In the case of Magpie-Shapeshifter, I spent my days (mostly while kids were in school) slowly formulating color patterns as I saw them in my mind. I never know exactly where a painting is going to take me. In the case of Magpie-Shapeshifter, the only thing I was conscious of was my desire to achieve a sense of dancing birds, dappled lighting and a forest full of animistic energy. I documented the progression of this painting by making daily scans of my work.

The first few days of painting focused on establishing a value pattern

After the first day of painting, I decided to change the position of the Magpie-Shapeshifter’s bird eye. It didn’t make sense to use a side view of a bird on a front view of the shapeshifter’s face. You can decipher this change on Day Two.  The bird’s eye shape takes on a more elliptical form. The shapeshifter’s face was inspired by a Facebook friend who kindly sent me a lovely photo of herself to use as inspiration. Thank you Cesca!

Cesca's eyes are striking and served as a wonderful source of inspiration.

Days three and four included lots of dry brushing (more paint, less water) in the foreground and a slow buildup of warm yellow/greens in the background.  I loved working on all aspects of this painting. I would bounce between painting rocks in the foreground and creating dappled lighting on the trees. If you look closely, you might discern a face or two in the tree bark.

I love to achieve a sense of elemental integration in my paintings—the approach has Jungian overtones with its metaphorical ties to the psyche. The roots, the water, the trees, the sky and of course the birds–all can be seen as symbols of the mind and thought processes.

Here’s the latest scan. I may work on the foreground rocks a wee bit more, but overall I’m satisfied with the results.

Just about finished--maybe a few more touches of dry brush and it's done!

In other art news:

As many of you know, another facet of my creative journey has entailed creating special “Spirit Drawings” for fans and friends around the world. Here’s an updated gallery showcasing the many visions brought to fruition with the help of my creative customers’ keywords. It has been a wonderful way to connect with fans of my artwork in a personal way. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this fantastic creative process!

Here's a recent set of wrapped Spirit Drawings.

Spirit Drawings

If you would like to be a part of this gallery, I’m still taking orders. My goal is to complete 50 drawings before the release of my Ghosts & Spirits Tarot deck in April. Yes, it looks like April is the month we’ll finally get to hold this long-awaited deck in our hands!

In other Hunt-Krameville news:

Hubby turned 41! Kyra and I saw to it that he had homemade goodies for his big day. I made the homemade pizza and Kyra decorated the requested carrot cake and cream cheese frosting.

Kyra, the triumphant cake decorator.

There I am working the pizza dough. I have a long way to go before I master the technique!

Life is art. Treat everything you do as if it’s a new adventure!

~Lisa

A Yuletide gift from my dear friend Cindy Coombe

The transition from 2011 to 2012 was a mix of excitement and tumult. We finally finished our kitchen, with a mere few days to spare before visitors descended on Chez Hunt-Kramerville. During that period of “out with the old/in with the new”–my press proofs for Ghosts & Spirits Tarot finally arrived. The smell of new kitchen and fresh press proof sheets were acute reminders of how life is constantly changing. It feels good to enter 2012 with a sense of newness and fresh opportunities. We also added a few home accouterments that helped to enhance our abode including the above new message on our reading room wall. My friend of 25 years sent this incredibly thoughtful gift to me as it so encapsulates what I do. I toyed with putting in my studio, but felt it was an important message to share with the whole family. We’re a wee bit creatively eccentric here, so this quote resonates for us all.

Dark, rich and delicious. The proofs are stunning like sinfully mouthwatering chocolates, at least that's how I feel!

Meanwhile in the studio, my family was as excited about the Ghosts press proofs as I was. These are by far my darkest, rawest, most subconsciously driven works to date. I really surprised myself with this body of work. I didn’t know I had it in me! But obviously things had to come out, and boy did the ghosts pour through keyholes in the mind.

Kort and the kids holding up the Ghost goodies.

Here I am holding the cover proof. This is what a box would look like if flattened. Lots of careful planning for the designer! Also, my fans chose the cover art! Yup---we had a vote on Facebook and "Snow Ghost" prevailed. For those who voted for "King Hamlet", it was decided that his presence would grace the back of the box, so everyone wins!

I’ve also been “letting go” of some original watercolor and pencil artwork, much of it published as I realize I can’t hold on to them forever and prefer if they would be in the hands of those who would truly treasure my creations. Here are some samples of reasonable offerings I’ve made exclusively through my Lisa Hunt Art Group Facebook page. So far, everything I’ve posted has sold which is really nice. I also know that my customers are getting wonderful deals for original art with an added personal touch. Thank you for your continued support. Keep an eye for future art postings!

