Folktale Week 2024

It’s been way too long. (Sorry, but honestly all I can say is it’s been one of those years)

But… I’m back and here to talk about one of my favorite yearly happenings…FOLKTALE WEEK.

I so am excited to once again be co-host of this amazing Instagram art challenge...This will be our 7th year of Folktale Week, and I am happy to be part it again. Here's this years prompts if you want to join along.

More info: https://www.instagram.com/folktaleweek/

https://www.instagram.com/debrastyer/

I’ll be adding a bit more in the next few weeks as I work on the illustrations for the project stay tuned for some dark, but fun, folktale art.

I hope you can join along.

Prompt List 2024

I’m joining Folktale Week by Debra Styer

HERE IT GOES…Here’s what I came up with for the 2024 years Prompts:

Folktale Week 2024

Day 1: Mist

#FolktaleWeek2024

Day 1: Mist

I was inspired by the British Folktale "The Green Mist", a story of a dying girl who is saved by the mysterious green mist in hopes she will hang on just a bit longer. The girl says, "I swear I'd ask no more than to live as long as the one of those Cowslips that grow by our gate each year".

In this village, the mist is legendary. After a very long wait, it is finally time and her mother helps her to the doorway where she gives her offerings of bread and salt and says the old words, as the mist finally arrives and covers her.

Soon after the girl begins to heal. She regains her strength as spring returns. She happily hangs out with all the other young people in the village. She even meets a young man. One day as the two are chatting and making plans for their future, he picks one of the Cowslips flowers near the doorway, and hands it to her. She holds it tightly in her hand...

You have to remember the life of a flower is not very long and when it is taken early things must end. The girl died the next day...

Folktale Week 2024

Day 2: Gate

#folktaleweek2024

Day 2: Gate

This was inspired by the Japanese Folktale, "The Ogre of Rashomon". The story is about the brave knight, Watanabe, who fought the giant Ogre who terrorized on the villagers at the Gate of Rashomon in Kyoto.

Even as the terrible Ogre held him tightly in his grasp, Watanabe slashed and slashed with his sword eventually cutting off the arm of the monster. He watched as the Monster ran away in fright, leaving his arm behind...

Will the monster come back to grab his arm, or will he be gone for good?

(Day 3: Blight Coming soon)

Folktale Week 2024

Day 4: Trail

#folktaleweek2024

Day 4; Trail

Today's illustration was inspired by the Grimm's Fairytale "Jorinda and Joringel". It is a story of two young loves that simply go for a walk to discuss their upcoming wedding and forget to watch out for the nearby witches castle.

Suddenly they are encircled by a creepy owl with glowing eyes. The owl circles them three times and poof Jorinda turns into a Nightingale. The Owl flies towards the castle.

Joringel can do nothing, he stands still in fear, when out from the woods an old woman appears holding a birdcage and captures Jorinda within. They soon disappear into the woods

The big question, will Joringel save the day, and get his lovely bride (hopefully in human form) back in time for their wedding day?

Folktale Week 2024

Day 5: Depth

#folktaleweek2024

Day 5: Depth

Today's piece is inspired by the Aesop's Fable, "The Farmer and the Sea". The story is about a farmer that is watching a ship being swallowed owed by a giant wave. He yells, "O Sea, it would be better if no one had ever set sail on you! You are a pitiless element of nature and an enemy of mankind". After hearing the man's complaint, the sea rose up in form of a woman and said, "Do not spread such evil stories about me! I am not the cause of any of these things that happen to you; the winds to which I am exposed to are the cause of them all. If you look at me when the winds are gone, and sail upon me then, you will see I am even more gentle than that dry land of yours."

This fable struck me as pretty darkly appropriate considering the world right now. My take...stop blaming women for everything, dudes.

