(This conversation was recorded back in June.)
“Using your voice in such a specific way…sometimes makes people uncomfortable.”
SUMMARY
Lissa M. Cowan speaks with Stephanie Hill, a nature-inspired narrative and pop surrealist artist based in the Gatineau Hills, Quebec. Drawing on everything from comic books to Victorian botanical illustrations, Stephanie's work weaves together Celtic wisdom, the divine feminine, and the threads of her own personal and family stories. Discover how her connection to water, mythology, and symbolism shapes her creative process and the deeper meanings behind her art. And to top it off, Stephanie is something of a dream whisperer—she closes the conversation with practical tips for beginning to interpret your own dreams.
WHERE TO FIND STEPHANIE
Instagram.com/stephaniehillartgarden
Facebook.com/stephaniehillartgarden
ARTWORK BY STEPHANIE HILL MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
Fledgling, Ink, watercolour, gouache on cotton rag paper, 15" x 20”, 2025.
My Museum, ink, gouache and watercolour on paper, 15"x 20", 2023.
Purple Stemmed Angelica
Winter Birds, ink on paper, 9" x 12", 2023.
Floating Loon, ink on paper, 9"x12"
Cicada Choir, from 2017. Oil tempera on linen.
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and by Lewis Carroll,
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupèry
BOTANICAL/NATURE-BASED SOURCES & READINGS ON ANIMA MUNDI
plantillustrations.org — A comprehensive resource for high-resolution plant illustrations, scientific and vernacular names, and search options by taxonomy or distribution.
iNaturalist — A social network for naturalists.
Merlin Bird ID — Identify the birds you see or hear.
“Anima Mundi: Awakening the Soul of the World,” The Golden Sufi Center, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, September 2005.
CARL JUNG & DREAM INTERPRETATION
Dreams by C.G. Jung, translated by R.F.C. Hull. Princeton University Press, 1974.
Man and His Symbols by C.G. Jung. Doubleday, 1964.
Memories, Dreams, Reflections by C.G. Jung, recorded and edited by Aniela Jaffé. Pantheon Books, 1962.
"A Jungian Approach to Understanding Your Dreams," Psychology Today, Doris E. Cohen, September 2024.
DIVINE FEMININE
"The Rise of the Divine Feminine," Awaken, Courtney Long, February 23, 2026.
FASHION
Frock Flicks — A trio of costumers from the SF Bay Area who have OPINIONS about historical costume movies & TV shows.
Arden Conroy — Historical👗and the women who wore them.
The Art of Dress — ❤️Art, Heart, and History of Dress.
SHOW NOTES
00:00 Introduction to Stephanie Hill
03:57 Childhood Memories and Nature’s Influence
06:48 Symbolism and Water in Art
10:10 The Power of Myth and Symbolism
13:01 Personal Connections in Art
15:58 Researching Flora and Fauna for Art
18:49 Exploring Historical Contexts in Art
21:59 The Role of Literature in Artistic Inspiration
24:50 Art as a Form of Defiance
28:03 Dream Interpretation and Personal Insights
OVERCOMING ARTISTIC BLOCK
QUOTES FROM STEPHANIE
“It stripped me bare in every possible way.”
“It’s a ritual of appreciation for the plant.”
“Water is emotion and the feminine part.”
“Dreams use symbolism to communicate.”
“Everything in a dream is about you.”
UPCOMING OFFERINGS
The Museum of Lost Things A Drawing and Painting Course | Ottawa & Gatineau, March 2026
Art has the power to reveal truths about the things we carry, what we leave behind, and what defines us.
This course invites you to explore that power through the tradition of Vanitas—a genre of 17th-century Dutch still-life painting that used everyday objects to reflect on life. Drawing on that history, we’ll build our own personal museums: arrangements of objects, artifacts, sacred animals, botanicals, and abandoned keepsakes that tell a deeper story of who we are.
Through themes like childhood, ancestry, healing, wabi-sabi—or whatever resonates with you—you’ll develop your skills in drawing, composition, and painting while exploring the creative decisions that give art meaning. The more personal your theme, the richer the work!
This in-person course is open to all levels. Contact stephaniefhill@gmail.com to learn more or to register.
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Theme music credit: This is the Dark Bean, The Dark Bean, Free Music Archive, Creative Commons License.
