The Forgotten Garden is one of my mixed media illustrations from a few years back. I originally designed this illustration for the back cover of an art book that I was planning to self-publish in the early 2020s. However, my health issues and other life circumstances got in the way, and the book project has been on hold ever since. This book is still dear to me, and I think there will be a day when I’m able to get back to it. I just need to first be sure that the more important things are safe and secure before tackling any big projects again.
I used mixed media to create this piece. I drew most of the linework with ink pens on paper, then scanned the drawing and continued adding colours digitally. I really like things to be quite rough and sketchy. To create even more texture I like to use my own hand painted watercolour elements together with the lineart.
I have a thing for lush and overgrown gardens. I can spend hours in such places with my camera, especially during evening dusk. The best gardens are old, have many layers to them and are filled with mysterious shadows. You can almost get lost in there and forget everything else for a moment. I like it when you cannot quite tell where exactly the garden ends and the wild begins.
Thank you for reading this far. ♥ If you enjoy this illustration, you might be interested in art prints and other products that feature this piece, linked below.
The Forgotten Garden is available as art prints from Printler (EU) and INPRNT (USA). Worldwide shipping is available in the INPRNT store!
Additionally, some other print products such as wall tapestries and jigsaw puzzles are available from Society6 (USA).
The illustration is also featured in my art book Faraway Dreaming, along with my other mixed media work from 2015–2025.
Images, text & artwork © Ulla Thynell.