Courtney Keys

BFA Drawing

Website: www.stelliferous-illustration.com
Twitter: @starlitswords

ARTIST STATEMENT: The art presented in this project “Tales of the Dawn” are illustrated works to represent my novels The Winterblooded and The Song of the Sea, as well as my original Dungeons & Dragons Feywild-inspired adventure Veil of Dreams. The meaning behind the name for this project comes from the idea that these stories are both just beginning to take flight as their own respective written works on pages as well as the idea that they tell stories of characters at the very dawn—the beginning—of long, life-changing journeys ahead.

My art stems from two of my biggest interests as both an artist and author. I love creating worlds far away, stories where we may wander and escape the mundane. I value stories that allow readers to dream, to feel inspired and instilled in an unwavering desire to expand the boundaries of the imagination. There are so many visions yet to be given form, and I am excited to breathe life into other star-speckled stories-to-be. Therefore, I present fantastical ideas in my art by exploring elements of “the traditional canon” of fantasy creatures and settings from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, as well as similar concepts that are written today in Young Adult and Adult Fantasy like Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy and Emily Tesh’s Greenhollow Duology. However, many of the ideas in my art are original to my books’ worlds. I illustrate vampires, faeries, elves, and other characters capable of magic in either a contemporary or otherworldly setting, pulling from life, mythology, and my imagination to create works of whimsy and elegance.

The Wintersong, Digital illustration print, 48”x16”

The Dreamer, Digital illustration print, 48”x16”

The Sword and Shield, Digital illustration print, 48”x16”