Felicia Atkinson

The most "shared" of my work, most likely. The first piece I did after the break-in that nearly took my life in August of 2015 and broke my dominant hand in two places. It was hard to get ba…ck 'in the game' after relearning things, if you get what I mean. If you have heard the story of how I was wearing Jared Padalecki's "Always Keep Fighting" campaign shirt when my assault happened, you know why I drew this first thing when I recovered. I was hung up after a serious ankle injury and it seemed only fair. I no longer have this piece; it is in the possession of Jared Padalecki himself since August 2016. :)MORE

This project and my final project, which is of my own idea and is homage to Francesca Woodman. She has been an amazing friend for well over a decade and she’s the most unique person I know. Best… of all, she lends herself well to emotion and, as Ani Difranco suggests at one point in her lyrical career, Cryz has the “sort of beauty that moves,” which makes it hard to capture under most conditions. In this case, I wanted her as a model because of her ability to emote so well and because she is one of the most evolved and educated people I know. My theme in this is contemplation and the ecstasy that comes with meditation and knowledge. I’m not sure how well I’ve captured it, but I’m hoping I did so decently. This is a diptych series, as requested by my professor. Generally speaking, it’s supposed to be side-by-side but I hated the presentation that way. This format flows much better, at least to me.MORE

One of my original characters portrayed as Our Lady of the Seven Dolours. It's been forever since I played with Catholic imagery, but I remembered how much I loved it.

TOMMY FUCKING SHELBY But seriously, when the new Peaky Blinders hit Netflix in December of this year, I was all about it? I decided to doodle this and give it to a friend. The lips were driving me …crazy though, if we're honest.MORE

I tried to do Inktober this year, and failed. I got one picture out though, this one -- It's micron inks on watercolor paper, and there's not much special about it. Prompt was 'starcros…sed' and I was inspired by the folklore of the Black Dog/Shucks of the United Kingdom. The first thing buried in a cemetery becomes its guardian -- i.e. the Black Dog -- and therefore you never buried humans first. But what happens if you did? Well, you get a ghost lady who can't be with her husband through eternity because he's the guardian of the local cemetery is what. I'm gonna revisit this better after October, I think.MORE

This piece is otherwise called 'Everyone at the studio thinks this is an angel, and I've stopped correcting them about it and have instead become bemused at their expense.' It's a S…irin. Not an angel. Also not a Siren, even if they are certainly linked to the Greek creature. Their creation and evolution lies entirely in word of mouth spread via trade byways created with the Rus of the Volga with Persians. They're a creature of Russian -- and otherwise Slavic -- folklore that live in the mythic land of Vyriy, otherwise known as Paradise. Birds, long thought to be the souls of our deceased kin, would return to this land once death (winter) began to take hold and return with the gift of warmth and new growth in the spring. Along the outskirts of Vyriy, or near estuaries within it, lived the Sirins, as defacto guardians. They were not the true gatekeepers -- that title belonged to the storm and cattle god, Veles -- but they served an important role. Namely that anyone who heard its melodies would have their memories and time upon the mortal coil stolen from them. The catch being only those who were happy could see or hear the creature, though this evolved over time, turning them into a creature of extremes on both sides. Sirins, originally acting as a metaphor for divine enlightenment acting through them and the hearer, could similarly make you forget your love for God -- make a man a witless heretic -- and devour you for your folly into the lands of the divine.  They are, however, considered the better half of the Birds of Paradise one could run into in Vyriy. The Alkonost, whom I hope to undertake next, was a bird of gloom whose song also made you forget, but unlike the Sirin who oftentimes welcomed you into Paradise? The Alkonost always was always a bird meant to represent human shortcoming. Hear her weeping and want for nothing, and know nothing, for all of eternity. And now you know why I laugh when everyone calls her an "angel." ;)MORE