04/11/2026
I worked on these three ghosts as companion pieces. Sort of a representation of moving through grief and finding the joy.
I don’t usually talk in depth about the creative/design choices I make and I thought this might be a good example. The main thing is that most of my ghosts have tear-stained sheets. This is present in just about every ghost, but doesn’t necessarily mean they’re actively crying. The tear-stain is a remnant and representation of grief. Grief always lingers and leaves a mark, even when it isn’t as sharp anymore.
The second common feature is the rosy cheeks. This is also where my business name comes from. The cheeks are meant to represent their found joy, and whimsy. Joy and grief go hand in hand, and I like to show them side by side.
In the first piece the ghost is lacking their rosy cheeks, and the bright pink flowers are at the edge of their frame out of reach. In the second, the colors have started to emerge and are more joyful, but the ghost is still focused on other things. In the third piece, the ghost has been able to ground itself and find joy in the lively environment surrounding them, living with their joy and grief side by side.
I also like to show this progression an emotion in the skies and moons I include in my pieces. I hope this bit of insight is fun. I think about and consider each piece, and make very deliberate decisions about them. These three examples may make it more obvious, but I like to think that this kind of individual consideration contributes to the personality of each piece.
