice and feel rather confident as a technician (though, one can never stop learning!). I draw from heart and soul and just let the art take over.  With that said, I do some anatomical studies (I am a self-proclaimed anatomy geek) and sometimes will draft a good drawing on tracing paper to trace down. But the majority of the art is done with a spontaneous vigor that allows sequences from within the depths of my psyche to help determine an image’s outcome. It is raw creativity that channels through my being without interference and it is the perfect method to employ while working on a project like Ghosts and Spirits Tarot! I’ve opened the chambers of my mind wide open and am enjoying meeting all the spirits milling about there.

~Lisa

Category: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Tags: art demo, creativity, drawing, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, iMovie, Lisa Hunt, psychopomp, sketching, studio, work

Posted By pussinboots on August 13, 2010

In a recent Facebook post of my pencil rendition of Shellycoat, several FB friends suggested I do a time lapse of the art progress; a sort of artist-at-work video. Having been a former art teacher who had engaged in demos routinely, I like the idea of sharing my process in this suggested format. I will definitely be looking into it. I’ll see if I can employ the talents of my husband as head camera man while I paint. haha. Stay tuned!

Meanwhile, I did manage to document my painting of the spirit Kuei via multiple scan passes between paint washes. It wasn’t easy as I’m the type of painter who has a hard time stopping midstream once I get going. But somehow, I managed to pace myself in a manner that allowed me to let the image dry between scans.

You can see that I always start with a solid drawing of the figure before letting it morph through the painting process. Having worked with watercolor for 25 years, I paint fairly quickly now, but I never shy away from experimenting and/or taking risks. It’s all part of the fun and it’s what hopefully helps to keep my work fresh.

And here’s the finished piece:

~ Lisa

Category: Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, tarot | No Comments »
Tags: artwork, creativity, drawing, Kuei, painting, spirit, watercolors

Posted By lisahuntart on August 6, 2010

As the summer vacation winds down, so will Connor’s long drawing sessions in the studio. I don’t teach Connor how to draw–he just sits at his desk and lets bustling creative ideas flood onto paper. He is insatiable with paper and pencil. Once in a blue moon he’ll ask me a question such as “Mom, how do you draw a woman (cyborg influence, of course)?” or “Mom, how do you show a spaceship from the underside as it stretches into a blackhole?”. I don’t know how much help I can be aside from an impromptu perspective and/or anatomy lesson. But he does ask me my opinion with each passing drawing.

Given that I don’t draw or even think like Connor, pretty much everything he sketches seems complicated to me. As an artist, I don’t tackle subject matter that entails the contemplation of blasters, the cockpit, the shields, the exhaust system etc….as much as I love sci-fi movies et al, I don’t draw with a mechanical perspicacity the way Connor does. It’s fun to see him flourish in ways that are alien to me, literally.

And what does Connor want to be when he grows up?

“I want to be a robotic engineer, a graphic novelist and be the next George Lucas”. I wonder if there is a way for him to bundle his interests up into one creative vocation. If anyone knows, please tell me how I can steer Connor in the right direction.  For now, all I can offer him is my enthusiasm and support, something that he offers me in return and together, the energy in the studio is off the charts.

Stay tuned! ~Lisa

Category: Family, Life Lessons | 1 Comment »
Tags: artwork, conceptual drawings, creativity, drawing, dreams, drive, inspiration, sketching, studio

Posted By lisahuntart on August 2, 2010

I have always loved going to museums and am lucky enough to live in an area where there is plenty to see. This past Spring we treated ourselves to an M.C. Escher show at the Boca Museum of Art. A few hours through the labyrinth of amazingness resulted in a season full of creative inspiration. There is something so penetrating about seeing art in person. In my opinion, the visual sensation of viewing originals has yet to be captured in print or virtual media. In my own home, I myself am not a huge fan of prints. I prefer to hang actual drawings and paintings when possible (though I have some treasured signed prints from friends, of course). Perhaps it’s the experience of interacting with art face to face. I think original artwork has its own energy, imprints of the artist’s soulful touch that exudes from an aura of magical energy. Anyone who has seen original artwork in a museum and/or gallery knows what I’m talking about. That is why these institutions remain timeless in a world constantly in flux. A virtual tour of a museum cannot touch the experience of being there.

