This project was my senior thesis at Ringling College of Art and Design, and is meant to inspire in everyone some excitement and wonder for secret worlds and the nature around us. We all need some simple, earthy magic to ground us. Gnomenclature: A Study of Gnomes and Company, is an illustrated encyclopedia which takes a look at the ins and outs of gnomes’ lives and how they might interact with each other and the creatures around them. I imagine they are a friendly, intimate community which benefits from each member and doesn’t shy away from neighbors.

Alongside the gnomes, live elves, fairies, and fauna we humans are more familiar with. Their shared world is safe through the use of simple magic and the careful redirection of any humans who happen upon it.

Gnomes are a pretty earthy subject matter, and I found that the textures and messiness of traditional media helped me to capture their stories. Watercolor and colored pencil is one of my favorite pairings, and I like to imagine that working with my hands in this way brought me a little closer to the characters I was portraying.

My hope is that anyone can enjoy the little world I’ve created and everything that lives in it, especially kids like me, who love to get immersed in a realm of their own imagination. If you made little houses in the woods or always wanted to, then my book is for you.