365 Days of Grief

Illustrations for a book of poetry on the five stages of grief, by Nat Puttavon.

A cartoon newt writing with a large feathered quill, holding a long scroll, with a curved tail sitting on a stump.

The objective provided to me as the illustrator was to create a character, a newt, that would act as a friendly guide and aid to pair with the poems. But he had to be designed simply enough so as to not be completely representing an emotion that “should” be felt by the reader - instead, acting as more of a mirror. This character needed to represent the notion that there is no right way to be feeling in times of grief, and all emotions should be given space in order to help heal.

I also needed to design and represent the 5 stages of grief. Each chapter represented a different stage and needed a chapter title page. We both brainstormed the types of thoughts and images each of these words brought up for us, and once we landed on a few ideas for each, I began the works - ensuring along the way we were both happy with the designs.

Each were drawn on 9 x 12 in. Bristol paper using a combination of markers, pen, and paint.

365 Days of Grief was is a book of poetry written by Nat Puttavon, in which I Illustrated.

The stages of grief is not an easy subject to approach, but with the help of Newton, the newt friend that tags along with you during this journey, you’ll have a gentle guide to navigate the emotions, offering comfort, wisdom, and even a bit of lightheartedness along the way.

I had free reign for the rest of the illustrations. I picked the poems that I felt I could work with the most and where our friend “Newton” could shine.

Each one started as a pencil sketch, then using a lightbox, was transferred into a pen drawing, where they were touched up and made print-ready in Adobe Photoshop. I then aided in placing them appropriately with the poems using the Blurb self-publishing program.

Open book with two illustrated dinosaurs, one with a giant quill, on pages with poetic text.
An open book featuring a poem on the left page and a line drawing of a treasure chest overflowing with jewelry and coins on the right page.
Black and white drawing of a cartoon newt, wearing a full suit of armor, holding his helmet.
A cartoon lizard holding an axe, chopping a log near a campfire with wood and logs around.
A whimsical black and white drawing of a character, a newt, buried under a large pile of dirt with a flower growing out of the top.
A colorful illustration of an open treasure chest overflowing with gold coins, jewelry, and a sword, with a small green creature peeking over the top of the chest.
Open book with a poem and black illustrations, including a gecko with a geometric pattern and a lizard on a chain with a ball. The poem discusses a broken soul and longing.
Silhouette of a gecko with a pattern of diamond shapes across its body.
Black and white illustration of the greek myth of the river Styx, depicting a cloaked figure "Chiron", and a newt offering coin. The word "BARGAINING" is faintly written in the water.
A black and white drawing of a salamander coming out of a hole, with the same salamander on the other side of a second hole, creating a mirror image.

I also colorized in Photoshop one of my favorite illustrations and sold them as small 5 x 7” prints, available during our reading and book signing events.

A whimsical line drawing of a newt wearing a wizard hat decorated with stars, holding a staff, and standing upright with arms outstretched.
Illustration of an open treasure chest overflowing with gold coins, jewelry, and gemstones, with a green snake peeking over the top and a green newt partially hidden inside.