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A gift for @ilonacho from @mount-rageous! I was so delighted to hear that this would be part of a thoughtful care package and even become a keychain! It was truly special not just to create this piece but to see it go from digital art to a cherished physical keepsake. Moments like these remind me why I love drawing so much.

I loved working on this, and I’m so happy you both enjoyed it! Clavacado is absolutely precious! ♡ 🌸 Ko-fi | Commissions

This is my idea for what specifically the far north-west region of the Rock Kingdom looks like, the part bordering the forested colorful Pop territory, and known as the backwater, hick part of the country. It's very scarcely populated with mainly woolly caterpillar farms and small settlements, and it's where Les and Hed are from.

While the center of the kingdom is a large active volcano which doesn't lend itself to most plant life, I imagine there's more and more the further away you travel from it. My main inspiration for this part of the country were the tundra biome and the Scottish highlands — with the ground mostly being covered in rock and a thin layer of soil and flora: mostly low growing vegetation like lichen, moss and herbs, and nothing taller than subshrubs such as heather and berry bushes. Actual shrubs and trees start to show up only when you start to near the Pop Forest.

The nature is mostly in various shades of reds, browns, grays, and earthy greens, basically the colors Rock Trolls come in, since my headcanon is that their colors are like camouflage in their natural environment. (I don't think Rock Trolls can change the color of their hair the way we see Pop Trolls do in the first movie.)

And their shaggy hair textures are supposed to resemble the environment too. With all the lichen and other rough and patchy textures, I was also trying to bring out a bit of a "grunge" effect. Though I feel like this part didn't come out in the illustrations the way I wanted it to. ':)

Overall I imagine it being a very pretty place, with open skies and amazing views, the downside is the close-mindedness of the trolls living there and the fact that there's not much going on.

I got my first blurb endorsement from another author, and my heart feels so full at this passage:

Reading A River Like Mine reminded me of looking at an impressionist painting up close. Spots and splashes of color draw you in. You realize these elements are connected, but in ways that aren’t yet clear. However, as you step back from the canvas—or read on, in the case of A River Like Mine—generations of characters and their stories intertwine, with each chapter adding to the connective tissue.

The result is an intricately detailed plot that unfolds over six decades, but one that never overshadows the people at the heart of the book. Author Erin Jo Eldry creates a cast of unforgettable characters—all flawed, hurting, and entirely human. The story keeps you guessing, but the characters make you care.

If anyone is interested, I opened for character art commissions!!! ♥

I don't have fixed character prices since I don't feel right charging the same for very complicated and detailed character designs and poses, and very simple little guys in a simplified art style standing still. The character base is between 60 and 100€, and additional characters are 35€ less.

a "chibi" character like a troll would fall under 60€, a regular character with a simple pose (like the drawing of me above) would be around 75€, more complicated designs and difficult poses/angles increase the price, more painterly rendering/coloring increases it too.

For more info check out my commission form! (which I hope I didn't make too daunting 😅)

Some examples of my character art:

John and Sammy 🕊️

A beautiful character commission from a wonderful friend @naomifranq who will be providing artwork for the book cover later this year 🥰💕

John and Sammy are part of the ensemble cast of A River Like Mine, a multi-generational literary thriller debuting next summer ☺️ I’m so excited for readers to meet them!