Over 6 hours in the making... this is probably the most complex thing I've drawn for myself in a long time. I got this image in my head as I was trying to sleep one night and was listening to an ASMR/hypnotism Youtube artist doing guided imagery, and she talked about a beautiful forest.. and this came to mind, and haunted me for a few days before I was able to sketch it. Then another week before I could ink it. Then another 3 or 4 days before I could start coloring. Then 2 more days before I could finish it. I can't recall having an image stick with me this long before.

All of this has meaning for me.

The deer is a mule deer, who lived all around the town I grew up in when I was small, in southern Alberta, Canada. I used to get so excited to see them in small herds, meandering across the road while the stag kept careful watch on the car to make sure we weren't going to hurt his does and fawns, before finally wandering off after them. They're extremely pretty, and have rather unique antlers. Coloration varies by locale so I went with one similar to what I remember seeing as a kid.

The bobcat is there because I got to pet one, once, but moreso because I had a very memorable experience as a kid of seeing a Canadian lynx in the wild. Obviously a lynx is too big to fit in a 4' tall person's lap so bobcat it was. They're also very beautiful, like all lynxes.

The wolf is based off of a common coloration for British Columbia gray wolves. I have always loved wolves and played as one constantly when I was small. Though my love for the coloration has faded slightly after finding out that it is produced by crossbreeding with domestic dogs, I really find the dark or black wolves to be extremely beautiful, almost haunting. British Columbia is where I did the rest of my growing up after moving out of Alberta and the background here is based on the pine forests of that province. I always loved to hide under big pines whose branches brushed the ground, creating secret, quiet, warm spaces even in winter where you could be alone and feel closer to nature. I always was fascinated with finding hideaways, and I still have a tendency to try to hide, even if it's just under a blanket, when I'm not feeling well. The underside of a big pine tree is sort of like a natural blanket fort. It smells good too.

The red-eyed crow is based off of the imaginary friend I had when I was young. He would perch on my shoulder or arm and fly at people who hurt me (I was bullied a lot as a kid, before growing up to be a bit of one myself as a teenager - I liked to fight - and then maturing further and deciding that 'kill them with kindness' is usually the best way to deal with anyone being a jerk). He flew all around and came back to whisper secrets about the surrounding area that only I could understand, in a whispery, croaking crow-language. The image has resurfaced for me many times even in adulthood, though of course I no longer believe I have a crow friend that only I can see - but he's become a sort of guide and haven, something to think about when I feel like I need protection, and I have an intense fondness for all corvids, especially crows and ravens. The home my family moved to after I moved away has a family of crows that live nearby, and the last time I visited them I greatly enjoyed watching their antics while smoking on the balcony. The dorms that hailbop lived in during college had their own flock, and at one point I was coming back to the dorm, down a pathway with concrete chest-high walls on either side, and an enormous crow was perched at a corner of the wall, watching me. I came within about a foot and a half of him, and could have touched him - if he would have let me - and we just stood and looked at each other until some other people came loudly talking down the path and he took off. Crows have been everywhere I've lived, and have always had importance to me. There are crows where I live now, but they don't come around much, so it's a special treat to step out on the balcony/stairs outside my bedroom and see some on the neighbor's roof, or the lightpost across the street, cawing conversationally and watching everything that happens.

The butterfly on Farore's antenna is a (male) blue metalmark butterfly, which are native to North America and is very small (as it seems blue butterflies often are). My mental image included a butterfly and I have always adored blue butterflies, particularly iridescent ones (sadly I was not able to figure out how to give an iridescent effect in the image). I wanted all of the creatures in the picture to be North American, to live somewhere I had lived, or at least somewhere I might've been to. As the blue metalmark spends time in Texas, the second criteria is fulfilled, as I have visited Texas (and plan to again, though for different reasons - the first was to see an ex-boyfriend, the current reason is to visit one of my dearest friends - and her son, also a friend - and her big family of poly partners, kids, and pets). I love watching butterflies and moths and having one land on you feels totally magical to me (and is much more likely to happen than getting to pet a wild wolf or hold a wild crow, hah). I'm actually hoping to plant some butterfly-attracting flowers in our front yard to get more around (and bees too!) so I can just sit out in the summer with a cool drink and watch them go by. I also think that the butterfly being on Farore's antenna gives a sense of stillness to the image, of peace, as butterflies will not generally perch on you if you're moving a lot. I wanted that very much for the picture, a sense of serenity, stillness, comfort, and quiet.

It's raining in the image because it was in my mental image, but also because I love rain, and sitting mostly-dry under a big tree in a forest while it rains is a breathtaking experience. The filename for this includes 'rainserene' because those are my biggest focuses with this piece: the impression of rain and damp, and all the scents that produces in a piney wood, as well as the sense of calm and quiet.

That was a lot of rambling for some weird doodle but I thought some of you might be interested in the thoughts behind the art.

Thanks for lookin'.

Farore & art by me!
Soundtrack for this piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLu7EfIuiX8

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