Of Leaves and Wishes

Leaves and Wishes, by Soni Alcorn-Hender

Leaves and Wishes

“There is a bower between the rowan and the hawthorn, the elder and the oak.
Wait for him there.”

Original character from a story in progress.
Acrylics, watercolour, pastel, pencil, and a distinct feeling of something in the forest, on 300gsm paper.

Prints and nice things available here.

The Forest’s Daughter

‘For long years the forest sung to her as she slept. It sung of black earth, clean airs, deep water, and the endurance of trees. But then it sang of iron teeth, fuming machines, and flesh that bleeds red. And she awoke.’
(part of my story in progress)

Acrylics, watercolour, pastel, colour pencil, and gold paste on 300gsm watercolour paper; approx. 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Prints and nice things available here.

A (very abbreviated) making of:

Greetings from Krampus

In honour of Krampus Night (December 5th)

Acrylics and mixed media on A3 paper (29×42 cms)
Painted as a basecard for the ‘Iconic Christmas Literature’ set from Iconic Creations.
Prints and good things available in my RedBubble shop here.

Mitheithel Bridge

Mitheithel Bridge, Lord of the Rings, illustration by Soni Alcorn-Hender

Mitheithel Bridge

“There are few even in Rivendell that can ride openly against the Nine; but such as there were, Elrond sent out north, west, and south. … It was my lot to take the Road, and I came to the Bridge of Mitheithel and left a token there nigh on seven days ago. Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the Bridge, but they withdrew and I pursued them westward.”
~~ Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien

Glorfindel dismays Black Riders upon Mitheithel Bridge.

Acrylic, watercolour, gouache, and coloured pencil on hot pressed paper, 21.7 x 29 cms.
Prints are available here in my RedBubble and Society6 shops

The Gelft, (characters from a work in progress)

“I bring news from the Underground City: We’ve been betrayed. And so have you.”
(From my work-in-progress story. MUCH bigger snippet under the artwork…)

Acrylics, coloured pencil, chalk pastels, Mylar flakes, green iridescent enamel paint, the glowing hauteur of an underground kingdom who cares not for your petty achievements, and gouache paint, on paper. 21×29 cms.

Original illustration by Soni Alcorn-Hender

Original character from a story in progress: A Gelft

For those who want story time, click on ‘Read the full post’ below:

Read the full post »

A Raven, (characters from a work in progress)

“The soft-winged shepherds of the dead. To see one is an honour, for it means a gentle end and a safe journey.
They’re known for their patience and sombre bearing, yet those who’ve seen them (and lived to tell of it) have glimpsed hard, black armour under their shadowy robes. But I only ever met one woman brave or mad enough to detain a Crow in their duty and actually ask.
She told me even she couldn’t believe the question came out of her mouth, and it was with a mingled feeling of surprised triumph and utter horror that she saw the robed figure pause in his task and then turn to face her.
In a voice as soft and dark as the dreaming sea, he said, ‘A freshly severed soul is a powerful and precious thing. The hinterland is full of claws and hunger. When we take a soul, we protect it.’ “

(From my work-in-progress story.)

Acrylic, watercolours, pastels, an ominous sense of foreboding, and pencils on paper, 21×29 cms.

Original illustration by Soni Alcorn-Hender

Original character from a story in progress: Raven shepherd of the dead.

King of Swords

A scholarly warrior-King in bright armour; haloed with stars that symbolise his celestial intellect, his distance from earthly matters, and his cold aloofness.
He holds his weapon like a Sword-of-Damocles, as both it, and his judgement, may fall at any second.
The scroll unravelling around him which bears the life and deeds of the person he is judging.

He stands upon books of collected law, and tradition which can guide and elevate, or hinder and bind.
The ground is covered in Purple Irises (for wisdom) and Black Eyed Susans (for justice), though some are crushed under the weight of the books.
The souls of the flowers rise as butterflies around him, and may still bring wisdom and mercy to his ears.

Painted for the ‘Woven Path Tarot’ for the Changeling Artist Collective, where every card is fine by a different (fantastic) artist – the Kickstarter will be out in November.

Acrylics, gouache, and colour pencil on paper, 21×29 cms.

Studio the second.

I loved my old studio: a golden little attic room, with slanty ceilings, creaky floors, and stuffed to the rafters with shiny nonsense like the inside of Howl’s Moving Castle. But it’s view was ‘a wall’. A yellowish, cracked wall, with bits of dead weed straggling from it, and on very exciting days possibly a glimpse of pigeon.

My new studio is in an attic again (I seem to gravitate towards them like a petulant bat), but as though to make up for several years staring at ‘a wall’ this one has a view of (what feels like) the whole of northern Portugal. I am ridiculously in love with it. :3 I can see the weather we’ll get half an hour before it actually gets here.

 

 

Dead Cthulhu Dreaming

“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn”
“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”
         ~ HP Lovecraft
In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming, by Soni Alcorn-Hender

When people say “worse things happen at sea”, they’re talking about him.

Acrylics, gouache, watercolour (yes I’ve finally started using it), pencil, pastels, and a whole jar of freshly-squeezed eldritch on paper, 21x29cms.

Painted for Iconic Creations forthcoming collectible card set ‘Classic Literature 2’.
Prints etc. will be available after the set releases in June.

Work in progress and details: