BARRACUDA

Hellmouth is an ink illustration reimagining the medieval depiction of the gates of hell - a wide, gaping mouth hung tall swallowing all sinners to the bowels of hell. The origins of this depiction stem from the Anglo Saxon "Vercelli Homilies", which describes Satan as a dragon that would swallow the dammed. It's described to never once close it's mouth, always remaining open for the flow of corrupted to fall through it.
I felt especially drawn to the idea of a mouth that could never close. Ever-open and never-empty.
HellMouth is also associated with the Leviathan, the abomnible whale-creature-hell-gate-keeper whose open mouth emits a sweet smell that entices it's prey to a place of no return. Swallowing whole, like a snake does it's own prey. And like a snake with the food in it's belly that was once wholely something else.

Throughout this series I've explored digital techniques like image tracing and recolouring using Adobe Illustrator. I've noticed it's effective at tidying linework and grant me freedom to experiment with alternate colouring.