The Rose and the Beast: my first winner . . .

This illustration is inspired by a single page of text from Francesca Lia Block's book, "The Rose & the Beast". Her book retells familiar fairy tales, both surreal and obscure, that are delicately filled with evocative language. Block explores the elements of love and terror that often fill fairy tales; yet, she puts on display just how primal these stories are. These were the qualities that I attempted to depict in this illustration. I was hoping that egg tempera’s mysterious and delicate nature would best communicate the mood of her stories.