Behind the Design
Some pieces begin as an idea. Others begin as a prayer.
My submission for this year’s RAW PAW T-shirt design challenge was inspired by Psalm 147:3—“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”—along with Christina Rossetti’s poem Up-Hill, which a friend recommended to me. Both became part of the emotional foundation for a piece centered on perseverance, healing, and hope.
The final graphic T-shirt design combines fine art photography, hand-drawn illustration, photo manipulation, and digital art. The process was much more involved than I originally expected. After sharing my first concept and receiving thoughtful feedback, I decided to start over completely.
A fresh start...
I photographed a new reference image, edited and printed the photograph, then spent hours adding detailed pen shading directly over the print. From there, I scanned the mixed-media artwork back into my computer and refined it digitally until the finished composition matched the vision I had in mind.
That hybrid process—where photography and traditional drawing intersect—has become one of my favorite ways to create. Each physical and digital layer leaves a trace of the process behind, giving the final artwork a texture that would be difficult to achieve through digital illustration alone.
The final result...
The imagery of tattered wings, tears, and words of healing is intentionally symbolic. Whether someone approaches the piece through faith, personal loss, or simply the experience of trying to endure something difficult, I hope they find the same message within it: healing may not happen quickly, but hurt does not have to be the end of the story.
For me, meaningful conceptual art and narrative photography should do more than look beautiful. It should make us feel something, ask something, or perhaps give someone a reason to keep going.