This is a watercolor illustration for a book entitled Magickal Mermaids and was sold to Mary.

This one was a book cover image for "The Guide to Little People" and sold to Kelli.

This monochromatic watercolor painting appeared in D.J. Conway's Elemental Magick. I added a remarque on the mat board. As of this posting, this piece was still for sale.

In other Hunt-Kramerville news:

The kids have winter break, so it was nice to see Kyra being creative as she was teaching herself how to draw fairies, elves and princesses. She is adamant that I don't help her as she thinks she's already better at drawing them than I am. Hahahah!

Connor, having just earned his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do "Foot and Hand Way" has been studying anatomy. He did a pretty good job drawing his own arms on notebook paper. I like the fact that he colorized them with his new colored pencil set.

And last but not least…

After 15 years in darkness, Kort has finally graduated to an office with a window. He seems much happier these days as a result! Congrats Kort!

Happy Hunky Hubby in his new workspace

Wishing everyone a fabulous 2012!

~Lisa

The finished Heron-Shapeshifter watercolor painting

One of the most common questions I get as a professional watercolorist is: “How long does it take you to paint a picture?”. That’s a fair question though not an easy one to answer. It depends on a variety of factors including: subject matter, the amount of detail, how a painting flows along and even the level of distraction one may have to reconcile when one is working in one’s home. Distractions like kids and kitties.

Timmy, Kyra and Elsa giving me a dose of cuteness

I can say this for sure: I’m a much more efficient and confident painter now than I was 20 years ago. I’m also less fearful of taking risks and following my heart, something that has helped me avoid creative disasters and technical difficulties. The heart and soul direct the painting, not the hand, not my education and certainly not what I think people may want to see. This total liberation of one’s creativity makes for efficient, and mostly satisfying days in the studio.

One can see the difference if one compares images from my first tarot project created back in the mid-nineties to the works I’ve done in recent years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still proud of what I had accomplished with Shapeshifter Tarot. But it was painted using a younger, more timid brain. Like the soft hues of “The Dreamer” in the painting below, my  artistic voice was still a quiet whisper that needed to develop its vibrato.

My first big project: Shapeshifter Tarot 1995-97.

During those early years, I drew and painted with painstaking care. I was slow and inexperienced and sometimes let deadline anxieties get the better of me. My fear of making mistakes made for long hours in the studio. Thank goodness I was young at the time and could get by with little sleep.

Lisa in the 1990s with a Shapeshifter portrait of 60s music icon Donovan

Fast forward to 2011:

Many paintings and publications later…

The once insecure girl is now a bold woman in her mid-forties who takes on each painting with gusto and know-how. That doesn’t mean I don’t make mistakes, but now I know how to work with those mistakes to great effect. With my current project, the paintings are large, alive and symphonious. The frigidiy is gone, the paint strokes deliberate and the time clock is non-existant (yes, there is a deadline, but I no longer fret about it). If I would have to guess, each bird-shapeshifter is taking me about a month and the process is pure, uninhibited enjoyment. That is a luxury that I feel I’ve earned and one I’m thoroughly enjoying.

Initial watercolor washes

Halfway through

Final details and dry brushing

And thanks to modern technology, I can scan my painting between paint sessions and share them with you…when not being distracted.

More distractions. This is for the birds. (Photo: Kort Kramer 2011)

~ Lisa

My backyard: View from the studio (Photo: Kort Kramer)

I am very lucky to have a lake view from my studio window where I can watch birds frolic, fish and fly.  Ducks, pelicans, cranes, egrets, grackles, chickadees, crows, mockingbirds, hawks, vultures, loons, cormorants and a host of other species provide me with a show of flapping wings and glorious calls.

But by far the most spectacular and mysterious of these visitors is the Great Blue Heron. It silently swoops down with perfect grace. Then it patiently stands by the shore with sturdy long legs and focused intent. Its smooth deliberate moves make it a perfect specimen for the artist (and is much easier to draw than a hummingbird!). I enjoy watching and sketching this otherworldy wading creature. To me, it epitomizes patience and provides a good reminder for hyperactive humans like me to take it easy and go with the flow.

Through choppy waves and still waters, these stealthy predators exercise great patience. (Photos: Kort Kramer)

"The heron's majestic beauty exemplifies the need to develop good coping skills in the face of challenge. It exercises patient vigilance when hunting for food, even though the outcome may not be successful." ~Animals Divine Tarot companion book

Sketching the birds was easy, creating a bird-shapeshifter composition was not. Not all drawings are created equal—some flow on the paper with immediacy, while others require more patience and exploration. It took me a while to capture the essence of what I  envisioned and felt about Heron.

This is the process of working through a drawing until it feels right.

