The Whitefire Crossing

A recent cover piece here. This is the all oils version, though the printed cover will have some glowy red magic effects added where the figure touches to the tree. Story-wise, he's absorbing life from the living tree and the tree is blackening from his touch. This is how I picture it as described in the book, very subtle and quiet. For a cover to code as fantasy though, it was a bit too subtle. It was something we talked back and forth a bit, and in the end I think I prefer the original version as a painting though the more overtly magical certainly works better for the cover. Thanks to Photoshop, everybody wins :)



16x24, oil on illustration board

*edit* here's the digital retouch version as it was approved for print:

Though Smoke Shall Hide The Sun

A new piece for Tor.com, this time for a short from Brit Mandelo. This is a slightly different version of the piece from the one shown with the story. There was concern over the foreground character looking too much the victim (which I most definitely agree she should not) and so I was asked to give her a bit of a sly smile. It worked better for the story, though this version works a bit better for me, so here it is :)


9x16, oil on illustration board

The Hanged Man

As we're closing in on the final stretch for the tarot series, I've found I have some Major Arcana yet to do. The Hanged Man is one that I'd called dibs on from way early on and then let simmer for, well, the past couple years I guess. I love the meaning and traditional interpretations, but I did want to move out of the box just a bit. The whole Tau Cross leg thing for example. It didn't feel necessary to the symbolism for me, and honestly I'm not even sure I understand it. So here's the outcome, a rare traditional/digital hybrid piece for me. Oh, and the model for the painting is my Dad, which was fun and strange, like making an alternate universe time traveling self portrait.



12x18, oil on illustration board/digital