In the Studio

Botanical Work is Happening in the Studio

Just wrapped up a little copic and colored pencil detail work on a Bearded Iris botanical illustration. I took photos along the way detailing the coloring process. I'll be posting them soon. I fit this 8 x 8 ish illustration and color study in between all of "life's life stuff." It was a medium practice adventure. This time with Copic and Prismacolor and working on light and shadow. Fun stuff.

Call it a therapeutic exercise whilst working on some other "work" that wasn't as much fun. You know, like business taxes and paperwork. HA! All said and done, about 10-12 hours or so, over a week. I'm planning on rendering it again in only colored pencil, but I have to get a few extra purples to have on hand as it will take in a lot of color.

Shown here is the original illustration along with a, what I call, "digified" one that I'm going to have made into a canvas as a gift for a friend.

Right now, I've got a Parrot Tulip in the works that I began over the weekend during a long car ride. Natural light is so much better to work in. I'll post more shots as I complete. Here is it's humble beginnings. Copic work on XPressIt Blending Card.

The Art that Happens in Between Life's LIFE!

This summer has been a flurry of life! From work to family fun there hasn't been a dull moment. Like many working mama's, there are moments in between life's life. The moments where you are hustling to get here and there, only to wait for an hour or more at soccer practice, violin, scouts, etc.... :)

So this summer, I decided to make use of the moments between life's life and log some sketchbook time. I've been studying botanical illustration this summer, working in graphite, colored pencil and watercolor. Inspired by artists Wendy Hollender and Ann Swan, I've studying their books and teachings during the quiet moments this summer. I've also been looking into the School of Botanical Art and Illustration. Although I'm a few years from working towards that goal, it's on my bucket list.

Here's a small peek into my beginning sketchbook pages from those moments between life's LIFE. The pics are right from my iPhone, so nothing special. Practicing technique, working on tone and structure. Practice. Practice. It's good for the soul. Enjoy and try to find your bliss in those moments between life's life!

 

Avocado Arts Glimpses

THRILLED to be sharing this with you...

We've got 5 days of glimpses into the May 1st stamp set reveal. Here are the first three days. 12 images shown below. Check out all the deets HERE. More to come tomorrow and Saturday. Big reveal on Sunday, May 1st.

 

Launching a NEW Adventure!

Lot's of things happening in the studio.

Today, I am part of the launch into an exciting ADVENTURE as Creative Director for a brand new company, Avocado Arts. Go check us out HERE.

C'mon in and stamp awhile!

We have a rockin' design team, the PIT CREW and I'm blessed to be working with these ladies. Check them OUT!

 

It has been a dream of mine to launch a clear stamp company with a bit of a different vision: stamping is for everyone! I'm an illustrator who stamps (and I think that's important), so I have a vision to create coordinating images that have endless possibilities. I'm thrilled to be playing such a major role in the launch of this new adventure.

Go check out a SNEAK PEEK of our June 2001 release: Sunshine and Smiles

I'm also very blessed to be helping this CREATIVE TALENT see her vision come to life. 

Great things to come now and in the future with Avocado Arts.

And for all my local peeps, I will still be teaching at PHOTOSCRAPS and I have a few surprises coming for the store. Stay tuned!

A Little Art Time

Trying out some new marker paper with my Copics. Canson Marker Pro Layout. Good stuff. Nice blend. No bleed. Bright white. Just did a quick drawing to test it out. New favorite, next to Blendit Xpress. The pic was taken with my phone so it's not well lit. But, you get the idea. Happy Saturday!

Lisa Hetrick Design
lisahetrickdesign.com

Sent from my iPhone

My Sketchbook is going on Tour!

The 2011 Sketchbook Project Tour kicks off this week!

After opening in Brooklyn, NY. The sketchbook is now beginning it's tour! The first stop is Austin, TX. at the Austin Museum of Art on Saturday, March 12 and the 29th and the St Ballroom @ Spider House on Sunday, March 13 from noon until 6pm.

You can see my project HERE and HERE.

I will be visiting my book when it comes to DC. April 15-16, 12-6 pm at the Hillyer Art Space.

FINISHED: The Sketchbook Project

It all started with ME declaring my participation in The Sketchbook Project. How cool is THIS. I was all ready to have some fun, create some funky art and just BE. Over the moon excited to participate. I chattered about it on here and Facebook and everywhere someone would listen...

and then...

it arrived...A BLANK CANVAS...

and, I just stared at it for awhile. Days, weeks, awhile...

Then, something happened. An AWAKENING of sorts. An epiphany moment on a bright blue September, Saturday morning, early, early, early on the soccer field with my family.

I witnessed a loving MOMENT between a woman (my age) and her mother (coming to see her Grandaughter play) ...and it set off a chain of events inside of me that I was not prepared for, but over the weeks that followed, I came to understand.

It was right there in that 5 minute space of time of Life's Life, I broke down. I knew it was time...and my Sketchbook Project began (in thought). And over the weeks I became BRAVE enough to express it in my art. I didn't think it would happen. I was prepared for it to be pushed down.

Here is the result of my journey.

So, I began with the end in mind. But, the project in my head, took a very different turn as I expressed it on the page and began to create. It ended up being a journal about healing, forgiveness and working through the layers of hurt I have pushed down, way down over 12 years since my Mother passed so suddenly in 1998.

I had no idea where it was going to take me. I just let the words come out because it WAS TIME.

