Season's of Self Reflection ~ A Time for Dreams (Winter)
A Self-Portrait Series
Each of these illustrations is reflective of my personality. I am a Pisces but I am also a Tiger, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar.
As self portraits, the symbolism within these illustrations represent memories from my childhood and through my adult years. They portray my love of fantasy, of art and literature, animals and nature. They depicts my adoration of the aquatic realm and the wonders and beauty of the deep cold snow, which blanketed the land throughout the heart of Quebec winters.
Season of Self Reflection
A Time for Dreams
(Winter)
I loved the snow, the cooler weather and the beauty of our land while winter held it's grip over many long months.
Our 'hobby' farm supported a variety of domestic animals including horses.
My love of winter . . .
Some of the detail in this section depicts my desire to frolic in the snow along with our horses, represented as a ballerina reaching out to a white Lipizzaner Stallion. One of the most beautiful and graceful horses.
Wishing for Spring . . .
In this section of the illustration, it shows my desire for the greater warmth of spring. If only I could blow away the snow and icy cold in one breath, as one blows away the feathery seeds from the white puffy dandelion.
Bundling up in the cold . . .
Here the close up of the figure, bundled in the velvety blue cape is walking through a winter blizzard with a tiger. The woman's shadow is reminiscent of the groundhog's, which only appears when spring is announced.
Winter Self Portrait
This was the first section that I created for the winter illustration. In this version, I had the clock-worked face encased in ice. I didn't end up using the ice portion of this image but kept the rest to use for the final piece.
Winter Playing Card design
This was a preliminary idea for a playing card deck design. This illustration shows an unfinished version of the '2 of Spades'.