01/14/2026
In 2018, I was hired to illustrate Luxury in Death, a song from Imperial Triumphant’s album Vile Luxury, as part of a compendium project where each song was interpreted by a different artist. At the time, I was brand new to digital illustration, still teaching myself Procreate, and saying yes to something I wasn’t entirely sure I knew how to do yet.
The challenge was… the song has no lyrics.
Just sound. Texture. Tension.
So I listened. Over and over. I let the music tell me a story. I wrote that story out, created thumbnails, and slowly built a visual narrative based entirely on what I heard and felt. It’s my interpretation of the song, shaped by instinct, symbolism, and the need I’ve always had to find the story inside the chaos. The only real direction I was given was Art Deco. Everything else was trust.
It was the first time I had to invent a process on the fly. In doing so I discovered one I still use today, especially when I’m working on commissioned pieces. Listen deeply. Let meaning rise. Build from there.
This past December, I finally saw Imperial Triumphant perform live in New York City at Jazz from Hell Festival. My husband has been the drummer in this band for over a decade and tours constantly, but NYC shows are rare, and it felt surreal to stand there watching a band whose music once pushed me to stretch, risk, and grow as an artist. It was an incredible show, and I couldn’t be more proud of my husband, he’s always making incredible music with great bands and I’m not just “the drummer’s wife”, I’m also a fan 🤩🖤
These three pieces are from that original series (I made 12 pieces in total), lightly reworked years later. Same bones. More clarity.
Just sharing, just because. ✍🏼