This past weekend, we went to see a wonderful exhibit at Norton Museum of Art in Palm Beach called “Dinotopia: The Fantastical Art of James Gurney”. I first saw and actually met the artist back in the 80s at a Boskone sci-fi/fantasy convention (my first!). He was exhibiting his first Dinotopia paintings (I don’t think he had sold the book at that juncture). As an eager art student barely in my 20s, I remember feeling my jaw literally drop when I first eyed his elaborately detailed scenes. He stole the show–a modern day N.C Wyeth;  an incredibly gifted artist who was barely in his 30s at the time. I was mesmerized and knew that this was a master on the threshold of worldwide fame. I think everyone sensed this about James Gurney and everyone was right!

Zoom forward to 2010–my second encounter was no less dazzling and in fact I felt a deeper sense of awe as I tried to digest all the detail-packed paintings that comprised the Dinotopia series. The show was one of the best I’ve ever seen. The ability to look at the rich colors and detail in person was transforming. For a little while, my family and I felt like we were walking through Dinotopia and it was an exhilarating place to be.

After spending hours through the Dinotopia wing, we did go through the rest of the museum. For some reason, while we were perusing the George and Valerie Delacort Gallery I felt compelled to whip out my pocket-sized sketchbook to doodle eyes from works of the masters. I was looking into my own eyes as I studied the nuance that swept through these important windows to the soul. I quickly sketched little studies with pen. The process helped me to connect with the image in a deep way–it was as though the people portrayed in the paintings were communicating with me. In between, I wrote down quotes that the museum has tastefully displayed between exhibits. One of my favorite quotes was: “Art seems to me to be above all a state of the soul.”~Marc Chagall

~ Lisa

Category: Family, Out and About | 1 Comment »
Tags: art museum, artwork, Boca Museum of Art, Boskone, creativity, Dinotopia, drawing, inspiration, James Gurney, M.C. Escher, Norton Museum of Art, sketching, transform

Posted By lisahuntart on July 30, 2010

This past week I worked on a few pieces that served to contrast the hot and humid weather conditions of a typical Florida summer. I truly believe that art is a visceral exercise. I know for myself that I live vicariously through my pieces, so drawing up cool waves and frosty trees (in progress) seemed like the perfect way to keep cool.

Here is another painting for Ghosts & Spirits Tarot. This is a water spirit who is a shapeshifting seducer. He offers a cool drink and a splash in the refreshing water. It felt great to paint this. Here’s an abbreviated journey through the painting process.

Some of my fans, friends and colleagues have expressed interest in me doing an art instruction book. Having been an art college teacher for several years (before settling into full time studio life), I’ve toyed around with the idea. It wasn’t until a recent lunch date with my old college buddy Pam (who is a charismatic high school art teacher) that I realized how exciting a project like this could be.  So after our riveting chat, I am giving the idea some serious consideration. I’ve always loved to teach–I love sharing my techniques and enthusiasm for the drawing and painting process with others. I hope this has been obvious on my blog, facebook and twitter pages. Creating a helpful art book is shaping up to be my next venture. What do you think?

*** In other news ***

Here’s Kyra painting animals. Recently, Kyra sent a picture to one of her favorite artists, Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. Much to her delight, Stephanie posted her “Stephanie with Elephant” picture in her recent SF Zoo blog post.  This, of course, is a big deal to an aspiring 6 year old artist. Hmmm, I wonder how much this kind of validation from a professional artist can affect a young child–I suspect Kyra will be painting pictures for a long time. Thank you, Stephanie. It meant the world to Kyra.

