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

The Specter Bridegroom from Ghosts & Spirits Tarot

I love the piano. To me, the keys are allegorical. They are emotive, mysterious, scary and can be a girl’s best friend. They can feel hard and cold, slippery and wet, warm and soft–all depending on what is being played and how it’s being played. I’ve cried tears on the keys and have stroked them with affection. They help bring mind, soul and hands to a place where musical narratives can flow with their cleansing tendencies. In German, this is called “Seele waschen” or soul washing. It’s the seele waschen that has kept me from completely abandoning my relationship with the piano. Even when I wasn’t playing it (sometimes years between), I would listen to its soft whispers in my mind. Piano has always been there with me, through everything I’ve done in life.

I was fortunate enough to have classical training as a child with a music professor whose own son started at the same time and went on to Juilliard and beyond. He was committed. I was the rebel. He had the discipline. I had preoccupations. He went on to be a great pianist. I rejected the instrument by 14 thinking how clever I was to do so. I turned my back on the piano–I had “piano hands”, “a good ear”, an aptitude at the start, but I wanted to be emancipated from the practicing regimen and lost sight of the piano’s purpose in my life.

This is only a half truth. What really happened? In the eight grade, I auditioned for a talent show doing keyboards with my friends Mike and Maura on vocals. The performance was a disaster and I swore to myself that I would never play in front of people again.

and I didn’t.

Until now, 30 years later.

I had dabbled on piano over the years, but it was largely ignored until my own daughter started playing with an intensity that brought me back to an innocent time of being the enthusiastic student who wanted to learn how to play. Those feelings, the yearning to learn, grow and feel something awesome as one plays flooded me with an unexpected reawakening. I knew what I had to do.

I restarted piano lessons and fell madly in love with the learning process. I was now the fool with her piano and it felt wonderful to be reunited with my old friend.

Here I am practicing at home. The glasses are just for fun:

Just four months after my first lesson, I was performing in front of a roomful of mostly strangers. My playing was not great as the piano had a few more lessons to teach me: humility and respect. Just because I thought I knew my pieces and thought I played good enough doesn’t mean the piano keys were going to completely cooperate when it had to. My brain took momentary vacations between measures and my fingers decided to engage in interludes of abstraction. At one point, I went completely blank–forgetting everything I knew about piano. Has that ever happened to you? The dreaded disconnect between mind and hands did happen while I was playing in front of a room full of curious people, but somehow my soul held it together. I kept going on and didn’t give up. I showed the piano that I had fortitude and that I wasn’t going to cower to self perceived failure. I was determined to finish what I started no matter what.

Here I am performing at my first recital ever, mistakes and all:

I finished to loud applause and got a big hug from my teacher. I think the fact that I made it through was enough to generate support from the kind strangers who bore witness to my tenacity.  I had the courage to face the piano as a new, old student without losing myself along the way. One woman even came up to me and told me how great she thought I was and she herself had thought about playing again. Can it be that maybe just maybe I had inspired her? If that is true, then it was SO worth going up there as the fool and her intrepid piano playing. I’d like to think that I’ve inspired my daughter as well. Hopefully she will get past the age 14-hump 8 years from now and realize that sticking to it is the clever thing to do.

My brilliant teacher told me that stage fright is like a naughty phantom. When it happens, it’s an invaluable experience. “It is like an initiation ceremony for the stage”. She is already talking about the next time I go through it as if the “naughty stage fright phantom” is a permanent fixture on the stage, so to speak. Instead of pretending it’s not there, one must be prepared to deal with it!

With that said, I’m sticking to it with no intentions of ever straying from my musical path again. Fortunately, I found a kindred spirit in my amazing teacher and friend Sivabruntha, who has been undyingly supportive and encouraging of me. I will blog along the way, through tangled wood and smooth riding pathways. Music is art and art is music. I don’t do art and music perfectly, but I have the passion to do it and that is what is really important. As my friend Patrick Valenza recently told me: “It’s the process, not the outcome”. Well said, my friend.

Innocence (The Fool), Growth, Strength, and The Star. Artwork from The Fairy Tale Tarot, Shapeshifter Tarot & Celtic Dragon Tarot

Have any of you experienced stage fright? I would love to hear your stories.

~Lisa

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

Finished watercolor painting of Jacob Marley

It’s hard to believe that a month has gone by since my last post. But given the hectic pace that was December, I’m not surprised that some things were woefully neglected along the way including my blog. Yes, I did do a lot of art and yes, I did manage to finish a dozen soul drawings and send them out to their intended recipients in a timely manner and yes, my kids are doing great.  But no, I did not get enough sleep and no, I did not make the time to indulge in other soulful pursuits like playing the piano, reading some new books that have been sitting by my nightstand, writing letters and e-mails to loved ones and friends or getting my house to be the enchanted fairy tale abode that I envision it to be. Thus, I knew 2011 would need to be planned and constructed from a more centered place in my being. It is possible to do it all, but only if I simplify and maintain a good balance between myriad priorities and interests. If I can’t plant a grand garden, I’ll nurture a smaller one, so to speak.

Antique Fairy Tale book cabinet

Here’s an example of what I’ve been doing to start appealing to this resolution. I spent New Year’s refurbishing an antique desk/cabinet that I’ve allowed to stand neglected for years. After the final polish, I filled it with some of my treasured, antique fairy tale books (my daughter added her modern touch here and there).

Kyra adding her fairy touch

But instead of stuffing every nook and cranny, I strived for a harmonious, aesthetic display that honored each volume as it should be. To me, this is symbolic of how I see my life and studio in the near future. Instead of jam-packing my day with sundry tasks, I hope to fill my day with balanced, modified efforts that render me feeling accomplished rather than depleted. My fairy tale cabinet is there to remind me to honor the moment and remember the nuances of the story along the way, rather than trying to process and digest all the chapters at once.

Here I am finishing the last painting of 2010.  Painting the encumbered Jacob Marley was an excellent way for me to purge end-of-year stresses. I now feel ready to take on the new year! I hope you are too.

Happy New Year friends!

~Lisa

final drawing- Jacob Marley from the Christmas Carol

When working, I usually have 3 to 4 drawings and paintings on boards at various stages. Some sit there for a month while others I tackle right away. It all depends on the mood I’m in and what I feel compelled to focus on. As I near the end of this project (about 10 paintings left), I’m working on those pieces that I’ve either:

1. Been hesitant to work on.

2. Am intimidated about working on.

3.  Had to wait for visual idea to come to complete fruition before working on.

For the most part, #3 would be the most apt description.

combining ideas from the first 2 sketches helped to solidify the final drawing

Some things just take time. In the case of Kobold and Jacob Marley, I felt conflicted about what to draw–what scene, scale, detail considerations etc..I left the sketches taped on my wall until inspiration whacked me over the head. That is often how it happens. This is one of the benefits of multitudinous painting. I feel if I am over-belaboring the sketch/drawing, then I need to step back for a while and let it happen when it’s ready. As an artist, I feel this is an effective way of transposing thoughts/ideas into something that feels right. The connection between heart, mind and soul must flow through the veins before I dare let the functions of the hand respond.

sketches to final drawing

Painting in progress (this one has been on the board a while)

Meanwhile, when not painting, writing and sundry studio tasks, I’m first and foremost a mom.

Last week, Kyra lost her first tooth! We heard the tooth fairy fluttering her wings outside as Kyra’s tooth slowly let go of those final tethers to babyhood. The tooth fairy left her $5 dollars.  This, of course, is a milestone along one’s life journey.

Kyra's new toothless smile!

~ 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

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

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