About the Art:
I wanted to convey a sense of wonder, awe, and whimsy with these two organic beings who are different but similar coming together through their natural yet alien-like qualities to create a new force of energy. I was inspired by the theme of the issue, Symbiosis and I wanted to create something that felt cellular, but like you could touch it. When I first created it, I just thought that this was a chance to create something beautiful but when I look at it now that it’s finished, It feels like a metaphor for what womanhood (gender nonspecific) feels like to me. Constantly vulnerable while generating our energy of creation collectively.
About the Artist:
Jocelyn Short is an illustrator and concept designer based in Maryland, creating artwork for the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres in comics, video games, and film. She is currently developing Bearers, an art anthology filled with character designs and world art exploring the experiences of unique spirit couriers. Professional credits include creating a character design workshop for Wacom in 2024, creating the banner artwork for Virtuous Con for 2024, as well as on projects such as Black Feminist Video Game, a virtual play encasing a videogame component in which all art assets she created, and character designs for the comic, The Legend of Althea, created by Royce Adkins.”