“From the moment he had come to this world she knew of him, perhaps even before, and forever after. She knew the burdens of his heart and how his thoughts seemed not to be thoughts but riddles planted in his consciousness like so many weeds. How she loved him for his pain, it consumed her, those memories of his that she remembered and he did not. In him would be a revelation of her memories, she knew, but she would not speak of those things. She would not speak of anything. She could not. An interdiction beyond life had come upon her. She was silent.
But the wind… the wind could whisper his name for her.”
From “The Cradle of Whispers” © Delurianne

My entry for Delurianne‘s art contest, featuring characters from her haunting and captivating story “The Cradle of Whispers”. She is not only a talented artist, but an amazing writer as well. Her work is absolutely mesmerizing. I can’t possibly do her characters justice, but this is my interpretation of Isobel and the ghostly Elessario. The thorns and flowers symbolize not only the differences in their characters, but also the hardships and rewards Isobel experiences throughout his unusual lifetime. The birds represent fleeting memories and freedom. Originally I was going to do a shaded piece, but as Isobel is known as a Dragon Lord, I decided to try to create a “hidden image” within the linework. If you look closely, you might be able to see a dragon’s head and neck in the forest, and the rest of its body and wings suggested by the characters’ positions and clothing.