Here’s the finished painting

The final Psychopomp 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

Final drawing of the spirit Kuei

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.

I slowly build up the detail

The closer I am to finishing, the less water I use

Now to finish up the textures with a dry brush

And here’s the finished piece:

~ Lisa

The end of winter is not too far away and Lisa is celebrating the coming of spring with another spectacular giveaway. Until April 15th, you can enter to win a FREE signed copy of the Premier Edition of the beautifully illustrated Fantastical Creatures Tarot. There are three ways to win – you can follow and re-tweet LisaHuntArt on Twitter — “RT and follow @LisaHuntArt to win a signed copy of the Fantastical Creatures Tarot http://bit.ly/x6jCj”, mention and link to this blog entry on Facebook, and/or purchase something from the Lisa Hunt Art website.

Each method counts as a separate entry. The winner will be randomly chosen from the entries. Thank you for your participation and good luck!

~ Lisa

Where I grew up (1971)

Lions, tigers and bears oh my! The mysterious forest is full of unknowns and teeming with mysterious life.  As a symbol of the unconscious, it is a place inhabited by wild things, often obscured by the shadows of tree branches and layered with the remnants of seasons gone by. When we walk into a forest, we step into a world full of adventure and trepidation. We leave the comfort of paths familiar and cross the threshold into a realm  full of challenges and unpredictability. Who knows what monsters lie in wait and who knows where the wayward path will lead. Myths and fairy tales often use the woods as a stage for the evolving protagonist. The character leaves the safety of home and wanders into the realm of the psyche, where growth is inevitable.

Drawing from the 80's

When I was in high school, I often sketched the forest using the wells of my imagination as reference. These forests were alive with spirits and elusive beings, there to provide me with messages. They dwelled  in a place that offered  temporary refuge from the province of a chaotic reality . I loved exploring the twisting tree limbs and fortifying roots that helped me to feel grounded in a world of teenage confusion.  I was wandering into the path of the unknown and these fantasy tree drawings helped me to manifest the deep-seated worries I was experiencing as I approached adulthood.

Pencil drawing done in my teenage years

My Mom as the Hermit (Fantastical Creatures Tarot)

Lisa as a teenager

Lisa in the snowy woods of northern New England, 1990s

Fairy tales often employ these settings as metaphors of the shadow. They are the wild, untamed symbols of our own inner landscapes, where creative thinking and intrinsic energies reside and beg to be released. It is here where we meet frog princes, wise old men, a golden goose, a ravenous wolf, imposing giants, spirit messengers and all manner of creatures that help us shed the constraints of a rational mind. It is here where we let go and become more self-aware. It is under the dappling light that we recognize our full potentials and find our way through the tangle of brush.  Through the darkness of paths unknown, we have the possibility of seeing the light.

Forest images from The Fairy Tale Tarot

Here is a neat “forest” video from friend and fellow artist Carisa Swenson:

The Forest

~ Lisa

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I’m offering some amazing deals in recognition of “Black Friday”.
They are:

1. Half-off original paintings!
2. Custom drawings
3. Buy 1 get 1 FREE prints
4. Buy Animals Divine and The Fairy Tale Tarot & get a FREE copy Celestial Goddesses
5. Buy Celestial Goddesses and get a FREE print

Check out the specials here: http://lisahuntart.com/blackfriday.html

Offer good until December 7, 2009, so don’t delay!
______________

Don’t forget to sign up for the Celtic Dragon Anniversary print giveaway!
http://is.gd/4Lf4x

In honor of this anniversary I’m having another giveaway. Either leave a comment below or  Follow and “tweet” the following message on twitter.com: “Win a signed 2′x3′ poster of the ‘Queen of Swords’ for the Celtic Dragon Tarot’s 10th Anniv! Follow Lisa & RT. http://is.gd/4Lf4x” Entries will be tallied at the end of the month and the winner randomly drawn from them. Commenting here AND on twitter gives you 2 entries, but no further submissions will not be counted. I will gladly ship anywhere around the world.

Also this month, we’re having a sale on a limited edition Celtic Dragon Tarot Kit. Included is:

• a signed American release of this legendary  kit (deck & book)
• a signed, archival  print (choice of the Moon, King of Wands, the Hermit, the Magician & the Lovers)
• a unique dragon sketch by me, Lisa, done just for this special offer on an individual basis
• a Celtic Dragon greeting card

There are just 15 of these kits available and they’ll be at the low price of $60 (a $95 value) only until January 1st (S&H is FREE in the continental US). I’ll have a paypal link on the Purchase page of my website soon, or you can message/email me to reserve a copy.

CONTEST CLOSED-The winner will soon be announced. Thanks everyone for your participation!

We’d like to take this opportunity to announce that a redesigned LisaHuntArt.com site is in progress including a whole new look and easy to navigate features. On the Purchasing page you will find some exclusive offers including signed prints and Fairy Tale Tarot kits. We will keep you posted as we add more goodies in the weeks ahead. Be sure to check them out!

~Lisa

Thanks!

click to visit the older journal entries