Baba Yaga is the terrifying Slavic folk figure. Tales tell of her flying through the forest perched in her mortar and pestle or cauldron, sometimes steering with a broom. She lives in a hut with chicken legs and is portrayed as a helper or a great danger depending on who she is dealing with. I was inspired to draw this full color piece after drawing a pen and ink illustration for Laura Tempest Zakroff's book The Witch's Cauldron.
Aziza Fairy Queen was inspired by Dahomey mythology and folklore. These small, helpful forest dwelling beings live in anthills and silk-cotton trees. They bring good magic, knowledge, and fire to humans. I modeled her wings after the Painted Lady butterfly that lives in the region of West Africa where legends of the Aziza are told.
Caffeinia, Goddess of Caffeine All artists and writers and musicians know her, as this matron Goddess of baristas fuels our creativity with her magical brews! Yes, this is a modern goddess suggested by a friend. She levitates a tray of caffeinated goods, her sacred plants a cacao tree, a tea tree, and a coffee shrub are all on the scene. She wears a talisman shaped like a caffeine molecule.
If you can smell coffee, the background was painted with it! Too far? Never!
Lady of the Forest is the nurturing force of life and an faun-like elven spirit of life on earth, she is a part of the realm of the fae. The reference photo is actually one of my oldest daughter Brittany's senior portraits that I took for her myself. I loved her expression in this photo, and decided it was perfect for Lady of the Forest."
