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Contemporary Fusion

Contemporary Fusion! Did I make up the term? Probably not. But I sure did make up my own flexible style: a blend of whimsical, exaggerated character design and a soft, painterly technique that evokes classical illustration of the past. My playful humor and thoughtful details create worlds both magical and familiar, inviting readers to step into stories filled with wonder and heart.

Papa's Gold Tooth

The Pirate's Tale of Papa's Gold Tooth

spins an adventurous yarn explaining the loss of grandpa's tooth (and hair) in an epic battle with Blackbeard in the swashbuckling days of his youth.

The author was adamant that the characters resembled him and his grandchildren, and I enjoyed depicting them all in a playful way that perfectly captured the mood of this humorous, lighthearted story. Years later, it remains one of my favorites.

Fudgie's Afraid of the Dark

tells the tale of a chocolate lab whose nighttime fears are eased by an introduction to a magical evening performance by all the neighborhood pets and wild critters, hosted with flair by a showman alley cat.

The author wanted animals that blended realism with anthropomorphic elements. I enjoyed the dramatic lighting and color of the nighttime setting, and including details that grounded the story in the culture of New Orleans, which the author and her dog knew well.

Wonderdog

My own work, immortalizing my Houdini Hound and his habit of bolting into the wild blue. It's a joy to have the freedom to design characters exactly how I want them, so here I am pushing the character design further into zany territory suitable for this crazy pooch. © Dawn Davidson, 2025