…is the name of today’s story on Fictive Dream.
Throughout the month of February 2021 I will be showing you illustrations I did for Flash Fiction February 2021 at Fictive Dream, an online short-story magazine. For more information about FFF21 and my artwork process, look here.
Here’s the image editor Laura Black chose for this story, Rust, by Colleen Kearney Rich.
And here is the artwork with the banner. Take a look at this image. And then…
Read the story at Fictive Dream.
Claudia McGill and Her Art World 
🖤
The visual texture in this piece is perfect for the story. There are the obvious rusty hues, of course, but I also like the way you’ve chosen primary colours as it makes me think of all those faded “ghost signs” on old buildings or of billboards bleached by the passing seasons.
In this image I did a lot of scraping, so there were layers. And that fits in with what happens to metal – the color goes, then the metal itself, in layers.
I feel this illustration works very well with today’s flash, Rust by Colleen Kierney Rich for several reasons. Firstly, there’s the presence of the ‘rusty’ colour in the lower half that resonates with the title and I wanted to make that link. Secondly, I feel the narrator is imprisoned by the emotions he has invested in his rusty old truck, and his unwillingness to let go is palpable. The central block of blue with the rusty-coloured bars mirrors this imprisonment, I think. For me, there’s something unsettling about both story and artwork. Thank you, Claudia, for another excellent match.
Thank you, I also think this image fits in well with the story. The idea of rust as fire really caught my attention and I think the artwork has overtones of that idea in its color scheme. I liked this story – I have been attached to cars in my past and could relate to what the story was depicting.
I love how the green floats within the red border!
It’s that complementary color thing!