Black Swan Girl

© Sybille Sterk

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

Another combo of public domain images, bought and free resources mixed up in Photoshop. I am not sure what her story is but she looks kind of sad and thoughtful despite her wings and butterflies. Maybe she's trying to be too many things at once. 

On Society6:

A dream and a miracle

© Sybille Sterk

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

Another of my vintage creations. A mix of public domain and bought resources. The quote is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

On Society6:

Growing Up

© Sybille Sterk

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

A picture of some pretty hair slides. When I played around with it, this nostalgic sad emotion developed within the image and reminded of childhood and how we lose our sense of wonder and the assurance that there always will be a happy ending. The quote by Virginia Woolf seemed to match my feelings exactly. 

All images/textures/brushes my own or bought. 

Edited with Photoshop.

All my images are available on Redbubble, Artflakes, Society6 and Bluecanvas as prints, cards, posters, skins for laptops, Blackberry, iPhones and other phones (for the skins go toBluecanvas). You can now also get most of my images on cushion covers (go to Society6 for these).

All available on Society6

The Traveller

© Sybille Sterk

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

Another experiment with vintage images and photography. The image in the background is made up from two photographs, the 'traveller; is made up from many hand coloured vintage images plus I added texture to emphasise the vintage feel.. A way to travel in style without lost luggage....

All images/textures/brushes my own or bought. Edited with Photoshop.

All my images are available on Redbubble, Artflakes, Society6 and Bluecanvas as prints, cards, posters, skins for laptops, Blackberry, iPhones and other phones (for the skins go to Bluecanvas). You can now also get most of my images on cushion covers (go to Society6 for these).

All available on Society6

Now for something different - The Tail

© Sybille Sterk

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

This was an experiment. I recently bought a CD full of vintage images and found some more on the net (all public domain) and then I played with them all.

There is a photo of the beach in the background and I mixed up the vintage images to create the mermaid and coloured it in and added textures.

The image is inspired by one of my recent poems which I am not ready to show yet because I am considering entering it in a contest. :-)

All images/textures/brushes my own or bought. Edited with Photoshop.

All my images are available on Redbubble, Artflakes, Society6 and Bluecanvas as prints, cards, posters, skins for laptops, Blackberry, iPhones and other phones (for the skins go to Bluecanvas). You can now also get most of my images on cushion covers (go to Society6 for these).

 

All available on Society6

dreams

© Sybille Sterk

Do not copy or publish this in any way, shape or form without my written permission.

Isn't it strange how in dreams so many things make sense and are perfectly reasonable and even normal and when we wake up we are left with this feeling that we missed something, that there was a message there which we failed to understand?

All images/textures/brushes my own or bought. Edited with Photoshop.

All my images are available on Redbubble, Artflakes, Society6 and Bluecanvas as prints, cards, posters, skins for laptops, Blackberry, iPhones and other phones (for the skins go to Bluecanvas).

This Is Wonderland

MCN: CU6FY-9CPD3-EVNBL

I've always had a thing about Alice in Wonderland. I love the utter whimsy of it and the way it plays and grows in my head. Here's another interpretation with the lovely Jessica Truscott as the 'centre piece'.

First proper image in a week as I've been ill. :-(

This image partners well with This is the Sea

Credits

Red silk14 by faestock

Hair brush set by para-vine

All other images are my own.

The Little Match Stick Girl

MCN: C2SF4-JQTMC-YF4TD

I've always loved Andersen fairy tales, and this one is no exception, although it's one of the saddest ones (amongst a whole lot of tragedies). The Little Match Stick Girl is about the preventable death of a little girl and still as valid today as it probably was then, what with all the runaways and homeless people on the streets everywhere. I tried to tell the story with the minimal amount of symbols, using nothing but a box of matches in front of a grubby wall and a picture of snow I took a while ago. It's one of my favourite images I took this year so far. I love the simplicity and singular message in it.

Part of my new series of images for licensing on Arcangel-Images - use this code: SYST-0191

Created with my own photographs in Photoshop, no stock used.

Lady Godiva

MCN: CQ1VW-WFPBQ-18N22

This image was inspired by the legend of Lady Godiva:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Godiva. After trying to persuade her husband to lift the oppressive taxation she finally ended up giving in to his challenge and riding naked through the town 'clothed in her hair' to get him to lift the taxes.

From that original idea I went on to think how women have used their hair to hide behind, to 'embellish' themselves, and the legend of witches who stopped being witches when their hair was cut off. Seems there's magic in hair, as it is one of our greatest weapons still and used in all sorts of ways to entice people to do what we want, which makes hair a double edged sword.

Another image created with a stock image of the beautiful Jessica Truscott (Faestock).

Credits

Model

• Red silk13 by faestock

Textures

• Vintage Oil Painting Texture Set by Shadowhouse
• Another Mixed Texture Set by Shadowhouse

Brushes

• Hair brush set by para-vine
• Hair Brushes Set 6 by Falln-Brushes
• hair brushes by WCS-Wildcat

All other images/textures/brushes my own. Created with Photoshop.

Rockabilly

MCN: CBX7G-197HE-1NH11

I've always loved this stock image. It's so cool, but I couldn't think of anything to do with it, because it was perfect as it was, however, then this idea came to me. It reminds me of the scene in Gone with the Wind where Scarlett makes herself a dress from the drawing room curtains. I love the make and mend idea behind this and the fun red shoes. A girl doing for herself and having fun whilst doing so. :-)

Credits

Model

• white-5 by xstockx

 Texture

• Soft-n-Gray from 6 Faves Texture Sets 3 by Shadowhouse

All other images/textures/brushes my own. Created with Photoshop.

Pretty Bird

 

MCN: CAS7W-4SEF2-9TBNX

Inspired by Imelda May's song "You're Smotherin' Me"

See video here:



and read the lyrics to the song here:

The song made me think of the interaction between "the prisoner and the prison guard" (so to speak). The obsessional tendency itself in the "prison guard" creates its own prison until it becomes unclear who holds whom prisoner. I tried to show this ambiguity of cause and effect in the image. Hence the ambiguous title. :-)


Credits

• Model: Isla9 by faestock

•  Textures  (Dirty Wall) by Shadowhouse

• Hair brush set by para-vine

All other images/textures/brushes my own. Created in Photoshop.