As many of you may know, I recently spent a few weeks up North visiting my childhood haunts in Connecticut. Fortunately I was able to capture some beautiful photos before Hurricane Irene descended on the woods and wreaked havoc in my old neighborhood. My poor parents lost a lot of trees, as to be expected in an area inhabited by so many of these formidable giants. On the up side, the glorious trees will come back as they always do after destructive storms. The Northeasterners are known to be resilient, as are the trees!
If you were to wander the grounds of my New England childhood, you would definitely see how nature influenced my artistic path. The dappled lighting, the deciduous trees and leaf covered woods are nothing short of mysterious and magical. Everything hums with life and suggests something sacred. My art wasn't so much about imagination, it was about connecting with my surroundings.
Mom & Pop pay homage to the Fae world by acquiring gargoyles and gnomes. I remember how much my father hated cutting trees! Here's my daughter Kyra holding an abandoned bird nest while conferring with a fantastical friend.
Mom still has some of my nature inspired early artwork. Pop still has my first car that's being taken over by nature.
During my visit, Mom asked me to retrieve an abandoned bird's nest for her collection.
A deep love for birds and bird nests is obviously not ours alone! On the right you can see how birds may have influenced artists such as Patrick Dougherty. This was taken at the Florence Griswold Museum in Lyme, CT. Connor can be seen standing next to his sculptures as my Mom approaches.
Here’s an example of what I started working on after I returned from my trip. The visual stimulus was transcribed onto paper from memory. All of that inspirational ‘food’ had to go somewhere! The trees, the rocks, the hills…
Pencil drawing (before watercolor application) for a collectible card game to be published in the near future
Here’s another painting I’m working on that was inspired by birds, nature and other organic wonders that seep into my psyche and are brought to life with pencil and paint. My artwork reflects a connection with my surroundings–something pulsing and alive and a part of us all.
This is a close-up of Swan Shapeshifter in-progress. Yes, I use a lot of different blues as the world is full of vibrant subtlety. It's truly impossible to capture the full breadth of Mother Nature's palette.
Speaking of birds…
My studio companions Snowflake and Kippers (who love to sit on my art table lamp) oversee the bird paintings, quite literally. Um, yes, I have a poop catcher for them. 
~ Lisa