~Lisa

Category: Announcements, Family, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, Life Lessons, giveaway, show, tarot | 5 Comments »
Tags: artwork, creativity, dolpin, drawing, inspiration, Lisa Hunt, painting, shapeshifter, teaching, watercolor

Posted By lisahuntart on July 16, 2010

As many of you may know, I’ve been spending the last few years focusing on ghosts and other beings from the spirit world. It has been an eye opening project, literally, as I dig ever deeper into the mysterious realm of shadows and paranormal phenomena. This project chronicles me as an artist totally letting go– with fearless intent and curious examination. It embraces the idea of the automatic function as part of the creative repertoire. There is some pre-planning, but many of the paintings have been directed by the raw energy of the unfettered psyche. It is unbelievably liberating and reflects the essence of my creative energy.

I just finished the manuscript along with a gallery of images. I have about 25 paintings left to do, having relegated some of the most challenging pieces until the time felt right. I honestly believe you cannot force art, it must surface when it’s ready. This is how I’ve executed this body of work. The ghosts and spirits summon me to paint when they are good and ready to manifest onto the paper.

Here’s an example of a piece that took on a life of its own. The colors, the roots, the details were primarily improvised as I went. During these more spontaneous sessions, hidden creatures make themselves known by peeping through bark, trees, rocks, skies and wherever they choose to appear.

Another milestone has been the completion of 46 custom soul drawing orders. I began offering them during the 2009 holiday season, and they took off from there. I didn’t expect such an outpouring of enthusiasm (and orders!). I finally had to shut down the custom drawing shop for the summer so that I could focus on completing Ghosts & Spirits Tarot. I loved creating these works and the recipients of the drawings were gracious, grateful and downright sweet. I felt I formed an actual bond with many of my custom drawing customers (many who are now friends on facebook and people I have frequent exchanges with) — as they were extensions of the soul based on keywords that they provided for me. These drawings helped me to grow as an artist in many unexpected ways and helped me connect with those who appreciate my work. Symbiosis at its best!

Thank you to everyone who ordered a drawing from me. I plan to reopen the shop for pre-holiday orders in October.

Other things coming up:
- Late summer Newsletter containing special offers and a giveaway
- Revamped website store
- Possible Etsy shop
- And a Ghosts & Spirits Tarot website!

Oh, and for those of you who have been wondering, the piano playing is going great. I’m working on Meditation for Thais by Massenet. I’ve learned the piece, now to fine tune and bring it to mellifluous perfection. I may post a video on youtube of my playing when I feel ready to “perform”.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!

~ Lisa

Category: Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, Life Lessons, tarot | 3 Comments »
Tags: Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, inspiration, milestone, tarot, work

Posted By lisahuntart on June 21, 2010

When is the last time you heard a song that transported you back to a book you were reading, or a romance you were experiencing or a painting that you were working on? For me, music awakens the senses in ways that deliver immediate imagery.  I have always drawn and painted to music. I can almost document my art and projects using my CDs as reference points. For example, I remember painting early college works to the music of the Moody Blues– brush strokes flowing with Justin Hayward’s smooth vocals. I can remember sketching dancing goddesses to Celtic music in between the pop sounds of Liz Phair, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan etc.. And like many artists who love sci-fi and fantasy, I had my “Holst: The Planets” period… and who didn’t gorge on Enya for a while?

Music has accompanied me through many projects along the way. Every time I hear Debussy I think back on the glorious time I had painting my Celestial Goddesses book—the music from the man who was tied to 19th century impressionism coincided nicely with the flowing images that comprised that particular body of work.  Mozart’s Concertos accompanied me through a challenging Master of Arts program—yes, I did listen to Chopin, Ravel and Mozart during grad studies and The Animals Divine Tarot. I give those great composers credit for making my brain work overtime! I don’t know if Mozart makes a person smarter, but it certainly made me more efficient.

I have to admit that Rock & Roll, the Blues, Soul, and Folk  were always interspersed between my rendezvous with classical. I love a good guitar lick as much as the next gal and I even had a soundtrack phase while working in production. But lately I’m back to standard classical. For me, working on ghosts has coincided with my deep reverence for music that has stood the test of time and carried me through different chapters of my life. Right now, my Pandora.com (online music) selections include Scriabin, Faure, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Grieg, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and more. The romantic period (1825-1900) is particularly emotional and moody with elements of the supernatural revealing itself between measures. This period is packed with magical renderings of art and music alike. And such a raw exposition of the human condition is sure to inspire intrepid artists like myself. I can feel the ghosts and spirits transferring themselves from music to paintbrush.

