Interview by Mercedes Arnold.

Maine Vibes Magazine: I’m so happy to be here! Can you introduce yourself and your business? 

Lisa Mayhew: My name is Lisa Mayhew, I work under the business name Maine Haven Decor. I'm a watercolor artist. My watercolor paintings are naturalist-focused, mostly paintings of mushrooms and sea life subjects from the Maine-inspired naturescape.

MVM: How did you get started? 

I started in watercolor as a teenager because my mom recognized my creativity, but I think more than anything, I needed something that was my own to feel good about. I think everyone needs a talent or something that they feel good about, and she recognized mine. I owe it to her for giving me that because she signed me up for watercolor classes so I could explore art and probably also to get me out of the house. I met this amazing teacher that was so inspiring and encouraging.  Immediately in my first class, she told me that I was an artist.  No one had ever been so encouraging before. 

After that, I threw myself into it. The first summer I had taken lessons and then later that year, I started working there. I've been painting and doing watercolor ever since then.  Those lessons were the early seed of it and I eventually ended up going to school for art.

“I want to bring attention to subjects that people aren't automatically interested in and show the beauty in something that you wouldn’t already think is beautiful.” - Lisa Mayhew

MVM: Is watercolor your favorite medium? 

LM: I do think watercolor is my favorite, it's like an old friend, I know exactly what it's going to do. I know exactly how to handle it. 

MVM: Do you draw out your designs before you paint them? 

LM: Sometimes I'll do a little thumbnail sketch on a piece of separate paper to get the composition and then I'll do a light outlining.  The watercolors are transparent, that pencil line will show through and it can be very hard to erase without taking up a layer of the paper, so I’m sparing with my pencil lines.

MVM: That’s incredible. Going back to what your mom and teacher saw in you, you are so amazing and talented! What draws you to mushrooms and the natural world? 

LM: I'm drawn mostly to things that you would consider unlovely. I want to bring attention to subjects that people aren't automatically interested in and show the beauty in something that you wouldn’t already think is beautiful. I want people to see the underside of something as beautiful. The things that are most beautiful to me are the textures and intricacies of nature and they are so magical and divinely oriented for a purpose. They are so beautiful, even the body of a slug. The nautilus, if you look at it, it’s kind of grotesque, but it’s also beautiful. I’m drawn to that, I can’t stop looking at it and being in awe of it. 

MVM: That in itself, is beautiful, being in awe of something for its purpose and beauty! The nautilus is wild looking. 

LM:  I've studied them before. They are very cool.  They have these chambers in their shell with gas in them. They can determine their own buoyancy in the water and move up and down [in the water] by controlling how much gas is in those chambers. They have something like 90 tentacles too. There are so many interesting things about them.

MVM: How did you end up studying them? 

LM: My mom was a science teacher. We grew up with critters around and people would always bring us things they found too. We had bug collections in our house and fish in aquariums. She always would explain the purpose of something which fueled my love of learning and wanting to understand nature. It created an appreciation for the outside world. I homeschool my boys now so that continues in our home. It’s wonderful to see and appreciate the world around us. Life and pain can be really ugly and drag you down sometimes, but seeing that everything has a purpose helps. 

MVM: Nature is so beautiful. I love talking about the natural world with my son too and how everything has a purpose. It’s not always apparent what the purpose is but it’s nice to slow down and think about it.

LM: My faith has a lot to do with it too, especially with pain. I have chronic migraine and have pain almost every day. I hold onto the knowledge of purpose a lot because that helps me keep going; knowing there’s more to pain helps. 

MVM: I can imagine that is hard, but I’m so glad you have your faith. I’m curious, with your art, how do you decide what to paint? 

LM: It’s definitely twofold. We go outside a lot and I take a lot of photos. I’m also really inspired by frames. My originals are framed in vintage frames and when I look at them [the frames] I can see a painting or a certain species of mushroom that will go in the frame. They've become a part of the art now. 

MVM: You had mentioned your art is in a gallery? 

LM: It is, I have pieces in the River Road Artists Co-Op in Skowhegan. I also have art for sale at Freckle Salvage in Winthrop. 

MVM: When did you start selling your artwork? 

LM: Officially in 2017 through my Etsy shop. 

MVM: When you started selling your art, what was that process like versus now? Has your approach to selling changed at all? 

LM: In the beginning, I was putting it on Etsy and hoping for the best. Moving to social media was tough, I am a private person and didn’t like using it. I finally decided that, for the sake of my business, I would use social media as a tool. I can look back at my earlier photographs and they have definitely improved, through research and trial and error. At first, it feels like you’re not talking to anyone, but now the majority of my internet sales come through Instagram. I’ve also come across so many encouraging internet friends and collectors. Social media is more than what I thought it was. 

MVM: As much as social media can be frustrating, it is a great business tool and there are so many good people using it too. 

LM: Definitely. It’s how I met Nicki Stanford (of Freckle Salvage) and there have been other opportunities to come out of using social media too. 

