YES!
During a recent trip to an historical little bed & breakfast near Savannah, the “most haunted city in America”, my husband and I saw a ghost. And it wasn’t during a ghost tour or walk through a haunted cemetery or during a seance. The encounter happened while unassumingly relaxing out on the inn’s back porch. If we would have thought we might see a ghost, we would have had our cameras on standby. If we thought we would see a ghost, we wouldn’t have been chatting away. But this ghost sighting came out of nowhere and surprised us with its uncanny, inexplicable appearance.

Here’s a sketch of what we saw–the experience left an indelible impression in my brain and I just had to get it down on paper!

sketch of the eyewitness account of what we saw

And here is my husband’s account of what happened:
“It looked like smoke or mist. It appeared to come from a window at the opposite end of the porch. It exited the window area and swirled around in a a very cohesive manner, much like the vortex of a flushing toilet, and then dissipated in the space of a second or two. We thought it might be someone smoking in that room, but when we checked the window, we found it closed and there was no obvious source of its origination.”~Kort

It was like nothing I’ve seen before and it was every bit captivating! No, there was no fog in the air, or smoke, or exhaust or any other potential explanation for the ecto mist’s appearance. It was a rather clear late Tuesday afternoon, with activity at the inn being nearly non-existent that time of day. Well, except for the ghosts.  My husband asked a paranormal investigator-friend about the incident and he congratulated us for having witnessed “quantum fog”. I’m not sure if it was a “quantum fog” or an ectoplasmic mist or another anomaly with a scientific term attached to it. It almost seemed like the mist was trying to communicate or manifest into something, but then quickly disappeared leaving no trace of its visitation.

The inn used to be a hospital day-room for Fort Screven on Tybee Island, GA. People with battle wounds were brought in by a train that ran behind the structure. Those that died were transferred to the basement, serving as a temporary morgue. The inn had an odd vibe–hard to describe. It wasn’t a scary or uncomfortable place, but it did feel endowed with an inexplicable energy. There were other strange happenings like our porch door blowing open when there wasn’t any wind, or our phone having receiving strange garbled, cryptic messages on it (we hardly ever get cell phone messages because we only use it for emergency purposes and never give out our number), or things that went thump on the roof.

Another ghost sighting happened at The Pirates’ House in Savannah. The Pirates’ House is an 18th century seafarer’s inn, where pirates and sailors gathered, drank and exchanged tales of the high seas. Captain Flint of Treasure Island fame is said to have died in one of the rooms with Billy Bones by his side. The inn was converted to a restaurant, but much of the basic structure remains intact.

Why did we choose to dine there? We’re not sure. We saw it and felt compelled to go inside. Out of all the restaurants that populate the great historic city, here we decided to patron a wooden structure that stood in a rather unglamorous section of town. As soon as we walked in, we could feel a pervading heaviness. Pockets of decay assaulted our olfactory lobes as we weaved our way around the restaurant. The strange smell/air was especially concentrated near thresholds to other levels. Kort took some pictures and we left feeling sated and relieved to be back outside in the fresh, rain soaked air.
It wasn’t until Kort uploaded photos to Facebook that another ghost enthusiast (thank you, Nefer!) spotted the face in the window. Take a look for yourself. This is the actual photo–no touching up or special effects (we couldn’t make it look that real if we tried). We ourselves didn’t even realize this ghost was looking right at us when the photo was taken. To me, while we were there, the glass appeared completely transparent and void of any ecto fog. There was also a face in the seat in front of us, but it might have just been part of the wood grain. What do you think?

This trip is not my first ghost encounter but it certainly reinforces what I believe about multiple dimensions and that fine veil between what we perceive as “real” and what is real. If you’re a paranormal investigator, I would appreciate any help/assistance regarding these events.

Much of what I do as an artist is to try and make sense of the world. The images come from dreams, they encompass feelings, and derive from the unconscious–perhaps a place that is receiving messages from “the other side”. Much of my fascination and compulsion to depict and explore “fantasy” is not to provide myself with escapism but to help find my way through a tangle of persistent mystery. This painting depicts creatures I have been seeing in my dreams all of my life. I can’t figure them out, but they do fit a profile found in spirit lore. The only difference is that the ones I see in my dreams always emit a reverberating hum, like they’re alerting me to something profoundly important. Maybe someday I will be able to decode their message, but for now, I will have to be satisfied with exploring them further through paint and brush.