Folktale Week 2024

Day 6: Bone

#Foltaleweek2024

Day 6: Bones

Today's illustration is inspired by the Mexican Legend of La Loba (aka La Huesera) is the story of the Bone Woman who creeps and crawls all over the land and through the rivers searching for lost bones. Her favorites include wolves, deer ravens and snakes. Once she puts together the entire skeleton, she pops on the skull. She stands over the creature and sings her magic songs. Her voice brings flesh and fur and life back to the body. One more song and the creature can open its eyes and breath once more.

The creature awakens back to life as nothing has happened, and happily darts or slithers off into the darkness.

She has done her job and begins searching once again.

Folktale Week 2024

Day 7: Blossom

#folktaleWeek2024

Day 7: Blossom

On the last day of #Folktaleweek2024, I wanted to leave with a bit of light and hope. Here's my portrait of the Roman Goddess "Flora", for the Blossom prompt. She is the goddess of flowers, spring and fertility.

I may stick with the fertility of good ideas and hope this year, who's joining me?

Of course, there may still be a little thorn of pain in that growth. But we must keep going...

That wraps up another amazing Folktale Week! I hope you like my new illustrations. Prints will be in my Etsy shop asap.

Join us next year, it;’s usually the week before Thanksgiving. Tune in for more starting in October 2025.

Thoughts on 2023…and getting ready for 2024

The Mushroom Wanderer (detail) by Debra Styer, 2023

Well it was a pretty tough year, yet again. The war in Ukraine continues and the Hamas War is terrifying on incredibly sad. As for this year, I’m very worried that the U.S. will become a chaotic mess with the upcoming election and I hope we all remain peaceful as we vote for the next president. (Praying we finally say goodbye to Trump).

As an artist, it can be really difficult to focus on work when so there much is going on in the world, but I think it is something we must do.

Even though it was a tough year, I did mange to get bunch of new work done. I was in 3 art shows at City Art Gallery, participated in a few illustration classes and I was happy to be one of hosts of Folktale Week for the 6th year. I am working on adding my recent work to my Etsy shop and on here so stay tuned….

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So…Here’s to 2024!

I’m hoping for another art filled year!

My goals for this year will be focusing on learning hand lettering, working on some new some editorial projects, and trying to get into a few more galleries. My main focus will be creating portraits of inspiring historical women. I starting working on some of these paintings last year and look forward to creating more.

On a personal note, over the last 5 years or so, I have been really working towards getting myself out there in the real art world. I have been steadily growing as an artist but something always stops me from taking the leap and showing my work to publishers and art agents. Well, this seems like a good year to take that next step and get over this crazy shyness.

Praying for a peaceful year and world.

How are you feeling about 2024?

New Paintings at City Art Gallery, July 2021

I don’t believe 2021 is already halfway over! Can you? I’ve been really busy with classes, new projects, and a brand new show at City Art Gallery in San Francisco. Here’s a look at the new pieces.

My Gallery wall at City Art Gallery.

It was fun show to do with a little less Pandemic worries than my show in the fall. I definitely feel a bit lighter this time around. Things seem like they are going back to normal (well kinda…maybe …). The gallery had our first art opening since Covid-19 hit 15 months ago and I was happy to see some familiar faces and finally talk to my fellow artists and friends in person. It makes such a huge difference to really connect to people.

As for the pieces themselves, I created a small series of taxidermy-inspired pieces. I am super inspired by history, nature, and animals so what better way to pay tribute to that than taxidermy? Well, there is the death part which I’m not a huge fan of but I loved painting these creatures as if they existed in my very dark and gothic haunted house. Here they are:

Debra Styer, The Owl and the Greenman, 2021

Debra Styer, The Domed Jay, 2021

Debra Styer, Bobcat in Blue, 2021

The larger paintings were inspired by the loveliness and lightness of nature and the darkness that can follow. The Goth Girl in me went a little crazy this time but I had a wonderful time telling these little stories.

