Done in gouache and ink, this large and bold illustration is part of Everett’s series titled “Sub Rosa”, which is a term used by Romans to indicate a secret meeting. The flowers used in this painting lay out a secret message, explained below:

Invenire Lucem, Sed non Excaecati: find the light without being blinded. Sunflower, morning glory, cinnamon fern, aconite, and lisanthus. The pairing of all of these flowers except aconite indicate seeking joy, light, and beauty, as all of the aforementioned flowers move to find the sun. The fern symbolizes trust in this process, while the aconite warns that this trust should not lead us to be blinded by optimism or false hopes. The wolf skull in particular also speaks to a fierce fidelity, and whose jaws also echo the shadow meaning of “trust none but your own light, or else”.

This illustration measures 18”x24”inches with a 3/4” border, on archival watercolor paper.