Helen Whistberry
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whistberry.bsky.social
Helen Whistberry
@whistberry.bsky.social
8.4K followers 1.5K following 11K posts
Pen name for autistic/ace indie writer & digital artist, introvert, worried soul, they/she. 🚫NO A/I!

ART PRINTS: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/whistberry/

threadless tshirts: https://whistberry.threadless.com/

Other links: https://linktr.ee/whistberry
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whistberry.bsky.social
New shirt design in my threadless store!

The Black Rabbit

threadless is having a huge sale!

Get t-shirts, mugs, hats, stickers, notebooks, even a shower curtain at a discount. Great for gifts!

whistberry.threadless.com
Photo of a light green t-shirt with the image of a black rabbit with red eye leaping over a semi-circle of fanciful looking black flowers with white highlights.
November 26, 2025 at 8:38 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Working on new shirt design... does one of these options jump out at you? (in a good way, not a scary way)

1) dark blue against white
2) colorful against blue
3) blues and greens against white
4) white against black background
Drawing of a ring of fantastical looking sea creatures such as shark, fish, octopus, eel, jellyfish, stingray circling around as though they were swimming and chasing each other. This option is a very dark blue against a white background. Drawing of a ring of fantastical looking sea creatures such as shark, fish, octopus, eel, jellyfish, stingray circling around as though they were swimming and chasing each other. This option has each of the creatures colored in a different color against a blue background. Drawing of a ring of fantastical looking sea creatures such as shark, fish, octopus, eel, jellyfish, stingray circling around as though they were swimming and chasing each other. This option has a soft blend of green and blue shades creating an almost tie-dye effect against a white background. Drawing of a ring of fantastical looking sea creatures such as shark, fish, octopus, eel, jellyfish, stingray circling around as though they were swimming and chasing each other. This option is in white against a black background.
November 26, 2025 at 6:34 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Went in a bit of a different direction with this month's #BirdWhisperer... seemed like it was all about the eyes with this spotted owlet 🪶
Digital drawing of part of the face of a spotted owlet to emphasize the big, round yellow eyes and golden beak. The feathers around the beak and eyes are a light beige interspersed with a dark brown that echoes the brown background.
November 26, 2025 at 2:19 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
New design in my threadless shop!

They are having a huge sale right now... great time to get gifts for others or yourself for less 🙂

Available in lots of different t-shirt colors! Also hats, mugs, pillows... all froggy! 🐸

whistberry.threadless.com
Picture of a bright orange t-shirt in close up to see a very colorful frog surrounded by brightly-colored dots in an abstract pattern. The frog is basically dark brown but is covered with dashes and dots in bright colors to form pleasing patterns.
November 25, 2025 at 9:23 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Stay groovy 😎💀
Drawing against a stark black background of an aged looking human skeleton covered in red flowers and various flying and crawling insects. The image is oriented vertically so that the skeleton looks like it is standing up.
November 25, 2025 at 1:20 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
5) Death's-head hawkmoth (with bonus ghosts)
6) giant green anemone
7) painted spiny lobster
8) scaly foot gastropod
Digital drawing of a Death's-head hawk moth, a large fuzzy moth with gray, gold, and brown patterns including a shape that looks like a human skull on its back. There are 5 tiny white comma-shaped ghosts hovering around it in wonder. Digital painting of a giant green anemone, a rounded disk which has many pointed tentacles around its circumference in shades of green and gray, against a mostly black background that is slightly mottled with a subtle dark gray. Digital drawing of a painted spiny lobster which has striking black and white stripes interspersed with pink and teal coloration with a little bit of yellow. Digital drawing of a large deep sea snail. It has a striped gold and brown spiral shell, red body, and a mutitude of pale short tentacle like appendages as its foot.
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Can't decide which one to submit! Do you have a favorite among these 8?

