Animal of the Month
In December 2025, I wanted to boost sales without compromising my Jewish identity by making Christmas imagery. So instead, every day that month, I posted an adorable floral penguin and an adorable floral polar bear. It was wintery without being Christmas, gentle without being performative, and very much me. Things did not do as well as I hoped. Ana pressured me to sell at the discounted rates I reserved for Molly and Andy, and Andy ended up buying most of them anyway, which meant we were once again recycling points back and forth. Still, I genuinely loved making them.
When Andy and I decided on New Year’s Eve to leave DeviantArt, a decision we carried out on January 2nd, 2026, I realized Animal of the Month had already shifted from a sales experiment into something more personal. So I kept it, not as a product strategy, but as a creative ritual I do for myself, for Andy, and for friends who enjoy watching these animals appear month by month.
Animal of the Month is intentionally simple. One land or sea creature and one bird, and occasionally a mythic animal, explored through a set of scenes where enchanted flowers bloom as part of their being. Spending time with the same two animals over and over helps my nervous system settle and gives my brain something kind, steady, and structured to hold onto. It is also a good creative challenge to see how many times I can revisit the same subject without repeating myself, making each scene look different, distinct, and special. My Elysian Enchanted Realism style shows up here, with animals that appear plausible and real, even when the flowers and magic say otherwise. These pieces are slow art for me. They are grounding, affectionate, and quietly joyful, and that is reason enough for them to exist.
Click the thumbnails to visit different months!
When Andy and I decided on New Year’s Eve to leave DeviantArt, a decision we carried out on January 2nd, 2026, I realized Animal of the Month had already shifted from a sales experiment into something more personal. So I kept it, not as a product strategy, but as a creative ritual I do for myself, for Andy, and for friends who enjoy watching these animals appear month by month.
Animal of the Month is intentionally simple. One land or sea creature and one bird, and occasionally a mythic animal, explored through a set of scenes where enchanted flowers bloom as part of their being. Spending time with the same two animals over and over helps my nervous system settle and gives my brain something kind, steady, and structured to hold onto. It is also a good creative challenge to see how many times I can revisit the same subject without repeating myself, making each scene look different, distinct, and special. My Elysian Enchanted Realism style shows up here, with animals that appear plausible and real, even when the flowers and magic say otherwise. These pieces are slow art for me. They are grounding, affectionate, and quietly joyful, and that is reason enough for them to exist.
Click the thumbnails to visit different months!
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