A gallery of the imagination.
“I have a special place in my heart for faeries and fantasy. I created this piece after a very difficult time in my life, which resulted in several years of not drawing at all. It’s not surprising that the subject of this piece was a faery. I still think of her as a sort of guardian of my art: cheering me on to produce more and watching over the art I’ve made since her.”
“Illuminate” Oil pastel on paper.
“The figures in this piece are a mix of characters from my imagination and models from magazines. (And probably, subconsciously, a bit of the people I know worked their way in here too.) I wanted to explore the multi-faceted nature of the psyche: how many different sides do we have, and why do we show some of them more easily than others? Are our shadow selves more true to our personalities than the self we keep at the surface?”
“Rainbow Women” Colored pencil on paper.
“Alice in Wonderland is one of my absolute favorite stories. I enjoyed stepping into that world for a bit to do this piece.”
“Watercolor pencils were an absolute necessity for this piece. I wanted it to feel as though it was made of water, but I wanted the control of colored pencils. A lot of my pieces explore the idea of introspection - what deep thoughts may people be thinking that those around them will never know? For this piece, I really liked the idea of the underlying structure of colored pencils being disrupted by the nature of the watercolor pencils. It’s kind of a reflection on the inner psyche trying to maintain itself against the onslaught of the world.”
“Flower Tears” Watercolor pencil and colored pencil on watercolor paper.
“I’ve loved colored pencils ever since I could hold one. I have yet to find another medium that feels the way this one does to me. I can sketch out a piece and pick up some colored pencils and before I know it, the piece is done. They are like an extension of me, and I think I’ll feel that way about them forever.”
“Flower Worlds” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
“I love drawing hair. It’s a really versatile symbol. In this portrait, I like to think it represents some age-old wish that used to be a source of hope, but is now beginning to fracture because the dreamer has given up on it. Maybe one day she’ll gather up the broken pieces and dream again.”
“Searching for the Pieces” Pen and ink on Bristol board.
“A long, necessary journey of a piece! I don’t add collage elements to my work very often, but I felt that acrylic on its own was much too flat a medium for what I was trying to express here. I’ve always been interested in how people become who they are, and who we really are when we are alone. I think personalities are created in layers, and sometimes those layers are damaged, or changed beyond recognition…and as life piles time on you, the layers are covered up until only you know what’s underneath. I began this piece with a blank canvas, but it quickly grew more complex as I taped old scraps of paper over it, poured glue on it, scrubbed dry paint over it, and scribbled oil pastel over all of that. It took so long to finish that I felt I grew with it, and when I look at it, I remember every step of the piece—and every step of my own growth during it.”
“When I Am Still I See Myself” Acrylic, oil pastel, and mixed media collage on canvasette.
“This piece took awhile to complete. Usually when I get stuck it’s because I can’t decide what to do with the background. With this piece, I finally realized it was stronger without a background! Once I embraced that idea, it was easy to finish the composition by adding all the butterflies surrounding the figure in the foreground.”
“The Soul Emerges” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
I don’t often create pieces on black toned paper, but every time I do I remember again how much I enjoy it. Colors have a different quality on this paper - they take awhile to appear, the same way they do if you’re trying to see them in a dark room. Drawing on this paper is like sculpting with light. If you turn your flashlight on brighter (or lay down your highlight colors more heavily) you will eventually see those colors shining through.
“One Perfect Moment” Colored pencil on black toned Strathmore paper.
I’ve always loved drawing people, particularly from myths and fairy tales, so of course mermaids are a natural choice. They are surrounded by mystery, wrapped in beauty, a surreal possibility just beneath the surface of a realm we’ll probably never fully know. How can an artist not be tempted to draw that?
“Coral Mermaid” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
I do love to create in vivid color, but occasionally black and white will take a turn. Drawing in pen and pencil forces the heightened consideration of mood, an intense part of “The Spell.”
“The Spell” Pencil on paper.
A moment of realization. Have you ever experienced sudden clarity after drifting through seemingly endless uncertainty? Maybe we don’t even realize we have been lost in murkiness until we see a light…
“This Light” Pencil on paper.
This piece depicts a state that I suspect many of us experience: a figure faces outward towards her daily, often mundane, "grind,” going through the necessary motions of routine--but hidden behind the gray mask of acceptance that she displays to the world is an ever-blooming imagination.
“Modern Masquerade” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
If you’ve browsed my website even a little, you can see that I love drawing hair. I got the idea for the pose in this drawing immediately: face and arms arrangement first; hair arrangement directly after! It occurred to me later that because of the way the figure was posed, she could be interpreted as Sleeping Beauty. That wasn’t what I intended (at least consciously) when I started working on this for an online drawing challenge, but I think it works. The figure also reminds me a bit of Alice in Wonderland, which is no surprise. I end up drawing her all the time!
“Daydream” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
We all have dichotomies within us. The interesting part of life is seeing which ones overcome the others - or maybe, learning to let all of them exist simultaneously.
“Which” colored pencil on paper.