~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

The Little Mermaid, Princess of Cups - Early sketch

Usually I’m the conversationalist, the girl who engages herself in the free flowing exchange of ideas, happily segueing from one topic into another with tangential inflections in between. As a former art college teacher, the balance of talking and listening was a wonderful exercise in human interaction.

The Little Mermaid, Princess of Cups - final sketch

Now I was the quiet observer and instead of being enslaved by a protraction of oral recitations, I found just listening to be strangely freeing. Though I couldn’t talk, I could gesticulate and express myself in other ways, a good reminder of the nuances that we tend to take for granted. To smile, put a hand on a shoulder, to hug, pause and look people in the eyes; subtle deliveries full of human sensitivity, compassion and nurturing—universal expressions that transcend language. The good handshake can speak volumes and a smile is wonderfully contagious. I don’t think losing my voice had been a nuisance. Rather it has helped me to be more demonstrative in important, meaningful ways.

The Little Mermaid, Princess of Cups - B&W Drawing

This week I’ve chosen the Little Mermaid (Princess of Cups). This was a piece that flowed like the powerful waves sweeping over the drowning prince. My paintbrush had a voice of its own and spread the watercolor washes with gratifying effect. As I continued painting, everything about the piece felt animated; with the Little Mermaid, prince and sea all coming together in a confluence of divine energy. All the while, the dawning sun emblazons the scene with warmth that hints of what is to come.

The Little Mermaid, Princess of Cups - Final Painting

Be open to the messages of others as you connect with your heart. Listen, feel and show how you feel. And remember, always help others to shine.

~Lisa

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Little Red Riding Hood Sketches

This past week was one that tested my will and made me look upon the arena of positive thinking with skepticism. I had someone attempt to exploit me while someone else exhibited irrational behavior that resulted in inexplicable actions. I thought to myself,“Is the world going crazy?”. In both situations, I trusted and believed. I had faith in the goodness of others. But that faith was shaken when the rug was pulled out from under my vulnerable being and I was left to question the validity of my own supposed good judgment. Intuition had let me down.

The Fool - Little Red Riding Hood B&W

I thought I was following the path, aligned with floral sanguinity when suddenly the big bad wolf emerged. And this wolf was not good. He was ravenous and potentially harmful. I did not see the indiscretions that lurked just beyond the shadows, but rather continued along my merry way assuming that all was right with the world. Once again, I’m reminded that the path does have the occasional beast, waiting to pounce on the unsuspecting. But do you know what? Despite these unexpected trials, I find myself looking down the path with the same optimism that has always possessed me. Instead of allowing shadows to overwhelm and obscure my journey, I’m able to decipher the good that lay beyond the immediacy of adversity. I’m able to see that it is the monsters along the way that help us to become more creative and defiant travelers. And at the end of momentary darkness and emotional paralyses, I am able to see the light and how important it is to never relinquish the innocence that is our adventurous spirit. If we allow ourselves to lose hope when the shadows grow large upon us, we will be swallowed up by darkness. And in order to proceed down the path of growth and self-awareness, we must try to discern the light. I believe in the light, the good. And by believing in those things, I can create my own illumination as I proceed forward on this journey that is called life.

The Fool - Little Red Riding Hood Color

In Little Red Riding Hood (as the Fool card) the Wolf represents the shadow: our wild untamed nature. It is “the devouring” and has the ability to keep us in the dark, but it can also serve to help us become more aware of ourselves.

Kort & Connor, the model for Little Red. TKD test Feb. 09.

When traveling down the path of life, there is the possibility of encountering dark forces that may lurk in the shadows. The path is full of unknowns and as we wander down the trail, our adventurous spirits will help us cross into thresholds of new possibilities. But be aware of tricksters that may cross your path along the way—tricksters that may test your spirit but may also help to facilitate growth, compassion and deeper understanding.

~Lisa