MVM: It’s how we met! So I understand you went to school for art? 

LM: I ended up graduating with a sculpture and installation concentration. Installation is the art of filling a space or is site-specific. I also took a lot of classes in painting and printmaking and loved every minute of it. It was the best thing and I knew I was supposed to be there, it felt like I was made to be there and supposed to do art. 

The program I was in didn't require business courses, so I don’t feel that I was well prepared to manage an art career, which is often a criticism of people graduating with an art degree. If I had to do it all over again, I would have tried to better equip myself business-wise. 

My husband and I used to have a business when we first got married and we learned through making mistakes. It was a lot of trial by fire and I learned a lot about growing slowly, not putting all your eggs in one basket, diversifying, and not overinvesting. Another big lesson is being a good bookkeeper! 

MVM: I hear you, there is such a big learning curve when starting a business. Do you have any advice for artists that are looking to start selling? 

LM: I think the thing that has helped me to sell online is to niche down, be very specific. People come to my Instagram page and they settle there because that's what they're interested in. I offer mushroom paintings and they're gone so fast. I've become known in that tiny little circle of Instagram that I have for these certain things, it’s consistent, so I think there is something to niching down, whether it's a specific style or a subject. 

MVM: How would you describe your painting style? 

LM: I feel like that’s hard to say about yourself, but a few descriptors are illustrative realism, and naturalist and it’s definitely moody. 

MVM: It is moody, but so gorgeous. I get lost in looking at all the little details and the way colors blend together. It's so beautiful. 

LM: Thank you. I like that naturalist, old-world collector/collected vibe.

MVM: Yeah, it’s pretty fantastic. Ok, you mentioned you moved from Pittsburgh to Maine, what brought you to Maine? 

LM: We had visited Maine for a friend’s wedding a few years before we moved. I was taken with Maine, everywhere we drove I’d look at the moss, the rocks, and the trees. I was in awe of the pine trees right against the ocean, it was so magical. I thought that everyone who visited Maine must leave their heart here, and I fell in love with it. 

Our friends in Maine are in a sister church to ours in Pittsburgh, and they would visit Pittsburgh and hang out and I felt this burden like I should pray for them. I felt a connection to the people that were here in the church and to Maine. For a year and a half, I prayed and the connection became more of a burden. 

I never expected to move out of Pittsburgh, but when our connection to Maine began to form, I prayed and it felt like we were supposed to move to Maine. It was the type of thing that began to grow and bloom. So we talked to our pastors and they told us they could use our help in Maine. It was totally a God-appointed thing. Once we moved our whole life changed, it was amazing and it’s been really great. We are supposed to be here. 

MVM: That's so wonderful, I’m so happy for you! Maine is really magical and your paintings match that vibe! They are so magical. I want to ask, what do you feel is the purpose of art in people’s lives? 

LM: I know what receiving art does for me. There are many purposes, but art can inspire comfort and provoke change. I think, in relation to me, I have pieces of art in my home that when I look at them, remind me of something that I want to be reminded of every day. I think art in a home can do that. I think at the most basic level that when people buy a piece of art for their home, sometimes it's for decoration and that’s enough, it can beautify space, and that’s enough. I also think it can lift your spirit, and that's better. It can encourage and inspire you, it can accomplish a lot, and it’s up for interpretation. 

I have a piece I look at every day in my bedroom. It's this little figure holding a red heart and a sword, and it's just a drawing, but he is facing the feet of an enormous monster. I feel like you can interpret it differently on different days, so it's not even your singular interpretation, it's what you need for that day. Is he fighting? Is he protecting? Is he protecting love? It can be all those different things. 

MVM: I agree. Creating for other people can lift my spirit and makes me feel like I’m giving myself to that person. Do you have any other artists or businesses that you’d like to mention who excite you?

LM: Definitely Nicki Stanford of Freckle Salvage. She's a big cheerleader for other businesses, and she's done more than just invite me to sell in her store. She's regularly recommended places that I could sell in addition to her shop. When I've talked to her about my desire to expand or grow, she's asked if I have heard about certain places or people. She's not selfish with vendors and she definitely wants people to grow, and she wants Winthrop to grow. I also want to mention River Road Artists Co-Op!

MVM: She is so great, I feel very lucky to know her and have had her in our first issue! Is there anything else about your process, your artwork, or you that you’d like to share? 

LM: As you know I sell original art online in my Etsy shop, but I also do commissions. Anyone interested in commissioned art in the themes I create can contact me through Etsy or Instagram to inquire.  I really want art and beautiful decor to be accessible, so I offer prints, postcards, and other affordable gift items. Framed and unframed prints are available at Freckle Salvage and River Roads Artist Co-op as well!  Everyone should have beauty in their life!

MVM: Thank you Lisa! I’ve really enjoyed learning about your process and seeing your stunning paintings in person, they are beautiful! 

Thank you, Lisa Mayhew, for taking the time to talk with Maine Vibes Magazine!

Web: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaineHavenDecor

Instagram: @lisamainehavendecor

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