Printed on archival, 100% cotton Hahnemühle Museum Etchings paper. 

Limited edition run of 50. Each signed and numbered by the artist. 

8x10" (paper dimensions only; print comes unframed and un-matted).

Original: watercolor and ink on Arches cold-press paper, 2017.

CONCEPT:

Alkonost is the Russian name for the half-bird, half-woman creatures that appear in Russia's vibrant and ancient folklore tradition. In this series, I play with both composite creatures (birds and humans) and composite cultures (Russian and Louisianan) to create a new mythology, a new kind of alkonost, one that protects various elements of the Louisiana landscape. 

Guardians of the Mirliton mixes cultural imagery, blending the ancient and the modern. Here, the deities protect the mirliton and safeguard the seed-- that is to say, they oversee and embody the ability to procreate, to give life. 

If you like this piece, you can look at the other pieces in the Guardians series. Alkonosts also appear in Louisiana Mythology series: Brown Pelican, Blue Heron, and White Egret.