Illustrations and designs by Nina Boyd: holiday cards, storybook inspired works, and graphics.
“I think cats are one of my favorite things in the world. They have such great mystique, which makes them really fun to draw, especially in Halloween designs.”
Find designs in my Zazzle shop
“Witch Cat and Pumpkin” Watercolor pencil on watercolor paper.
“Halloween is my second favorite holiday to design for. I love the imagery, the colors, and light-hearted (and sometimes not so light-hearted) spookiness. I had fun with the curly elements of this design: the pumpkin vines, the cat whiskers and tail…to me, those little curls sum up the holiday. A little bit funky, a little bit fancy.”
“Cat and Pumpkin” Pen and ink and colored pencil on paper.
“A couple of Halloweens ago, I was looking through vintage cards to get some new ideas. I loved the dark, saturated designs against the plain white backgrounds. They inspired me to make more than a few of my own. I’ve always loved the mystique of the witch character; I really feel like this style suits the archetype.”
“Witch and Cauldron” Pen and ink on paper; digital lettering.
“I love holiday imagery. Christmas is one of my favorite holidays to design for. To me, stockings, holly, and jingle bells as just as magical now as they were when I was a kid.”
Find designs in my Zazzle shop
“Christmas Stocking” Pen and ink on paper.
“It’s pretty easy to get into designing vinyl stickers! Awhile ago I turned several of my holiday designs into stickers and I loved how they looked, so I kept going with more designs - strawberries, hot air balloons, and more! You can find all my stickers in my Zazzle shop.”
“Candles are some of my favorite things to have around at Christmastime. For me, they really embody the spirit of the holiday. I’ve created a couple Christmas illustrations based around candles now. It’s so easy to be inspired by their coziness, warmth, and iconic imagery. In Christmas designs, I especially love the Old World and Victorian influenced styles, and I tried to bring a little of that into this candle illustration with the subtle patterns and slightly muted colors.”
Find designs in my Zazzle shop
“Christmas Candles” Felt pen on paper.
“There’s something so great about a classic Christmas tree. I never get tired of drawing them. I had fun trying out my new art tablet with this one; nothing gets me in the whimsical spirit like the holidays!”
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“Merry Christmas Tree” Digitally drawn with Wacom Intuos Touch Tablet.
“Still one of my favorite paintings. I had a great time loading the canvas with paint and kind of sculpting the snowman out of it - kind of like how I imagine building a real snowman!”
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“Snowman” Acrylic on canvas.
“I didn’t realize how much I really loved hot air balloons until I drew this one. They are such a symbol of possibility. Whether you want to travel, daydream, or just see the world from a different perspective, these wind riding conveyances capture the imagination in ways a simple car never could.”
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“Travels” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
“I have always loved fantasy, both in book and art form. When I started working on this dragon idea, I originally had her holding a bouquet of flowers. Then I changed my mind and gave her an open book instead. Why not let a creature of fantasy read some too? Once I saw how peaceful she looked reading, I decided to add a whimsical little birch tree behind her so she could spend the whole afternoon with her book in the forest. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect day?”
“Literary Dragon” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned paper: tan.
“I love working with bright colors, especially in winter. I drew this flower when the days still tended to be misty and gray, but spring was on the horizon. I was stuck for a long time on what I wanted to do with the leaves and stems. Then I played around a bit with framing the flower in points of light and curlicues, and I really liked it, so I kept embellishing!”
“Spring Flower” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned paper: gray
I have fond memories of so many moon illustrations from picture books I read as a child. Each one was so cozy; every moon seemed like it had been watching over the world beneath it and, satisfied that all was well, it too finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I suppose this is my tribute to those illustrations.
“Sleeping Moon” Watercolor pencil and colored pencil on Bristol Board.
I love the “Folktale Week” challenge on Instagram. 2021 was my second year participating. The tradition is for artists to submit an image announcing they are joining the annual November challenge, and then when the time comes they share an image a day for a week based on the prompts by the challenge creators. This is one my favorite images I created this November.
Colored pencil on Strathmore marker paper.
An alternate version of my springy literary dragon. Green is my favorite color (although purple is a close second) and I did want to draw this little character again, so here is another dragon enjoying a good book.
Find designs in my Zazzle shop
“Green Literary Dragon” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to collaborate with an artist and photographer I greatly admire, Rita Hill. We exhibited a show together with the theme “harvest fairies.” Right up my alley! This is one of my favorite contributions.
“Harvest Moon Fairy” Colored pencil on Bristol board.
I do love participating in the Folktale Week illustration challenge on Instagram. This drawing is from the final prompt of last year’s round, “victory.” I wanted to create something cheery and uplifting. This spunky girl may be leading a huge parade - or just marching in her own.
“Folktale Week 2022: Victory” Felt pen on Bristol board.
Many, many years ago I drew a witch brewing a potion in her cauldron in a cobblestone fireplace. I’ve been wanting to redo the drawing (which is on paper that is beginning to turn soft with age) for several years now. Here is the new witch in her updated home with snazzier magic.
