fantastical creatures

i've always loved depictions of strange creatures like these:

images above from http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/

perhaps because i grew up looking at artwork like this?

(more photos here)

these were painted in the stairway of my grandma's house by my mom and aunt. it's amazing how deeply you can be effected by artwork that you see as a child. these murals will always be such a integral part of my aesthetic- even though my grandma's house is now gone...