Illustrations
Pencil, watercolors, & digital
A love for experimentation has lead to a mixture of mediums.
I am a multi-media artist, often picking up multiple mediums for a single project. I suppose it is a matter of habit, as I am constantly looking to try new ways to achieve different effects. My most recent addition is Gold Leaf and Metallic Paints. I have also used pan pastels, colored pencils, a variety of white and black inks, and even gouache to attain my desired results.
It always begins with crisp accurate lines, whether I choose to ink them for watercolors, or leave them as is to scan and paint digitally.
My first love was pencil, and I still find myself returning to this medium often. I find the gentle repetition of graphite shading to be meditative and soothing.
Pictured: Daughter of Avragorn is a concept illustration featuring one of my original fantasy characters. This piece began with a pencil sketch which I scanned and painted in Photoshop, layering with various stamps and textures to create an faux aged look with the soft coloring of watercolors or pastel.
I also have a soft spot for black and white art, though it is not often requested. There is something so mesmerizing about the simplicity of working without color, which really isn't simple at all! With no color for added contrast, one must be more inventive with shade and texture.
As a child I had access to my mother's collection of art books containing wonders from the Golden Age of Illustration, which of course fueled my love of Fantasy Illustrations and Fairy Tale Art. Harry Clarke, Edmund Dulac, Kay Nielsen, Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, and so many more planted seeds of creativity in my imagination.
Of course, my most obvious influence is the master of Art Nouveu, Alphonse Mucha. But I also must give thanks to Brian Froud and Alan Lee who also lent their own touch to to my imaginings of Elves and Faeries.