Connor with his conceptual drawings

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.

"Robot City Ship" (Don't mind the typos!)

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

Connor at his desk while his sister admires his work

Mermaid picture by Kyra age 6

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

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.

The finished watercolor painting

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

Kyra playing the piano.

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?

Asparas & Gandharvas

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!

The Undine

Giselle

Rübezahl

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.

Arnold Böcklin's Isle of the Dead

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!

Chopin is watching!

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

Here I am with a foolish young heart (and thin figure!). This is 1995 while working on my first tarot deck: the Shapeshifter Tarot

This is the painting that determined my artistic path. The Sorceress was the sample I painted before landing my first tarot contract with Llewellyn Publications.

Here's a Shapeshifter portrait I did for 60's rock icon, Donovan. I flew to San Francisco and presented the framed painting to him in person at a 1997 Whole Life Expo (my apologies for the poor photo quality--I know I have more somewhere).

Here I am in 1998 at an Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale graduation. At the time I was working on Celtic Dragon Tarot, I was also earning a degree in Computer Animation (very new at the time). I face-mapped the Shapeshifter Tarot images on 3D runes and had them spin around in space. No one ever saw anything like that before and it earned me the top prize in my graduating class (and a subsequent job as a conceptual designer and later, college teacher).

Here's my studio. On the wall is a framed Celtic Dragon Tarot press sheet. As my biggest seller, it holds a place of honor in my workspace.

After Celtic Dragon Tarot, my book Celestial Goddesses was published. I met fabulous people along the way, including my dear friend Pam (professional singer/art educator extraordinaire). This was taken during the Spring of 2002.

I also met my future husband at the one and only Celestial Goddesses book signing. It was destiny!

During the past 15 years, I've nurtured an extraordinary friendship with the brilliant and soulful Kris Waldherr.

While I was earning my Masters Degree in Interdisplinary Studies, Animals Divine Tarot was published. It earned a COVR award the following year (2006).

After Animals Divine Tarot, there was Fantastical Creatures Tarot published by US Games. Here I am at a 2007 INATS East signing/reading. I was busy!

While working on tarot decks and books, I had kids! Here I am with my artistic son Connor in 2009.

Here's Kyra in the studio in (early 2009?). My kids love to draw too!

Here's a bookcover-in-progress I did last year.

I also had a 10 year stint as a Collectible Card Game artist, but after over 100 images I retired from the industry.

I also studied martial arts and earned my Black Belt in TKD as a means of getting healthy and feeling more balanced while in the studio. It's easy to neglect oneself when one is so consumed by one's artistic passions! (2008)

I loved writing this book!

Here's a framed press sheet of The Fairy Tale Tarot that hung at a local gallery in 2009.

Here I am at work in the studio. I use the TP for painting--just in case you were confused. (2010)

Here's what I'm working on now...

and here's what I'll be working on next.

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

This drawing is for Rose Vanden Eynden, author extraordinaire

With that said, I must keep this short and sweet, my friends. Here are some images of the Ghosts & Spirits project in progress. And of course, I’ve included a few pictures created by my afternoon studio companions, Connor (9 years) & Kyra (5 years). Sorry, as amazing as Timmy-the-Cat is, he has yet to pick up a pencil. Instead, he has mastered the art of power napping.

"Black Dog" detail of pencil drawing in progress

Paintings in various stages of progress

Kyra loves to draw animals. There is so much joy in this piece!

New York in the future. Connor's drawings tend to have technical leanings.

And while we're working our tails off, whose been sleeping in Kyra's bed?

~ Lisa

ps. The Fantastical Creatures giveaway ends soon, see my previous blog entry for detail on how to enter!

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

I have grown accustomed to working alone in my studio (thus the name “Studio Hermit”), with only the company of NPR, music, and Timmy the cat aka “Studio Buddy” being the potential distractions to an otherwise intense environment. It never dawned on me to ask my 9 year-old artistically inclined son to join me in my sanctuary of creative outpourings.

After receiving a fateful call from Connor’s writing teacher, I began to see the light. Despite Connor’s history of scholastic underachievement, his writing teacher expressed interest in Connor’s creative aptitudes and offered him the chance to have his own writing corner in her classroom. In Connor’s own words, “My teacher told me that I have permission to draw on my narrative writing papers… I like making up my own stories!”. Having long since been designated a child with “attention issues”, this veteran teacher recognized that Connor thrives when given personal space. And from Connor’s point of view, he feels he’s finally being rewarded for being a storyteller—with most of his papers reflecting fantastical exploration, dark and light and human drama. Connor is not afraid to express himself as an artist/writer, and he actually impresses all those around him with his innate ability to retrieve dynamic visions from a world that only he understands. A place that has his full obeisance and where no “attention issues” persist.