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Debra Styer, Blossoms, 2021

“Blossoms” is my ode to my kitties who truly helped me through the craziness of the pandemic and life. I don’t have kids so they are indeed my furbabies.

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Debra Styer, From the Underneath, 2021

“From the Underneath” was inspired by a recent camping trip where there was so much seaweed (pondweed?), that I questioned there must be something or someone hiding underneath.

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Debra Styer, The Gift, 2021

This one, “The Gift”, was a a little ode to folktales and little tiny people that are found in the forest.

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Debra Styer, A Gothic Tale, 2021

And this last one, “A Gothic Tale”, was my favorite to illustrate. I tend to live in a bit of a dream world and this one got a little too close for comfort. And I am sure these sweet little ravens, will do nothing but Squawk and wake up our dear reader just in time for her lovely dinner and glass of wine that’s waiting for her, right?

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This world pandemic has been just so awful, but there has to be something we can find positive in all the craziness. I think it has made everyone stop and look around at their lives and really see how they have been living. I suppose this year, I was given a little gift of time with my artist self to see where I wanted to go. Although, I am still working things out, by direction feel a little more clear. Does it feel that way to you, too? I feel like the world has been shaken up and now we need to put ourselves upright again, I hope we are all able to stand up stronger, whatever we do.

Thank you for reading, I hope you like the new paintings. They will be on view at the gallery from July 2nd to August 1st, 2021 at City Art Gallery (828 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA).

Highgate Cemetery Portraits

In August, I was lucky enough to visit the incredible Highgate Cemetery during the London Letterheads Conference. I was so inspired by my walk around the the gorgeous graveyard, I decided to dedicate my next gallery show to it. It is truly a dream world for any Victorian Goth lover.

To me, Highgate is kind of a living city to the dead. Although, it is still a working cemetery, I loved exploring the darkest of the lost paths. Highgate was built in the 19th century as one of the London Cemeteries that were on the outskirts of town. It housed the bodies of people could no longer be buried within the churches of London. As time wore on, it now has wild vines wrapping around the graves, showcasing some, while burying others, it is filled with birds and animals as well as a spooky legend or two. I loved it.

There is something that is so wonderful about visiting old graveyards that seems to be missing these days. Victorians were surrounded by so much death everyday, that they sort of embraced death, now we seem to be are more afraid of it.

Here are some of my illustrations (and a few photos I took) inspired by my trip to this legendary cemetery in London.

I thought these portraits would be a perfect countdown to Halloween.

I hope you like them!

My October gallery wall at City Art Gallery in San Francisco

Graves rearranged by time at Highgate Cemetery.

Debra Styer, Georgina in the Sun, 2018

Debra Styer, A Sacred Magpie, 2018

In a Disused Graveyard

“The living come with grassy tread
To read the gravestones on the hill;
The graveyard draws the living still,
But never anymore the dead.
The verses in it say and say:
”The ones who living come today
To read the stones and go away
Tomorrow dead will come to stay.”
So sure of death the marbles rhyme,
Yet can’t help marking all the time
How no one dead will seem to come.
A Disused Graveyard

What is it men are shrinking from?
It would be easy to be clever
And tell the stones: Men hate to die
And have stopped dying now forever.
I think they would believe the lie.

Robert Frost”

My favorite Angel monument at Highgate

Debra Styer, Mourning Flowers, 2018 (in progress)

Circle of Baby Angels, Highgate Cemetery 2018

Debra Styer, Caught in the Web, 2018

Sacred, Highgate Cemetry 2018

Debra Styer, Watching from Above, 2018

Two Graves Bound at Highgate Cemetery

Debra Styer, The Woman in White, 2018

If you want to see these paintings in person, they are up in the Gallery until October 28th.

City Art Gallery

828 Valencia Street

San Francisco, CA

http://www.cityartgallery.org/

Prints from the show will be available mid-November in my shop!

I hope you enjoyed the show!

All images and Illustrations ©DebraStyer