These pieces were created primarily in my adolescence. They explore the wonders of the natural world and the ways imagination can capture things that cannot occur in real life. Octopuses cannot roam the galaxy and flowers cannot melt into multicolor streams. The pieces towards the bottom of the page allowed me to capture the darker aspects of human nature. They explore how people can hide parts of themselves or seek to corrupt others. The moody, deep contrasts of the charcoal helped me achieve the seriousness and horror that this topic required. The only piece made during my adulthood on this page is “Lunas & Lilies.” This piece greatly influenced my creative direction. It made me want to create pieces that focused on bringing the beauty of the natural world into the home. This expanded on themes I previously explored and led me to make the seamless patterns found on the “Surface Designs” page.