I took the book apart, sewed new pages in and began to layer.

Soon, the cover took shape. I never start my design process with the COVER, but this time, I did. Not sure why. I think it help set the tone for the calm I was starting to feel.

The cover took shape. Although, the Butterfly was the last thing I placed on the book.

The book opens... Awakening. The Spaces in Between.

 

Life's Life

I begin to document my epiphany in text that reads: (struck with grief and sadness, I wept right there on the field, bright blue Saturday, September, 2010 on the soccer field with my family. I get comfortable. I hear a women my age call for her MOM. I turn and watch. The SMILE. The HUG. The WARMTH. I watch. I listen. I feel cold. And in that five minutes of life's life...I feel a swell from deep inside me) I handwrote everything on the page, then embedded it in layer after layer, committing it to the paper fiber only to re-write it again.

The Story

Letting Go

Text: ...and I am overwhelmed with grief and sadness. I try to push it down like so many times before and it SWELLS back to the surface...and this time...I let it TAKE ME and I reflect on those spaces between life's life...and how it has TRANSFORMED me...and I feel it for the first time in 12 years... SHE's GONE. She's really Gone.)

...and I continue to discover through words and tears on the page that what I needed to do was FORGIVE her for leaving me. I had taken her death personally and I've been angry that she left me. And I begin to LET GO... and it feels AMAZING.

FORGIVE

...I end my journal, because it was time and even though there was so much more to say...I didn't need to say it. And, I am changed! And, it is good!

So, now... I will give it up, (the Sketchbook, the words embedded in the layers of art, the thoughts, the tears that bled the ink) and let it go. I'm shipping this book out to NY tomorrow. It will go on tour throughout the country. After the tour, it will be forever housed in the Brooklyn Art Library. I will never feel the pages again.

I've committed myself to visiting it, and the 28,834 other participants books while on tour in Washington, DC. April 11-30. We'll see...

It is time.

And I have finally LET IT GO! Literally!

And so the clean up of the aftermath begins...

New Echo Park, Unity and a Bit of Upcycling

What's been happening in the STUDIO?

Well.. I've got some LOVEY DOVEY goodness to share with you today. This months design team at PhotoScraps is centered around Valentines. So, I could NOT help myself by snatching up the entire paper pack of Echo Park's New BE MINE line.

Well, it all started like this... I had this BOX that was hanging around and I just couldn't throw it out. It was TOO good of a box. So... I decided to break it down, cut it up and make use of it as the base for my mini album... How's that for recycling?

So, with and empty canvas in hand (box parts), I started to pull together the new Echo Park paper and bits and baubles and whip up a lovey dovey album. Here's the cover below.


Here's a shot of the pinwheel flower detail. There's a wee little bit of the NEW Bo Bunny CRUSH line of papers in there. Some NEW Unity Stamps designed to go with the ECHO PARK Be Mine line, A cute little Maya Road rose button AND New HERO arts (my new FAVORITE flower stamp, called Flower CORSAGE) Watch for two upcoming card classes using this very delightful stamp!


Here's what the cover page looks like after you flip the pinwheel flower page. Yep, that's a pic of me and the hubs, circa 1998 the day we got married. I'm going to fill this book up with some pics of JUST US, through the years. And...hide a little journaling in a pocket called "The Story of Us." A little something I wrote about us awhile back. Awwwww! :) One thing I noticed about this pic...we look well rested. HA! Not so much anymore...


Here's a shot of the book and the pages inside. Bits, baubles, journal cards, some chipboard, a little bit of this and a little bit of that.


If you want to see the whole thing, LIVE and in person... You have to get to PhotoScraps, All the lovely goodness shown in this book can be found in the store with the exception of the hubs. Although, he has been known to hang out and chat with Gina on Thursdays! HA!

Get your Art ON! Stay tuned for more. After this little beauty has been on display for awhile, I'm going to fill it up with pics.

Creating ART

This is why my studio looks like a tornado hit (may take hours to clean) and I have glass glitter, paint and glitter embedded into my fingers. Just love how this collage hybrid canvas came to be. It will be on display at PhotoScraps for the entire month of December (using brand new products in the store). Then, hmmm.... I'm thinking it will adorn the walls of our home.

Here's the whole canvas.

And all of the details.

Special Thanks to Cynthia for turning me on to these BOX CANVASES.

LOVE the Artist Panel products. Not like traditional canvas. I'm working on a clayboard project next. And, um.... I will be watercoloring on THIS.

The surfaces are amazing, brighter and exciting to work with.

Silent Auction for the Cure

This weekend PhotoScraps will be hosting a Silent Auction for the Cure. Please consider helping to raise money and awareness for the Breast Cancer. It's all about Women helping Women!

I donated this painting I created for the auction. It is inspired by the "SHE" book by Kobi Yamada (a must read for all women) and dedicated to all the women who have touched my life and have suffered from Breast Cancer. I will never forget you. I know you will be able to see a little bit of YOU in the woman I painted. SHE is in all of us. We are beautiful, we are strong, we turn our can'ts into cans, and our DREAMS into PLANS!

Come out to PhotoScraps this weekend and BID ON THIS PAINTING and SO MANY OTHER AMAZING CREATIONS by women all over Maryland.

Go HERE for more details.

The painting was illustrated and painted at 10 x 10, sewn to dense felt for texture and dimension and framed in a black 12 x 12 frame.