It feels fitting that one of my first digital art pieces became named Rebirth. Before I understood what I was doing, and especially before I understood the technical aspects of Procreate, I was furiously painting. I had never really tried to paint before, but something had just clicked, and I couldn’t stop. Playing around with oils and letting simple strokes develop the shades and textures in this piece was an exciting experience… and a huge challenge because I had no idea how to even use layers. Once the landscape was complete, it felt like something was missing. The phoenix in the distance was a last minute decision, but I love how it turned out.

Even though this painting is washed with mistakes and uncertain strokes, it’ll always be one of my favorites.

A colorful, digital landscape of a mountainside of greens, grays, and the bright pink of cherry blossoms. The middle is divided by a rushing river. At the top, in the distance, a phoenix emerges from what looks like a plume of smoke.