Tag Archives: maidens

Romani Maiden and Spook the Cat, ATCs

Romani Maiden, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics, fine liners, gel pen

Her family discovered Nadya had the gift of fortune-telling at age nine when she convinced them not to take a ship that was lost in a violent storm two weeks after leaving port. But she always preferred horses to people, and by sixteen she discovered a gift for training horses.  Nadya is number 14 in the 100 Maidens Project and was made for a trade at illustratedatcs.com

The topic I chose from the ATC preference list for this trade was “gypsy or bohemian woman”, and in reading about “gypsies” I was reminded that some Roma consider this an insult. My imperfect understanding suggests “Romani” is the feminine adjective, and I hope anyone reading this post who knows otherwise will correct me.

Spook, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics and fine liners

Spook’s mother was the goddess Bastet and his sire a powerful Sphynx cat, companion to a ruling pharoah. Every October, this ancient and magical creature rises from a deep slumber and begins his search for thirteen worthy black kittens on which to bestow the magic of All Hallow’s Eve. Made for a Halloween swap at illustratedatcs.com.

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Reference photo.  Cat reference photo.

Hooray, you visited again! Or potentially for the first time! Thank you. ;)

Ice Maiden and a Magical Fish for IF

Kuura the Ice Maiden, 4×6 Copics, fine liners, gel pen

In an attempt to dovetail Illustration Friday with my 100 Maidens Project, an Ice Maiden with a bit of a steampunk twist. (The eyepiece was initially supposed to be more snowflake-like. Alas!) If you look at the progress slideshow you’ll see how much I messed with this. To death. Particularly with the gel pen. On the other hand, I kind of like her in the end. For the topic “Freeze” at Illustration Friday.

Kuura* is a Maiden of Ice who lives in a frozen palace at the bottom of the sea. Her favorite companion is a  magical fish called Phylliss who delivers messages across the world. Phylliss likes to play racing games with young dolphins and manta rays when she’s not working. She was made for a trade at illustratedatcs.com.

Phyllis in the Deep, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

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Thanks for visiting!

*Kuura means frost in Finnish.

 

Maidens and Foxes in Copics, Oh My!

Water Elemental Maiden Voda, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Fire Elemental Maiden, The Flame Queen, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Air Elemental Maiden, Whisper the Wind Walker, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Elemental Maidens for the Elementals swap at illustratedatcs.com. Haven’t quite worked out “Earth” yet. Tree Nymph or Rock Golem? Mix of the two? Hm.

That makes eight maidens complete for the 100 Maidens Project. Not quite impressive yet, but working on it. The excellent artist Richard Ewing at Visual Cogitations has recently suggested I add bodies to these maidens. To which I say, “One step at a time, sir!” (Check again about number 40.)

And next, a pair of red foxes, made by request for trades. I think I can do better and I expect to, because foxes are seriously popular and more have been requested! The smaller fellow is Sydney, a rare non-mischievous fox. While the other foxes steal things, Sydney naps. But then he will sing to them for a share of the loot.

Red Fox One, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Chelsea is the second fox. She was raised with cats and thinks she is a cat. Except that whole tree climbing thing. And dang, has she tried! (She climbs trees better than other foxes, at any rate.)  Reference photo.

Red Fox Two, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Thanks for visiting! I hope you aren’t sick of the tiny art cards yet!

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100 Maidens Project and Illustration Friday

Celestial Maiden Fara, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

Celestial Maiden Deia, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

 

The topic this week at Illustration Friday is “Lonely” and there are few lonelier than the Celestial Maidens. Whether walking the stars or talking to planets, they walk the heavens and rarely meet. These are the final two in a group of four created for a swap at illustratedatcs.com. The first two can be found in my last post.

I joined that swap as a challenge because I so rarely do people of any kind. But I had so much fun I decided to embark on a new project called 100 Maidens. I figure after 100 I will be much better at drawing women, at any rate! It’s not 100 in 100 days or any madness like that. Just 100 in the next year or so, hopefully a really nice variety (and not 100 young, beautiful blondes, for instance). I’ve got a Flickr set created to collect them.

The one below was created for a trade by someone who liked the second maiden and wanted a version with warm colors. Thanks for visiting!

Maiden Number 5, Pharandra, 2.5″ x 3.5″ Copics

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