1) buff-tip moth in 2 poses
2) would you still love me earthworm
3) green-lipped mussel spat
4) red-banded leafhopper

(choices 5-8 in comment!)
Digital painting of a buff tip moth in two poses. One has wings spread to show the soft gray brown wings with buff colored "eye" spots at the tip while the other is the moth sitting on a tree branch. When its wings are closed, the moth resembles very much a twig as it is an expert in camouflage. Black and white drawing of an earthworm in an S-shape on its side. The words would you still love me follow the curve on the left and the words if I was a worm follow the curve on the right. The background is an elaborate symmetrical doodle of teardrop shapes of varying sizes. A semi-realistic digital painting of deep red seaweed that is covered with young mussels, which are called spat. Their developing shells are a creamy beige with burgundy red lined patterns. Digital drawing of a Red-banded leafhopper (Graphocephala coccinea) perched on a branch amid fanciful looking yellow flowers that reflect the same color as the insect's head, belly, and legs. The insect has strikingly colorful wings in a swirly pattern of turquoise and deep pink.
November 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Earlier version of same approximate layout! Not sure which I like better. The both have pluses and minuses 😂
Digital painting of koi fish crowded together so that they fill up the image with very little room in between. The water between them is a bright blue and the fish are in mottled shades of pink, red, light and dark grays.
November 24, 2025 at 3:39 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Here's a different take on the koi drawing.

I have trouble controlling my lines sometimes because my hand shakes. It used to bother me a lot & I'd spend time trying to correct them, but nowadays, I'm like, to hell with it. It proves a flawed human drew this imperfect thing with human intent 🙂

#art
Digital drawing in white ink against a very dark purple background of a koi fish crowded together and placed so that they fill up the entire image. The fish are drawn with diagonal patterns for head, fins, and tail with feather patterns to indicate scales. The overall effect emphasizes pattern and shape over realism.
November 24, 2025 at 3:39 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Feels like I'm seeing a lot of new to Bluesky artists lately so just a lovingly and humbly offered PSA:

There is a pretty hardcore group of users here who won't repost or engage with images that don't include at least some basic alt text. Alt text = more engagement opportunities
Digital drawing of a traditionally-shaped spotted frog in profile facing left but in shades of blue instead of green with big round orange eyes. It is sitting amidst an abstract pattern of fanciful-looking white daisy blooms with yellow centers. The background is deep green with a lighter arc at top as though the frog is in a spotlight.
November 23, 2025 at 7:08 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
I invented a moth

Always fascinated with the common names for things (which are sometimes evocative and sometimes... not)

Wonder what this one would be named if it was real?

#art
Digital drawing of a fantastical-looking moth. It has a gold, furry body; feather-like gold antennae; and large fuzzy wings with abstract patterns of red and purple outlined in gold. the background is an abstract pattern of purple and red squiggly patterns outlined in gold.
November 23, 2025 at 2:24 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Here's 3! I'm not a book cover designer so it's weird my art ended up on three books (but a good weird)!

From l to r:
NEW(!) poetry collection by @mimulus.bsky.social

Indescribably imaginative & fearless project by @laguettler.bsky.social

Lovely story collection by @saltboy.bsky.social

#AMoRaR
Image of 3 book covers: from left to right, Time Travel is Easy by Rick Hollon, showing the skeleton of an Archaeopteryx against an abstract tree design, with a dragonfly and feathers around it; The Bone Clock by L.A. Guettler showing a strange white clock with many exposed and fanciful gears, balanced on surgical instrument legs and surrounded by yellow roses; and Escape to Melancholy Bay by Ian Donnell Arbuckle, showing an abstract bubble design that suggests a foamy wave coming ashore on a beach against a black background.
November 22, 2025 at 2:44 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Never underestimate the power
of a quietly stubborn creature💜
Drawing in white ink against a black background of the head and neck of a donkey shown in profile facing left. The donkey has a very sweet expression and its short, upright mane is dyed in the pink, blue, and white colors of the trans pride flag.
November 22, 2025 at 2:27 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Stay stylish, my friends!
Stylized drawing of a marabou stork, a tall bird with long gray legs; long, fat, gray pointed beak; fluffy white feathers on head, neck, chest and belly; long black feathers highlighted in white on the wing. This one looks like it is smiling as it looks slyly out at the viewer as though to say, aren't I an elegant bird?
November 21, 2025 at 2:11 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
On this #TransDayofRemembrance, as we think of all those who have suffered and died needlessly because of the bigotry of a minority...

