This Is My Affliction // Cranes

"Eyes that last I saw in tears

Through division
Here in death's dream kingdom
The golden vision reappears
I see the eyes but not the tears
That is my affliction."

T.S. Eliot

Fjara

Gerðr

"And toward this house went a woman; when she raised her hands and opened the door before her, brightness gleamed from her hands, both over sky and sea, and all the worlds were illumined of her."
    Gylfaginning, 37.

In mythology, Gerðr is a jotunn and the wife of the great god Freyr, who became sullen after having seen her, so great was her beauty. Considering the light literally shines out from her, we can forgive Freyr his bout of teenage-like obsession and sulking. He even goes so far as to have his foot-page (read as "wing man", in my opinion) go chat her up on his behalf.

Huginn and Muninn

O'er Midgard Huginn and Muninn both

Each day set forth to fly;

For Huginn I fear lest he come not home,

But for Muninn my care is more.

 

-Odin,  Grímnismál

 

 

Pen and ink with digital color.

David

"The trick is not minding that it hurts."

David of Prometheus.
Pen and ink, digital color.

Brienne of Tarth

“Winter will never come for the likes of us. Should we die in battle, they will surely sing of us, and it’s always summer in the songs. In the songs all knights are gallant, all maids are beautiful, and the sun is always shining.”



Just a little art in honor of my favorite character from "A Song of Ice and Fire". Pen and ink, digital color.

RAW Artists Tucson presents The Blend

As part of the RAW Artists showcase here in Tucson, AZ, I had decided to make my own show poster since I was feeling a little nostalgic for concert posters. Working in a frame shop put a lot of them in my field of vision and to this day they remain one of my favorite mediums to do commercial art with.

The German addition to the title is purely thematic, as the majority of my art is based on Northern and Central European folklore. I'm also something of a sucker for all things Gothic Script.

It was amazing to work with such passionate artists at this show and I look forward to seeing more work from them in the coming years. RAW Artists does a good thing for local art communities, and no one should be shy to attend one of their events.

You can find your city at: http://www.rawartists.org

Ida Forlorn (A nymph colors the raspberries.)

Ida, in Hellenistic Greek mythology, is the nymph that kept Zeus when he was an infant. Hiding from Chronos, Ida was tasked with feeding and caring for Zeus. In her hunt, Ida came across many white berries, and when she went to pick them, the thorns from the vine tore at her, and her blood began to stain the berries.

In keeping with the tradition, the latin name for raspberries rubeus idaeus honors the mythos.

Pen and ink, digital color.

Welcome!

Greetings RAW artists and random browsers alike!

As many of you now seeing this blog are new, you may be wondering why such a large number of photos rather than illustrations. I ask that you pardon my dust, as I begin collecting recent pieces to show rather than my arsenal of pictures from Norway.

Thanks for your patience and stay tuned! I've got a lot to share with all you lovely people.

-Alex