An abstract purple mountain with symbolic rivers, a moon/sun in the background, a pinkish sky with darkness, as well as yellow and white light. Concept art related to the novel, Staerstone, by HK Stubbs, coming in 2026. I set out to draw a fantasy mountain and ended up thinking about how when I go into the mountains, it’s an honest experience. What you can and can’t do is right there, laid out clearly. Which is pretty cool. But the mountain keeps its secrets, if it wants to. And some things you don’t want to know… like how heavy that teetering rock is. How hard it would fall. Sometimes the mountain is so full of water, the rock seeps for weeks. Imagine. The flow of water within rock fascinates me.

mystical mountain morning
with darkness and light
strength and weakness
strung out on the cliff
keeps secrets
in caverns, cracks,
loose rock threatens
- stay -
go
become your truth
#staerstone
#mysticalmountains