Home

Exceptional Magic Realism

Nicole Cardiff

A woman with flaming hair and hands stands ready.
An aviator watches blue and yellow dragons soar.
A masked woman with elaborate tattoos stands.
A cloaked woman with red hair climbs.
A masked archer readies her bow.

A situation that seems truly extraordinary to one person may be perfectly normal to another. In a land where magic is mundane and the fantastical is forgettable. Nicole Cardiff seems quite comfortable in such a topsy-turvy world, and her practical practitioners of magic have everything under control.

Whether we are witnessing alternate histories or parallel dimensions, the result is the same: hauntingly familiar places and faces with abilities and companions never seen in this world of ours. Ms Cardiff makes inked-up urban mages and steampunk dragon handlers seem not only likely, but inevitable. She also adeptly captures characters from distant cultures and far-off lands, making them both exotic and approachable.

De these illustrations reveal part of our forgotten histories, or some closely guarded secret of our ancestors? If you can accept that your childhood fairy tales have grown up, collected a touch of grit and grime, and still retain their charm, then Nicole’s works are certain to delight, whatever the source of her inspiration.

Written by in May of 2016. Last edited March 2017.

Related Features

Jeff Himmelman

A man in a leather flight helmet weilds a large sword in a well-lit city. A thin-waisted woman wearing orange robes is bathed in fire. A small winged fairy girl wearing green holds a paintbrush.

Thomas Denmark

Tall white towers stretch into the sky, as sunlight slowly washes overhead. A large dragon belches flame upon a lone spear-wielding warrior. A dark chamber is lit by an eerie blue glow from outside of an opening doorway. An armored female figure with long flaming hair glowers menacingly.

Jeremy McHugh

A woman with pointed ears and long black hair yells as she attacks. A hooded woman rests her head. An armored man wrestles with a many-tentacled beast. A woman adorned in jewelry dances.

Jessica Peffer

An elf woman with long brown hair with a large fanged serpent. A small winged fairy with a small blue lantern on a pole. A large serpentine dragon rears.

Jason Chan

A man with natural rock armor and glowing veins. A woman with red hair and white wings wearing a breastplate and wielding swords. A woman summoning green energies with her outstretched hands. Two wild women with long red hair, yellow eyes and elaborate tattoos.  woman in white and white robes and an ornate headdress summons a small glowing object.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *