Bluff, Dyri Rattlingourd

Ink

I draw high-contrast, two-tone ink illustrations rich in texture, narrative detail, symbolism, & emotion. My inspiration comes from the occult, clowns, sci-fi, fantasy, life sciences, & horror. I love the tension between dark & light, both literal & figurative. That divide can be clean or chaotic. I opt for the latter.

 I begin my drawings on a white surface using alternating mark making styles in black & white ink. I lay out the scene & build detail to choke out the light & negative space. It’s as if I’ve found this scene & am watching time go by & shadows lengthen. I layer in new details with white ink where black dominates, preserving duality. I weave together black & white giving chaos structure.

 I invite the viewer to examine life’s darkest & brightest moments in a place in-between. Disgust, sorrow, grief, anger, & annoyance are underexplored emotions. I value disruption over satisfaction, inviting viewers to engage with chaos in search of meaning.

Artist Statement:

I am Dyri Rattlingourd. I draw the darkness with pen and ink. Grief, fear, despair, and pain are frequent visitors in my work. Demonology, horror, science, queer iconography, phobia, the occult, and circus side-acts serve as my tools to evoke these emotions. I weave these elements together creating narratives of loss, trauma, alienation, and rejection. I want for those who know such pain to hear my art call them much like a siren. I hope that they feel seen and at home so they may feel the depth of their emotions without shame. I use only black and white inks, brush, dip pen, felt tip, or gel pen to create my illustrations. With this two-tone palette, I carve my stories out of the dark.