After The Harvest
'After The Harvest' is from the Within The Wildwood series, and features a harvested pumpkin adorned by two enchantingly blue Wildwood moths. This illustration is inspired by Samhain, the Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the start of winter, and thought by some to mark the Celtic New Year. Samhain is traditionally celebrated from 31st October until 1st November, from sunset to sunset, but is more commonly celebrated today as Hallowe'en. In the Pagan wheel of the year it is the end of the eternal cycle of birth and growth - it is the time of death. The Sun God is sacrificed back unto the earth, to be reborn once more at Yule, the time of the Winter Solstice when the days will begin to lengthen again in preparation for Spring. Samhain is also said to be the time when the veils between the worlds are at their thinnest, and the boundaries between this world and the Otherworld can be most easily crossed, both by spirits and by us. As such, Samhain is a day to honour the ancestors and those close to us who have passed through the gateway, and it is purported to be a good time for seances and similar rituals.
2018.
A4 original illustration.
Prismacolor Premier Pencils on Daler-Rowney Earthbound sketchbook recycled paper.
Original available.
