Back in the beautiful 90s (yes, I do miss them very much) deep within a tangled wood in a Yorkshire moorland valley, sat Baba Yaga's hut. I was seven when I first learned about it, and I was told, extremely convincingly, that it stood on chicken legs and would wander around at will. I was… Continue reading Art Of Baba Yaga
These photos of me doused in pig's blood were taken a few years ago, but after spending much of today being engrossed in the art of Gryla, I thought to myself 'hang the fuck on, I represented her quite bloody well at one point, if I may say so myself...' So here they are. Photos:… Continue reading My Interpretation Of Gryla
My first encounter with the Icelandic, child eating troll Gryla was in 2010 when I wrote a poem about her. The second encounter was a year later, on a street in Akureyri, a city in northern Iceland. She was there with her husband Leppaludi. While most people think she's quite the hideous monster, I found… Continue reading Art Of Gryla
Since I was small, I've been fascinated with the idea of a demonic black hound, the size of a yearling calf with eyes the colour of hell fire, haunting the dark, lonely moors and lanes of England. Also, the fact it's a legend most commonly associated with my home county of Yorkshire is something that… Continue reading Art Of The Barghest
The other day when I was talking on Facebook about my obsession with the Wendigo, a friend from Baffin Island mentioned to me the Inuit myth of Qalupalik. (Since I learned how to pronounce Qalupalik I haven't been able to stop saying it to myself! It's such a wonderful word to say aloud.) The Qalupalik… Continue reading Art Of The Qalupalik
I've been meaning to make a post about the work of Polish artist and graphic designer Dawid Planeta for ages, but, funnily (?) enough, my depression has prevented me from doing so. My mood is one of the reasons why this blog was cold and quiet for so damn long - I didn't have the… Continue reading Depression As Gigantic Beasts : The Art Of Dawid Planeta
I've long been obsessed with the terrifying Algonquian folkloric creature the Wendigo. Also spelled Wìdjigò, Windigo or Wetiko, Wendigo is said to mean 'the evil spirit that devours mankind.' This flesh-eating spirit of the north features in dozens of works of fine literature, though possibly the most chilling is its appearance in Stephen King's book… Continue reading Art Of The Wendigo
If you’re partial to some Scandinavian folk horror (and let's be honest, if you're here it's more than likely that you are) you may enjoy UTBURD, a short story I've written (that started life as a poem) which has been illustrated by Alessia Brusco, an Italian artist based in Sweden. It’s a tale about a… Continue reading UTBURD – An Illustrated Short Story
Halloween was pretty much cancelled for me this year. (You can read about it here if you like.) But the day after I did find the energy to appreciate some of what the folks I follow on Instagram had to offer. https://www.instagram.com/p/BpnVCPLBVbT/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BpncaZ3BLPZ/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BpimQbul40w/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpncc9Qh412/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpmn4MvBHcy/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BpmfXyAH36q/ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpm-TpoAUBx/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BpmxEVEH91Z/
Last week I spent about 50 hours prepping designs and setting up my new shop True To My Wyrd, which explains the deathly silence here. But let me tell you, I hadn't had so much fun in fucking ages. I actually felt guilty because I was enjoying myself so bloody much, eventhough the majority of… Continue reading I’ve Opened A New Shop : True To My Wyrd
Celebrating the strange and the shadowy, the damned and unseen 