Compositions - Illustration Work by S.D. Nielson
Compositions
Working one on one with authors, Terri crafts a complete narrative work that marries wordcraft with visual art. Each commission is unique unto itself. Materials, methods, and style are altered to fit the vision of the author.
Improbable
Created as a gift of legacy for his son, Khalil, "Improbable" chronicles the emotional journey of the author through marriage, Khalil's birth, loss and regret, his struggle with worthiness, and the wisdom that is born of accepting one's inescapably flawed humanity.
The illustrations translate his poetic journey through the lens of the Epic of Gilgamesh, rendered in pastel and ink. Intended for a child, these illustrations are brightly colored and expressive, borrowing structural themes from ancient Sumerian tablets and sculpture.
Tale of Two Tigers
Conceptualized as a vehicle for raising funds for children's charities, this project is an evolving collaboration between the artist and the author. Tigg and Grr are two stuffed toy tigers separated at the toy store and forced to live very different experiences. They become ascended to a higher awareness under the tutelage of Dharma Dog. With their growing abilities and psychic powers, the two tiger brothers use their life experiences to become compassionate warriors of compassion, helping to rescue children and defeat forces of injustice.
To capture the cerebral, complex themes inspired by the story, the artist uses watercolor in a variety of techniques and refines the images using ink and acrylic paint.
Death Defying
The illustrations for "Death Defying" were created to accompany the novel by S.D. Nielson. Rendered in charcoal on paper, each piece captures the dark, atmospheric world of the Dragon's Teeth mountain range and the Temple of the Raven Moon.