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votiveillustration.bsky.social
Votive Illustration
@votiveillustration.bsky.social
370 followers 150 following 49 posts
Multi-disciplinary artist and freelance illustrator
Co-Editor of Airmid's Journal
Inspired by folklore, mythology, history, and ecology
Tiobraid Árann, Ireland
www.votiveillustration.ie
https://linktr.ee/votiveillustration
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votiveillustration.bsky.social
A new illustration and colour study of some fáinleoga - barn swallows (Hirundo rustica)
These incredible migratory birds have started to arrive here this week so it seemed like the perfect time to study them.
#SpéirGhorm
Pen illustration with muted colours of 5 barn swallows perched on a branch. The word 'Fáinleog' is written in the bottom right corner
April 9, 2025 at 4:50 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
A quick colour study of An Cailleach Dhubh - the Cormorant. These intriguing seabirds have a rich and varied assortment of beautifully descriptive names as Gaeilge - From 'Broigheall' (Broghais/belly & Geal/white) to 'Cailleach Dhubh' (Dark Hag) to 'Fiach Mara' (Sea Raven).
#spéirghorm
Illustration of a cormorant perched on a branch, wings outstretched. The words 'Cailleach Dhubh' are written in gaelchló style font on the bottom left of the image
April 3, 2025 at 4:14 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
Cover reveal and pre-order announcement for the latest issue of Airmid's Journal 🌿 A biannual publication of Irish folklore, foraging, myth, culture, and remedies

#folklore #mythology #zine #journal #publishing #diypublishing #SpéirGorm
Image showing the cover of the latest issue of Airmid's Journal. Central image is a song thrush perched on a branch, with visible waves of song coming flowing from their beak. That image is is framed by a separate image featuring ogham stones and coltsfoot flowers. A header reading Airmid's Journal is written in gaelic font at the top of the image. The names of the contributors are listed in the bottom section.
February 27, 2025 at 7:28 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
A detail crop of this Púca and wren, discussing the merits and misfortunes of supernatural trickery
🌿
It's a few years since I illustrated this shapeshifting trickster in goat form, and I've been feeling like revisiting the mischievous Púca again soon

#art #illustration #folklore #pooka #SpéirGorm
Image shows a highly detailed black and white illustration of a Púca - a supernatural trickster figure from Gaelic mythology - in the form of a goat with human hands. A wren sits on their shoulder, and they are crowned with a halo of blackberries and brambles. The background is filled with ivy leaves and fruit, mountain ash leaves and berries, and blackthorn.
February 15, 2025 at 5:41 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
'Belling Of The Stag'

An illustration from a couple of years ago - oak and ash forest filled with deer, fox, hare, woodcock, owl, and crow - inspired by the nature poetry in the medieval Middle Irish tale of Buile Suibhne (as translated by JG O'Keeffe)

#art #mythology #irishmythology #spéirgorm
A black and white illustration in an Arts & Crafts movement style, of red deers, foxes, hares, crows, owls, and woodcock in a forest of Ash and oak. There is an outer ornate border of acorns, oak leaves, and watercress, and an inner border with a stanza from a poem that reads 'If thou wert to sleep in the bosom of hills to the soft strings of lutes, more sweet wouldst thou deem under the oak-wood the belling of the brown stag of the herd.'
February 13, 2025 at 6:27 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
In-progress illustration of a great cormorant, Cailleach Dhubh, for an upcoming personal project

#art #illustration #folklore #irishfolklore #bird #birdlore #cormorant #cailleach
Image shows a highly detailed but unfinished pen illustration of a cormorant bird on a white background. The bird is perched on an undrawn rock with its wings outstretched
February 4, 2025 at 5:43 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
A recent #commission of #artwork for an exciting upcoming release from @nyahhrecords.bsky.social

'A Collection of Slow Airs.. ' is the 2nd release in the Trad series, and follows their @theguardian.com top ten folk album 'A Collection of Songs in the Traditional and Sean-Nós Style'

Out 12/02/25
Illustration album art work of an anthropomorphised hare sitting playing a fiddle. The hare is framed by mugwort, dog rose, and rowan. A text frame at the bottom reads 'A Collection of Slow Airs by Some Very Fine Fiddlers'
February 4, 2025 at 12:54 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
The 4 cross-quarter day fires of Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lúnasa, and Samhain, encircled by the symbolism of each season
🔥🔥🔥🔥

#art #artist #illustration #folklore #irishfolklore #mythology #irishmythology #fire #firefestival
Fineline illustration of a sacred Lúnasa bonfire, encircled by a harvest of wheat. The outer frame has bilberries (fraocháin), blackberries, a sickle, a goatskull, and a high point of stones within an interlace knotwork. Fineline illustration of a sacred Imbolc bonfire, encircled by a súgán. The outer frame has blackthorn, coltsfoot, snowdrops, and snakes within an interlace knotwork. Fineline illustration of a sacred Bealtaine dual bonfires, encircled by a garland of summer flowers. The outer frame has hawthorn, rowan, bluebells, and hares within an interlace knotwork. Fineline illustration of a sacred Samhain bonfire, encircled by a blackberries. The outer frame has carved turnip heads, hawthorn berries, parsil crosses, and hooded crows within an interlace knotwork.
February 1, 2025 at 1:17 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
Some nice etymology for Brigid's day.
The feast day is a cross-quarter day, marking the transition from one season to the next 🔥
Welcome spring 🌱
#art #illustration #fineline #fire #spring #brigit #brigid #bridget
Fineline pen art illustration of a bonfire encircled by a súgán rope adorned with brigid's crosses and lozenges. The outside frame of interlace knotwork holds coltsfoot flowers, blackthorn blossoms, snakes and snowdrops
February 1, 2025 at 10:17 AM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
Beannachtaí na Féile Bríde agus Imbolc oraibh go léir
🔥🔥🔥

#art #artist #illustration #folklore #irishfolklore #mythology #irishmythology #bríde #brigid #bridget
An illustration of a sacred fire encircled with a súgán rope adorned with Brigid's crosses. Blackthorn blossoms, coltsfoot, and snowdrops are framed by interlace knotwork around the fire
January 31, 2025 at 5:09 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
Cuimhne, Cailleach an Mhuilinn

Cuimhne, the Hag of the Mill whose name means 'Memory' as gaeilge, is a shapeshifting cailleach in the Irish mythological tradition.

#art #artist #illustrator #illustration #traditionalart #folklore #irishfolklore #mythology #irishmythology #cailleach
Black and white illustration of a hag named Cuimhne standing barefoot at a river bend with her pack horse and her wolfhound. there are trees in the background and two large mill stones sit on the grass in the foreground.
January 30, 2025 at 11:03 AM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
Some recent work of the night visiting Barn Owl, An Scréachóg Reilige

#art #artist #illustration #illustrator #bird #barnowl #owl #folklore #irishfolklore #gaeilge
Illustrated image of a Barn Owl perched in a gnarled oak tree against a dark navy background
January 29, 2025 at 6:29 PM
votiveillustration.bsky.social
'The bee, the bat, the butterfly,
The cuckoo and the swallow,
The corncrake and the weather-bleat,
Soon all the rest will follow'

#art #artist #illustration #illustrator #traditionalart #pen #penandink #folklore #irishfolklore #bird #birdlore
January 29, 2025 at 6:18 PM