Many of the paintings I’ve worked on for Ghosts & Spirits include themes that are tied to music in one form or another including the ballet “Giselle”, Undine, woodland spirits, the Undead, journeys to the underworld and what about Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman? It wasn’t hard to come up with ideas for this project–the spirits have been with me all along through their participation in music!

And the more I listen to the great composers the more I think about art. To me, art and music are close cousins. This has certainly been reinforced to me through my friendship with my daughter’s music teacher, Sivabruntha (she plays a mean rendition of La Danse Macabre!). Over the last year, we’ve talked about our respective art forms, and have both discovered that the two disciplines are more aligned than one might initially think. Art and Music both entail practice, discipline, and soulful expression. It’s not enough just to be a good technician, one must invest soul in the delivery in order to make it come alive in a unique way. So much about music has been inspired by literature and art and so much of literature and art has been inspired by music.

One feeds the other.. Just think of Böcklin’s painting Isle of the Dead, which subsequently inspired Rachmaninov’s masterpiece circa 1908 of the same title. Not only do the music lessons nurture my daughter (who takes back to back violin/piano), they have awakened my own passion for studying and playing music again.

And though I regret tossing sonatinas aside in a fit of adolescent rock & roll rebellion–  I never forgot about them, nor did I ever really stop playing or learning. So as I move towards the final creative stages of Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, I’m beginning my piano journey anew, almost 30 years later! It is now my goal to try and practice an hour or two a day (usually at night after all else is done–it’s my dessert hour!). How am I benefiting from this addition to an already hectic schedule? I’m feeling more connected with my internal visual insights–it’s like setting the stage for the next day’s creative outpouring and it’s certainly calming and satisfying to the soul. It is also opening the channels for further ghost and spirits exploration. When I’m playing music, I can feel these ethereal beings dancing through my mind!

First pieces on the learning block: Chopin Nocturne op 9 no 2 (okay, I’ve been playing this one on and off for years, but it’s time to polish it to perfection), and Massenet’s Meditation from Thais for solo piano (thank you for suggesting this one, Sivabruntha!), one of my favorites. I hope to finish up Ghosts & Spirits and master those piano pieces by the end of summer–one discipline feeding another, right? And in the process, I’m forging wonderful musical memories from a particularly enlightening period of my life.
Do you think I can do it? Stay tuned.

To see a short video on Facebook of Kyra playing at her recital, CLICK HERE.

~Lisa

Category: Family, Life Lessons | 3 Comments »
Tags: art, artwork, ghosts, Ghosts & Spirits Tarot, giselle, inspiration, music, piano, romantic period, rübezahl, spirit, Undine

Posted By lisahuntart on May 29, 2010

2010 is nearly halfway over. Can you believe it? I can’t! It recently dawned on me that I did my first tarot painting 15 years ago. So much has happened since. I’ve grown from a young idealist to a middle-aged idealist. My life has changed, my art has changed, but the basic core of who I am has never been compromised. I am still exploring tarot, art, mythology, psychology and all the other wonderful, juicy stuff that makes life so interesting to me. It has been a wonderful ride and I feel grateful to still be at it! Here are some photos of tarot/publishing days past. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did finding them again!

It has been a wonderful journey so far. I can honestly say that I feel a deep sense of gratitude for my life. Yes, I did make things happen, but I also feel I’m a blessed person to be able to live my passion and know who I am. Who knows what will be? But for now, I’m perfectly content with the here and now. But sometimes it’s good to reflect back and take pause. I don’t take anything for granted!

~ Lisa

Category: Celtic Dragon Tarot, Family, Life Lessons, The Fairy Tale Tarot, Uncategorized, show, tarot | 3 Comments »
Tags: Animals Divine Tarot, black belt, book signing, Celestial Goddesses, Celtic Dragon Tarot, drawing, dreams, Fairy Tale, fool, inspiration, journey, Lisa Hunt, Llewellyn, press sheets, studio, The Fairy Tale Tarot, transform, US Games, work