Wistful
by Nicki Newell
2022
I drew this piece just after a long art slump. My energy and inspiration was depleted and when I did find some I felt like I couldn't create anything that was from myself, but just a poor replica of something I saw.
I wanted to give this illustration a feeling of softness, hope, and also sadness. The figure is sitting on top of mushrooms which represent decay as she looks back. I wanted this to feel like looking back over one's life when things don't always go the way we expect, yet still beautiful things can grow from that. I wanted to balance that feeling with the birds, the clouds and the silver lining seen on the bottom of the clouds closest to the woman. The sun is setting on this part of her life that she might have regrets about but with the new day come new hope and opportunities.