Hey there! If you're reading this journal, you're probably either subscribed to my newsletter or you've seen my art at the Island Art Association Gallery in Fernandina Beach! (If you aren't subscribed to my newsletter and would like to be, you can subscribe here.)
Below is a behind-the-scenes look at my entry to the Nouveau Art Show.
A DIFFERENT LIFE
Ophiah glanced at the window. Her office sat high above the city, a silver tower imprisoning her. She envied the glare of the sun cutting through the clouds, across the sides of skyscrapers, and slipping into her white-walled office. That is freedom, she thought, to move without boundaries, to brush the surface of a smiling Earth, a smiling world.
But this high up, such yearning was frowned upon.
You have purpose, they told her. They treated her different.
Something else called her from the streets. A different life, maybe. A different calling—one where she ran wild and free and limitless. Maybe in another life, she thought. Maybe that’s what everyone thought: Maybe in another life I could’ve been free, I could’ve been me.
When I work on my art, I spend a few days prior brainstorming. I like to have a clear vision for my image before I ever sit down to draw.
For the prompt "A Slice of Life," I wanted to draw something like you'd see in a fashion magazine. I wanted it to be dark with an emphasis on the profile, and I wanted the light shining on the character's eye and earring. When I finally got to the page, this is what I came up with.
I chose my character Ophiah for the project because of her outlook on life. With her character, there has always been a theme of longing for a different life and what could have been. In my book series, Angels' Compass, she works as an office assistant where the staff looks at her in a different light because of her heritage. I wanted to express this sense of not belonging in the written companion.
I hope you've enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look. If you'd like to know more about my work, feel free to check out my author page and a sneak peek at my illustrated fantasy book series, Angels' Compass.
🔥🔥 Good luck at the art show!