After a few frustrating sessions, I had to walk away from this piece. But when I came back, there he was—I saw the Heron-Shapeshifter surfacing from the water, breaking the impasse that had left me cold the previous days. He revealed himself to me when I stopped forcing him from his hiding place. He came to me like a fish between the ripples. I didn’t waste any time and went straight to the watercolor paper, like a heron diving for that prize. I triumphantly finished the drawing in a day’s time—a reminder that you can’t always force art, it has to come to you.

Here's the final drawing on cold press watercolor paper. Following my gut instinct, I decided to flip the design.

One last note from Hunt-Kramerville:
What would be a blog post without posting my kids’ drawings too! They see me sketching and drawing birds and wanted to be part of the fun. Kyra took a cartoon-ish approach while Connor couldn’t resist sketching a “robo bird”. I should read him Hans Christian Andersen’s The Nightingale so he realizes that real birds are better than fake ones.

Left: Connor age 11 Right: Kyra age 6

Taking a month off from studio work was not easy to do, but it was essential. Not only did I clean up and organize my surrounds, but I unclogged the brain drain and allowed the mind to clear, cool and recover from years of pushing through my deadlines. Don’t get me wrong, I love my work and I thrive under pressure, but this break was long overdue. I needed to pull back and dip my toes into the refueling pool before diving into the deep intensity of projects anew.

First I cleaned up my house: did some home improvement and redecorated cozy corners.

Cozy Corner Chez Hunt-Kramerville

I also took time to just be mom—helping the kids with end-of-school-year tasks such as Connor’s participation in a talent show and assisting Kyra with her musical ambitions including a recital and subsequent enrollment at a conservatory’s “Preparatory School of Music”.

The kids keep me busy!

But after all that…Hummingbird-Shapeshifter is my comeback image.

It is one of my most colorful pieces I’ve done in years. Its hues mimic the purity of a refreshed mind. The face resembles my friend and piano instructor—a beautiful person who has reintroduced music into my life in a way that is impacting my artwork. This painting took me a while, at least by my standards.

Painting-in-Progress

But I didn’t keep track of time. The only thing that mattered was the desire to express myself through art.

Painting the details

The core of my creativity is humming once again. Simply put, that core is a big ol’ inner orb of luminous desire that bursts with every paint stroke. I felt its fiery pulse pore onto paper–reawakening the dormant spirit with its warm rays as Hummingbird-Shapeshifter took shape. It feels good to be back in the studio, a place where my soul shines and art happens. Sometimes, a break is just thing we need to feed the muses.

Finished Hummingbird-Shapeshifter

Timmy approves of this blog post

From Hungry Ghosts to Hummingbirds, graphite on watercolor paper

That is how I would best describe things here in Hunt-Kramerland right now. As I proof my Ghosts manuscript and check all the art scans (special thanks to the ever-patient Paula and Lynn at USG), I’m looking ahead to my next project focusing on birds. But before taking the next project-plunge with the same level of intensity that has always driven my art, I decided to take a 2 week break and clean out my workspace (among other things).

My studio after spending several days cleaning it out (photo by Kort Kramer)

Not only is spring cleaning uncluttering my surrounds, but it’s helping to cleanse the mind. For me, this is part of transitioning from one project to the next. What started out as an innocent enough desk-organizing task evolved into epic home improvement activity including purging papers decades old (I’m delighted that we’re becoming a paperless society!), painting walls and bookshelves, installing a new toilet (thanks Kort for handling that job) and sink faucet and all the symbolic flushing that goes with that, renewing grout, installing storage shelves, washing curtains, cleaning the garage (well, sort of), planting more flowers, polishing tiles and wood flooring and on and on. Having grown up watching and helping my parents build their house (my father is a brilliant visionary when it comes to construction–and serves as my wise do-it-yourself counselor) I am rather industrious as a middle age gal with hammer, nail, wrench etc.. I know my Pop is proud! I love to fix my home — it forces me to extract myself from the sedentary outpouring of studio days and puts me in the middle of earthy life stuff. It’s the perfect way for me to filter through the obsessiveness of art by forcing me to engage in something physical that renders immediate results.

One of my flower pots

It’s also Spring when flowers bloom and the atmosphere is one of renewed energies. This includes setting up Spring displays and feeling a renewed connection with Mother Earth. In my house, we pay homage to Beatrix Potter during this time of year.

Tusky and Lucy (Kyra's "children") decided to join the soiree.(photos by Kort Kramer)

So while I’m not at my desk, I’m nurturing other aspects of my life and the people in it. This includes eliminating those cluttery distractions and repairing broken corners of the home. I call this cleaning and fixing bug: post-project-comedown-therapy!

