Yesterday I gave my website a little update. I wasn’t happy with the “blog roll” of images on the home page. Now as a user, you have a static image, one of my current favorites, and the menu where one can poke around and see my illustration work (kidlit work), fine art work (watercolors), shop and learn (art tutorials).
I plan to post more of what’s going behind the scenes this year, in my Newsletter. Maybe you have heard, but Meta has been scraping work from artists, without their permission. I suppose that this has been happening ever since the creation of social media, they just made a formal announcement about it. Since I heard this news, I haven’t posted as much on social media. In fact, it made me a little depressed if I’m being honest. We work so hard to experiment and create something new that we feel expresses our uniqueness, and it’s copied for computer generated imagery. It’s all so weird. For fun, the image below is an AI generated image, inspired by my images, that WordPress created for this post. I do like the color palette, LOL.
I’ve had one positive outcome from all of this. It’s made me think about exactly what I’m creating and who it’s for. I realized that I was creating imagery for Instagram! Specifically art directors and editors, but all of my work was square. The spread at the top is a rework of an older image (see below) that I just added to my illustration page. I really want to do more nonfiction book work, so I’m working on a few new spreads for my website that I will be sharing in October. Now that I’m comparing the two, maybe I should add more light to the one up top. What do you think?
I’ve also been feeling the pull to work on wildlife fine art painting again. The sea turtle below illustrates the kind of imagery that I was doing when my kids were little. It’s one of my favorite paintings that I made from that series. I had it for sale at one point, but then decided to keep it and make prints to sell in my shop. I plan to add more in November so please do check back for prints of Sea Turtle Interior.
When we moved to California I didn’t have all of my art supplies with me, so I turned to the iPad. I use Procreate for all of my book work. It’s so versatile, I can take it with me and I can save the files as PSD and work in Photoshop too. But it’s a screen. Lately I’ve been trying to spend less time on social media, and less time on screens in general. I joined a group on Substack to try and get back into my sketchbook practice. I can’t seem to create a schedule that I can stick to though.
I listen to audiobooks when I’m exercising, working on art or doing daily tasks. While listening, the character mentioned the Pomodoro Technique. It’s a mind-set that helps you develop more efficient work habits. The technique has a standard 25 minute work interval and a 5 minute break, but you can create your own schedule.
Has anyone used this technique? Has it worked for you? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
The weather is lovely in Southern California right now and I can’t wait to get outside and explore. Thank you again for reading. More to come.
Lisa Johnston Hancock 
Love that series. Especially Jett’s Turkey
Yep. Me too.
Lisa, I really enjoyed this thoughtful newsletter. I think your new arrangement is terrific—only one thing: I know you don’t have the space to do oils any longer, but I’d still love to see them exhibited if possible. I have loved your oils!! There is so much joy in all your work! The whole AI scraping art from original artists is so despicable. It’s stealing, plain and simple. The new technology could be promising if developed with a guidance of integrity; it is now more perhaps like a genius child growing up with negligent/selfish/lawless and valueless parents. And much like a lot of social media….. One more comment: Kudos for reducing screen time!!
When I was in undergrad and graduate school, oil paint was the “only paint to master.” Watercolor was looked down on as lesser. I put the watercolor aside and focused on oil. But my sense of smell completely changed after I had children and now I can’t stand the smell of oil paint. Watercolor, Acrylic, Gouache and Acryla Gouache paint have a more satisfying, barely there smell (to me). Just the way I like it. LOL.
OOPS!! Ps—-you know I dearly love your tutorials—they are so inspirational!!
Thank you so much. They take a lot of work and I haven’t had as much time lately. Hoping to get back into it after the new year.