I never dismissed or tried to suppress these inclinations (though I was worried about his tendency to either get As or Fs—depending on the day), but I never thought that art/writing may actually be his calling. I know, this warrants a big “duh” from my audience given his genetic predisposition, but having experienced firsthand the stigmas and challenges associated with being an artist, I was somewhat loathe to promote his gifts. I of all people should know that if you are born an artist and/or writer, you are an artist and/or writer—and there really is no stopping the impulse for creative expression.

I have to admit, Connor reminds me so much of myself in so many ways. No one could stop me either.

Ace of Wands: The Fairy Tale Tarot

So I asked him: “Would you like to move your desk into Mommy’s studio?”. Connor must have done double flips—it was as if he had been waiting for this invitation all of his young life. And then he rapturously declared “I’ll be your apprentice and you’ll be Mommy Master!”.  In some ways he already has been, having posed for a few of my fairy tale paintings and having witnessed me at work for as long as he can remember.

Connor posing for Goldilocks. Connor at age 4 watching his tired mom paint.

We moved his desk from downstairs to my hideaway on the second floor and around the corner. It’s official — he is now a resident artist! Since the move, something has happened to Connor. He is eagerly taking drawing lessons from me (having grasped the basics of perspective with amazing acuity) and is the quietest, most concentrated studio companion an artist can have. He has embraced the studio zone.

Connor was always happiest drawing

His material is taking on a new dimension, fostered by his newly found confidence and pride with a title like “studio artist”. His work is vastly different than my own, as he gravitates to robotic design and graphic narratives—filling page after page with storytelling panels complete with blurbs, onomatopoeias and dynamic visuals. His graphic novels are somewhat crude but full of action and moral-driving raconteur. No one taught him how to do this—he just does them.

a montage of some of Connor's creations (before drawing lessons)

Connor is intent on bringing a new level of technical facility to his work and wants to make his worlds appear more real and tangible as he sees them in his own mind. He has an insatiable desire to learn and get better. He has declared more than once that it is his dream to go to art school. Is it my dream for him? No, I was hoping he would pursue engineering or medicine or anything that I perceive might be the easier “conventional” path. But then again, what does that really mean? Nothing is easy if you don’t have your heart in it. I pursued the arts because I HAD to—and weathered all kinds of challenges to remain true to myself. I think Connor should to be true to himself too.

“Listening to your dreams can provide you with the motivation needed to open yourself up to new experiences. If you track your inner voice and follow your instincts, you can prevail against the inevitable challenges that will test your spirit.” ~ From The Fairy Tale Tarot companion book, Once Upon a Time.

And what has ensued? Connor is happier. Connor is more confident. A girl in his class told him “Connor, you’re really smart” (he was all smiles when I picked him up from school after that), and he has already become more focused on homework and intent on achieving those elusive straight As. He needed this boost and now he’s on a mission. Homework must be completed before he can indulge in his creative exploits and it DOES get done because he has an art goal. Though his expository writing assignments do carry over into studio time, there is no need to completely separate academics from play. Maybe he can learn to merge the two and excel at both (the way I did later on). A mom can be hopeful. For now, I will trust my heart and nurture the artist that is my son. Stay tuned!

~ Lisa

Despite having a conspicuous display of my growing tarot collection including my own creations, my children never showed much interest in tarot. That is until The Fairy Tale Tarot arrived in the mail. I was really surprised by what followed: a sudden interest in tarot and a desire for me to explain everything that I know about the cards. Well, when I talk about tarot, it tugs at the heart of passion — I mean, these cards have formed me and represent so much of my personal and professional growth; though I am well aware that my journey is still within the Fool’s realm with the ever-ignited Ace of Wands in hand.

As a side note, Ace of Wands has been coming up a lot during my readings coinciding with a burst of creative activity circulating around my house at present.

So in addition to pulling cards every morning for my husband and I (yup, the ol’ a card a day…) I have been helping the kids read and study The Fairy Tale Tarot. My 9 year old son, who has always had “attention issues” seems to have no trouble focusing on the cards and gleaning information from the pictures. He’s quite adept at identifying the illustration with the accompanying tales. As for my spunky, extroverted 5 year old daughter, she has actually started reading them for us, the 3 card spread being her method of choice. And though she does not know all the nuances of the stories yet, I’m surprised at how intuitive she is with expanding on the visuals within the context of a given question. She’s a natural! And now she wants to create her own deck — a creative endeavor I will not discourage.

This is what I’ve learned: one is never too young or too old to learn the tarot. My daughter is 5 and I was 25 when I started. If you’re so inclined, pick up the cards and let yourself get acquainted. For my family, it really helps to expand the channels of communication–sometimes as conversational initiator, and other times as a way to pause and reflect on those things that need our attention or need to be reaffirmed.

The Fairy Tale Tarot has proven to be a hit with my entire family. It’s forging a new collective bond as we move through our days with tarot cards in hand.

Oh, and Timmy, aka Studio Buddy, says “Hi!” He too gravitates to creative spaces. He is proof that cats do indeed smile.

Best wishes,
~Lisa