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

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

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

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot manuscript

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot image gallery

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.

King of Pentacles - Ankou (finished painting)

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”.

Lisa practicing Massenet, Meditation from Thais

I hope everyone is having a fabulous summer!

~ 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

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

Shapeshifter paintings in progress

final drawing for Crow-Shapeshifter on watercolor board

As some of you may know, after 20 years of publishing intensity, I’ve taken a break from contracted assignments to work on my own material, unhindered by deadlines, dimensions, or other technical considerations. This doesn’t mean I’m abandoning my identity as an illustrator/writer — I still have plenty more to do/explore in print publishing. I simply needed to refresh myself and flex some creative muscle that has been lying languid since the completion of the monumental Fairy Tale Tarot project. It’s like taking a dive into the ocean after counting grains of sand by the shoreline. I needed to pull away from the details of my daily repertoire and just let loose. This also came about after befriending a bird enthusiast from Canada (who is about to have her first book published) and watching some PBS Art 21 episodes, where varied fine artists discussed their fascinating and individual journeys.

Sketches

With this break I’m flying free through the mountainous terrain of self discovery and am enjoying every minute of this much needed recess. I haven’t felt this unfettered since my early youthful days, when I freely dabbled in the surrealistic vicissitude of the imagination; when swooping brush strokes and splattered paint were par for the course. I want to paint big, bold and textural, and get really physical with the process.

Early exploratory work as a teenager (1984-5)

I had recently read “Pictures Telling Stories: The Art of Robert Ingpen” and inside was this passage:

“When asked about the difference between a painter and an illustrator he often observes that a painter stands to work and an illustrator always sits.”

I wanted to debunk this idea for myself! Why abandon a sense of illustrative narrative when standing? Why label myself and settle in a seat of expectation? I was determined to break my own convention: I stretched a whole sheet of paper on the one oversized  board that I’ve had in storage for years and set out to work.  And yes, moving the board around was no easy task — nor was it easy to paint a large scale watercolor. What I thought might be a brief interlude turned out to be an obsession!  The spirit of the paintings took over — not only consuming my psyche and soul but assuming my full attention in the studio, with creative chaos being a mess inducing bi-product. Oh, my normally orderly surroundings now took on a life of their own as the desire to paint supplanted the necessity to maintain order.

But this is good, isn’t it? Sometimes as artists, we need to shake things up, deconstruct and build anew. For me being an artist is more than just interpreting story or conveying expression, it’s about diving deeper past barriers and depths that we may have ignored for way too long. I suppose this is my way of dismantling potential artist’s block and it has worked to great effect!

Please feel free to visit my purchase page for more information, thanks!

Final Shapeshifter Paintings - click to visit Lisa's online store

~ Lisa