“Witch’s Brew” colored pencil on Strathmore toned tan paper.
There’s nothing more fun to draw than magic! This witch has made quite the potent potion under the light of an October moon and its bubbles have a mind of their own.
“Moon Potion” colored pencil on paper.
For this drawing, I wanted to use a rainbow of a palette. I finished it during a very overcast day at the end of a long, overcast month in December. Some much needed light!
“Summer Light” colored pencil on paper.
A noir-inspired drawing that is maybe a glimpse into an artist mind. Some images linger and even haunt until they are transferred from imagination to paper.
“Untitled” pencil on paper.
Music, like art, takes us out of ourselves just long enough to find our way back.
“Music as Morphine” pen on Bristol board.
“I love portraits. I love drawing people, especially people who seem to have so much beneath the surface.”
“Marilyn Monroe” Colored pencil on paper.
I have always loved drawing Sarah Brightman. Everything she does is so delightfully theatrical, from the way she structures an album to her trapeze acrobatics onstage. I’ve been a fan since I was a teenager, and I’ve drawn her several times over the years. This portrait is from her “La Luna” album, one of my favorites.
“Sarah Brightman - La Luna” Oil pastel on paper.
“Sarah Brightman really is a delight to draw. I think most of my portraits of her were sourced from her “Eden” album, a beautiful collection of lush costuming and deeply vivid photography.”
“Sarah Brightman - Eden” Colored pencil on paper.
“Morrissey is definitely one of my idols. Bold, nontraditional, and unapologetic. I delayed drawing him for a very long time; I wasn’t sure I would get it right and I’m still not sure! But I’m happy with this pose - him singing, holding one of his signature unexpected props, seemingly alone…people have described his stage presence as akin to someone dancing alone in front of a bedroom mirror, and I have to agree. He is very enigmatic, and a delight to draw. I know I’ll be doing it again!”
“Moz” Colored pencil on paper.
“A really fun commission! Recently I had a unique opportunity to collaborate with the author of the series Mazes of Power. I met Juliette Wade at a party that one of my friends was very kind to invite me to, and we all immediately fell into conversation about our creative projects. She started telling us about the novel she just had published. With the book’s release date a couple months away, she had an idea to promote it by commissioning artists to create fan art of the characters. Once she told me that part of the story was a love triangle, I was sold! She commissioned me to draw the three entangled characters (and one of their bodyguards) and through a series of detailed emails back and forth, she guided me through her vision to portray the characters down to the last button on their jacket!”
Colored pencil on Bristol board.
You can order Mazes of Power and find out more about the author Juliette Wade here.
“Probably the most interesting commission I’ve done yet! This image was created as a logo for the personal blog of a friend, who told me, ‘I want a sort of dragonfly samurai.’ Well, I think we collaborated just brilliantly from that initial idea, and the result is something I certainly never would have drawn on my own! Commissions are wonderful for that very reason.”
Pen on Bristol board.
“I actually did this design with my husband, who is the guitarist for the band! He sketched out the cover art and we collaborated on the coloring and finer details in Photoshop. I’ve only ever drawn one other alien, so this was another project that allowed me to work outside my normal style. I love the 1950s theme they chose.”
Digital artwork.
You can find more about the band on their Facebook page, their Instagram, and you can hear their music on both Bandcamp and Spotify.
“I really prefer figures over still life. It’s rare for me to do a piece that only includes objects. Luckily, this figurative bust was the still life, so I could really get into it! I enjoyed getting creative with the two color palette of this piece too.”
“Goddess” Acrylic on canvasette.
“I’ve done a few pieces with limited palates, and this is one of my favorites. The complementary colors kept the process interesting! There’s also something so homey about the fresh fruit and fresh eggs. I grew up on the edge of a small country town, and when I painted this I was living in a much bigger city. I missed the comforts of small town living, and this piece was a small but welcome reminder of it.”
“Lemons and Eggs” Acrylic on canvasette.
“I do love oil pastel. It’s so vibrant and rich, and pieces can come together so quickly with it. I worked in the medium almost exclusively for several years. This spontaneous still life was one of the pieces I did during that time. Someone had left a plate of oranges on the kitchen table and the contrast of the blue and orange caught my eye. Once I added the flower and finally decided what color that should be, everything came together.”
“Oranges” Oil pastel on paper.
“When I started this piece, it had been awhile since I’d done the labor intensive kind of blending I love to do with colored pencils. It had also been awhile since I’d used toned colored pencil paper. I really loved how it turned out and ended up exhibiting it at a show, at which a friend saw it and asked I set it aside for her to purchase…okay, not exactly a commission, but maybe I unknowingly was drawing it for her all along!”
“Sunflower” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned paper.
“A commission right up my alley! This pumpkin patch was drawn for one of the administrators at our local Parks & Recreation Department and the timing of the commission worked out such that I began it after Christmas. I loved the excuse to revisit autumn in December and January with this piece.”
“Pumpkin Patch” Colored pencil on Strathmore toned tan paper.
