Sylphira of the Briar Glade
Tread lightly; the wild woods do not welcome mortals.
Guardian of the ancient flora, Sylphira weaves silver twilight and enchanted spores through the deep woods, leading lost wanderers away from the mortal path.
The Inspiration
While I spend much of my workbench time dwelling in horror and dark folklore, Sylphira was born from a desire to explore a more gentle fantasy style.
I wanted to capture a quiet steward of the forest, a spirit content in soft, arboreal spaces, yet by no means defenseless. There is a deep satisfaction in watching these gentler pieces strike such an immediate, unexpected resonance with the gothic community at fairs around the country.
The Craft
The entirety of the piece was burned using a narrow wire tip, allowing crisp angles in the heavy burning and a light touch on the shading.
I chose a very light-coloured and straight grained piece of (FSC approved) birch plywood for the burning of Sylphira so as not to interfere with the delicate shading on her wings. A final hard wax coating was applied so as to not add too much colour to the final piece.
