Against the mountain side, the Hairam people built their greatest city. It sprawls along the slope, half underground and half above – with flat, flowing buildings and corridors lined with gold-veined stone.

They are artists and artisans, worshipping the earth itself with its treasures of precious metals and gems. Their architecture, their jewellery, their weaponry – all of this is art in itself. They are intense, focused and intelligent. They are private, as closed off from each other as their fashion makes them seem to be... showing barely an inch of skin or vulnerable patch of soul to the inattentive watcher.

Their ruler is the child Queen Kirkii, as guarded and fierce as her people.

When I'm finished with my current job, I will either paint Queen Kirkii (seen here in a concept sketch I did a little earlier)



Or, the Goddess Xaa – of Hatred, a powerful, alluring presence with a serpent's gaze.

Or, another mirror image like my Into Your Eyes – only this time to show the nature of the viewer, not that of the subject in the painting.

I can't wait to paint my own stuff again. I am drowning in ideas. I want to paint! PAINT!

Something sweet happened in my life recently, and then something sad – so I'm split between the two.

Hugs and kisses,
L.

Psst... here's me with my Posterbook. I gave my second copy to my father on his 60th birthday - and I feel like giggling like a little girl whenever I see him pick it up and leaf through it. My parents have always been wonderfully supportive of my career and they're almost happier than I am whenever something good comes my way. As for the book: the quality is even better than I had thought.