...it's a great time to think about how you can protect trans folks by speaking up and taking action in your community.

#TransRightsAREHumanRights
Digital painting of an American robin, a medium-sized bird with orange-red breast and belly with very dark brown to black feathers elsewhere. It is guarding a nest that has a pink egg, a blue egg, and a white egg in it, representing the colors of the trans pride flag. Pointed green leaves frame the bird and nest.
November 20, 2025 at 4:05 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
So much Watership Down love today... I couldn't resist 🐇
Drawing of a simply-shaped black rabbit leaping over stylized black flowers with white details on their leaves and petals. There is a large moon hovering in the back of the image and the sky transitions from purple at the top to an orangish-red at the bottom.
November 20, 2025 at 2:23 AM
whistberry.bsky.social
Happy #WorldAnteaterDay to those who celebrate!
Digital painting of a giant anteater which has long fur and small head with long nose. Its fur or hair is striped in shades of cream, beige, brown, and black, and it is walking along an abstract-looking sandy hill.
November 19, 2025 at 4:51 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Taking psychic damage from seeing someone say nobody remembers the book Watership Down anymore 😱
Drawing in white ink against a black background of a stylized rabbit hiding among ferns with the words first they must catch you from the book Watership Down.
November 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Hope you find some joy today, or joy finds you... either works 🩷
Stylized drawing of a blue jay sitting on a branch with lots of pink dogwood blooms against a black background.
November 19, 2025 at 1:11 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
I've not been able to spend as much time here because I suddenly have creative projects coming at me left and right but when I check in, I find a half dozen new things to worry about and my worry list is full up! 😅

Got me feeling like this:
Drawing in white ink against a black background of a small owl with very big golden eyes that give it a slightly panicked expression perched on a branch.
November 19, 2025 at 12:07 AM
whistberry.bsky.social
An experiment. Not sure it is entirely successful, but sometimes it's fun to just fool around to no particular purpose 🤷🏻‍♂️
Digital painting of koi fish crowded together so that they fill up the image with very little room in between. The water between them is a bright blue and the fish are in mottled shades of pink, red, light and dark grays.
November 18, 2025 at 2:33 AM
whistberry.bsky.social
What fresh hell is this?

Sketch for a work in progress 😅
Loose drawing in white ink against a black background of koi fish as seen from the top and arranged in such a way that they fill up the entire image with very little room between.
November 17, 2025 at 2:31 AM
whistberry.bsky.social
Moon Man by Tomi Ungerer had a hold on me. The vivid colors and the whole storyline just made the biggest impression
Illustration from the children's book Moon Man showing a smiling ghostly white figure cut in half. He is in a prison cell with a small rat. His body is in phase with the moon and he'll be able to escape when the moon is just a sliver.
November 16, 2025 at 10:59 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Someone was asking if they could print out this image for a sign to carry at a protest against anti-trans legislation and the answer to anyone with a similar question is a thousand times yes. Wave Furious Trans Raccoon at as many genital-obsessed clowns as you like, no charge 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵
Drawing in white ink against a black background of an angry looking raccoon standing on its hind legs and snarling at the viewer with the words "fix your heart" spread between its upraised little raccoon hands. The words are in the blue, white, and pink colors of the trans flag.
November 16, 2025 at 10:42 PM
whistberry.bsky.social
Today's drawing is another abstract meditation doodle. I was thinking of trees and autumn leaves, but, as with all art, you may interpret it as you please 💜
Abstract drawing with a y-shaped gray object that suggests tree branches surrounded by small leaf shapes filling the rest of the image. The leaves start out a deep red near the center and transistion through orange to gold around the outer edges.
November 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM