…is the name of today’s story at Fictive Dream.
Throughout the month of February 2023 I will be showing you illustrations I did for Flash Fiction February 2023 at Fictive Dream, an online magazine devoted to the short story.
Here’s the image editor Laura Black chose for this story, Tell Me Why the Willow Weeps, by Marie Gethins.
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 
Tell Me Why the Willow Weeps by Marie Gethins is beautifully and elegantly told with willow as the central motif. The illustration, in my view, is a perfect complement because it too is elegant with its muted palette of greens and blues. And there in the centre a woven artefact, maybe a casket of grief, maybe a repository of memories. A beautiful illustration for a beautiful story. Thank you, Claudia.
Thank you. I love this color palette for its associations for me with water and spring and delicate green growing things. The center motif keeps this image from being just a collection of colors and gives it focus, but the layering and the transparency of the paint make it float a bit instead of being a heavy presence. Like the willow tree and its graceful personality, I think. I loved this story for the gentle feeling and the association with the willow and its graceful strength.
Your illustration fits the story perfectly. So many layers inside even a too-short life. (K)
Thank you. Sometimes I think about this. If I tell a story I sometimes feel I am going backwards, I need to explain the why or what of one part, and that leads to more explanations of the details uncovered, and so on, and the story gets bogged down (to most listeners) or to me, it’s a fascinating set of pictures and layers that have to be included (I never know where to stop). I think it might drive people crazy but I think those layers are what life is all about. And should be included.
I totally agree.