Oh, just a reminder, books and toys are NOT clutter.

But come May, I will have my nose back in the sketchbook and art boards. I’ve always told my children that a great way to express oneself is to do something creative. My kids take this to heart and are centered, sweet people as a result…with minds of their own, of course. Here’s Kyra expressing her dismay at hearing the word “NO” about something, especially when it comes to cleaning and uncluttering her own room.  She hasn’t quite discovered the virtues of Spring cleaning yet.

At least she got that out of her system.(photo by Kort Kramer)

Happy Spring Cleaning everyone!

~ Lisa

Cover image

My new eBook has arrived on the virtual shelves of Barnes & Noble–with Amazon, and Apple soon to follow. This book is a collection of never-before-published drawings  lovingly created for individuals from all over the world. The drawings are accompanied by thoughtful commentary and lend insight into my art process and studio life.

Here are some sample pages for you to browse. The book design was executed with aesthetic mastery by Kris Waldherr, owner of Art & Words Editions. The presentation is absolutely beautiful with its visually-appealing easy navigation. As reluctant as I initially was about eBooks, I now see the benefits of virtual publication: it’s easy to download, easy to store and helps to save a tree.  The artwork looks fabulous–None of the quality is compromised in translation. It’s like a virtual gallery of actual art. I’m delighted with the outcome of this project. I hope you will be too! Here are some sample pages for you to look at.

Synopsis

This beautiful offering is a must-have for fans of Lisa Hunt’s award-winning art. Includes fifty-five never-before-published drawings.

In this e-book original, best-selling tarot artist Lisa Hunt offers a fascinating and intimate look into her world—a world where myth, legend, fairy tale, fantasy, and imagination meet. Intertwining her skills as an accomplished draftsperson with her ability to manifest visions, Hunt taps the core of her creativity using heart and soul as her compass.

Each drawing is accompanied by Hunt’s candid commentary about her art process. Some of her personal stories are rich with intimate revelation while others explore symbolism, visual narrative, and the power of art to soothe the soul.

Biography

Lisa Hunt is an award-winning internationally known tarot artist and writer. She holds a M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Vermont College/ Union Institute with an emphasis on Jungian Psychology/Art & Drawing and has devoted the last twenty years to researching, writing and painting fairy tales, myths, legend and lore. Her many publications include Animals Divine Tarot, The Fairy Tale Tarot, and Celestial Goddesses.

Final watercolor painting

Many of you may not realize that I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Animation back when few schools offered it. I graduated at the top of my class, not because I had the greatest animations but because I integrated my watercolor paintings within a 3D environment. My work was different and bold and was demonstrative of a wee bit of creative rebellion. I did not follow any portfolio model, but rather I set out to create my own. The result was winning “Best Digital AND Print Awards” and subsequent work in production as a conceptual designer. Those years forced me to work fast and furious—I had to crank out 2 concepts a day and did it with great enthusiasm. I haven’t thought much about animation in the decade since, but then one day I had a hankering to play around with stop-motion.

These are not well planned—as a matter of fact, they’re not planned at all. The stop-motion antics just kind of evolved in a stream of consciousness, somewhat like the painting. It has been a matter of playing around with a kneaded eraser and a skull in between paint strokes. I never want my stop-motion play to interfere with the intensity of the painting process. But at the same time, they serve to help balance my fever-pitch (and potentially emotionally draining) applications—giving me pause, a breath and a little comic relief to lean on. This was especially helpful while painting Battlefield Ghosts, given the dark nature of the subject matter. I hope you enjoy watching the video as much as I did creating it. My mother is very happy to see me animating again having sent the following note: “Saw your clip on facebook. What a painting–I got a big charge out of your animation. Great Lisi, are you rediscovering those talents? I hope so. You were good, remember?”

Thanks, Mom.
And a big thank you to my talented husband Kort, who came up with the idea of time-lapse photography and the final video animation.

And for those of you who haven’t seen this, U.S. Games Systems Inc. who is supporting the Ghost & Spirits Tarot deck’s publication, just posted a lovely (sneaky) word association/interview. I had no idea that Kort was answering questions about me behind my back. haha! But his answers are fascinating because they allow me to see my own artistic process through objective eyes (I’ve also learned a thing or two about the dynamics of our relationship). And yes, that is the latest photo of me on my new wheels–trying to do my part by driving less and biking more. My friend/fellow author Celeste Heldstab suggested I name my bike “Gaea”.  I kind of like that.

Lisa on her new TREK

Here’s the link to the U.S. Games’  interview:

The Fool’s Blog “Lisa Hunt Off the Canvas”

Thank you for your continued support, friends!

~Lisa

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

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