This post may include affiliate links.
Bored Panda reached out to Lucia Heffernan to learn more about her artistry and creative journey. The artist shared that her love for drawing began as soon as she could hold a pencil. "As a child, I was deeply influenced by anime, cartoons, and comic books, dreaming of becoming a comic book artist. I pursued my passion in college, earning a BFA from Binghamton University in New York. After graduating, I co-founded a design agency in New York with two partners. A decade later, we sold the company, and my husband and I retired to Utah. It was there that I rediscovered my love for painting. What started as a hobby soon evolved into something more—I began showcasing my work at local art shows, receiving numerous invitations to join galleries. Eventually, I made the leap and committed to painting full-time."
Looking at these quirky and adorable paintings, we couldn’t help but wonder—what does a typical day in Lucia’s studio look like? Does she start with yoga poses or perhaps a relaxing spa session before diving into her artwork? Maybe—but according to the artist, her creative process typically unfolds in three parts. "Say I want to paint a white rabbit wearing sunglasses and a bow. First, I do a basic sketch of my idea. Then, I search for references, like images of white rabbits in the correct pose and lighting, the right style of sunglasses, and the perfect bow that matches my sketch. I use Photoshop to combine these elements as a reference for the final painting.
"Creating this reference takes anywhere from a few hours to several days depending on how easily I can find and meld together exactly the right images, or whether my idea of the type of image I want evolves while I’m designing the painting. Once I have a reference I’m happy with, I draw the image onto my canvas.
"I’m sometimes asked if I use a projection method to create my underdrawing, but I don’t, because I think it’s important to keep my drawing and illustration skills sharp. Then, after I’ve sketched the underdrawing, I paint the image using oil paint. While I'm painting, I’ll often put additional details in the painting that occur to me during the work.
"The time it takes to paint the painting varies, mostly due to the level of complexity and detail in the image. For example, several months ago I painted a hippo in a bathtub under a glass chandelier. It was one of those old-style chandeliers with strings of glass beads – painting each little piece of glass took a very long time!"
One of the most charming aspects of Lucia's work is how her animals take on such charming, human-like qualities, making them both adorable and humorous. We’re curious—where does she find inspiration for the different scenes she places them in? "My inspiration developed over time," the artist shared. "When I first picked up oil painting again, I focused on developing my traditional portraiture skills for several years, painting farm animals, horses, zebras, bears, bulls, wild cats, domestic cats, and dogs. I became obsessed with the innocence and beauty of baby chicks. I would purchase chicks from farm stores as models, eventually painting over 500 baby chick still life paintings.
"Then, I became interested in mice, which, like chicks, are small, innocent, and very cute. However, I noticed that mice were interested in their surroundings and active, unlike chicks, which tend to stand still when placed as a model. This was a turning point for me. I began imagining mice engaging in everyday activities—if I placed a tiny bike near them, they would climb on; if there was a little chair, they would hop up and sit, just like we do. Inspired by this idea, I started painting them in human-like scenarios—reading books, cooking, even sleeping in beds. Before long, I expanded this concept to other animals as well, realizing the possibilities were endless.
"When creating a narrative for a painting, I immerse myself in the animal’s perspective, envisioning the world through their eyes and portraying the scene as they would experience it."
While the creative process is fun and rewarding, it also comes with challenges. Lucia shared that the most difficult part for her is continually coming up with fresh scenarios. "I don’t like to paint any image more than once – the world is vast and full of endless possibilities, so I constantly seek new ways to tell stories. Sometimes, an idea knocks me over the head fully formed, but more often a scenario takes a few twists and turns before it settles into a good painting subject."
Although the creative process can be challenging at times, Lucia told us that her favorite part is an easy choice: "Finishing the painting and being happy with it."
