Hypnopompic Dispatch
Our heroes arrive home, plus using watercolours wrong
Here we are, at the sea; our heroes in ill fame have returned from whence they came, returning to all the rumours and false stories that they were told about on land, returned to see the evidence of chaos they left in their wake, much to their horror. Their home really did drown into the sea. Frankie’s father really did spread all those lies. Everyone really did think Rhys was killed.
Everyone really does believe that they’re witches.
Good.
I don’t often do lore drops, but episode 103 refers back to a moment that was mentioned in episode 90 about Meggo of the Blue Abyss, a sea witch of yore, of disrepute. Y’know, the one that cursed all those crabs! This story was elaborated on in my From the Depths zine:
“Amongst the proud crab kingdom of Laver, Meggo is remembered with a particular disdain after a notorious resource skirmish culminated in a mass curse of the populace. To this day, it is custom for the crabs of Laver to decorate themselves with apotropaic markings in defence against the long deceased Meggo's Curse.”
So what we see at the beginning is the proud crabs of Laver, covered in their apotropaic markings, attacking someone who they sense could possibly be a witch.
Episode 107 is now finished and is available to read onto the patreon, along with episodes 104, 105 and 106. We are easing ourselves into a long (dread-filled) summer night in these final episodes, which lets me indulge in my favourite moody colour palette of carmines, grey-blue’s, seafoam green and gold.
Here’s a little preview of episode 104, out July 21st.
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When it comes to my traditional art practice, I’ve been paring it down to what I know, what I like, so I can try and learn these watercolours better. Plant’s usually. Turns out I use watercolours like an oil painter.
I’ll be honest: when it comes to my traditional practice, the first six months of this year have seen me come face to face with my own ridiculous standards; an utter rejection of what I am capable of with what I believe I should be doing. It’s an old excuse, a tired story of self-loathing, of which now I have become exhausted of berating myself with. I have a whole folder of lackluster drawings and paintings of which I have driven myself crazy over.
But I’ll try and give myself some grace here. The past year has seen my personal life turn upside down, everything changing (for the better). Years of chronic stress that I didn’t realise I had, finally starting to lift, and the brain fog has started burning away. With this new clarity, all I see (in relation to my artwork) is the unnecessary striving to be anything other than what I am.
So that is what these watercolours are: a snapshot of my notices in my own distinct hand. I enjoy an outline. I like a tinted surface, painting with a mopbrush, painting back in those highlights.
My plan is to just follow my nose with this work, trail my interests and compulsions and see where they take me, let my hand get as wild or meticulous as it desires with it’s lines.
Art right now is the most fun it’s ever been.
Which leaves me with this picture, a study in charcoal and watercolour of what I intended to make into a larger drawing. This figure with the floating mask has been haunting my imagination, with lots of failed drawings in it’s wake as I try to understand it. But here I finally realised what it was about: that hypnopompic state, awakening after being asleep, while feeling cast adrift.
As I said, it’s been a rough year.
But now that image is out of my system, I can move on with other scenes.
Thank you for reading. Have a great day!
P.S. There is only one copy left of the From the Depths zine in the shop. Thank you so much to everyone that has brought a copy! Also, if you prefer prints and postcards and stickers, you can get the sea witches series on my redbubble.
