Co-editor and chief writer, Little Alice, has in recent years picked up the reins of painting and drawing.  Her journey began in high school, taking a series of art classes that honed her skills and fueled her love for the craft.  Alice specialized in pencil drawings and water colour painting.  She put her works and paint brushes away in storage when she went on to college.  Since then, her focus has been on writing and modeling.  Now, as a retired model, she has once again picked up her dusty paintbrushes and sketchbooks to start anew.

She has been working under the name “Katerine Howard Rose” or “KHRArts” for short.  The name was inspired by Henry VII’s wife Katherine Howard, whom he dubbed “rose without thorns.”  Katherine was the Jezebel of the ill-fated queens, but her zest for life and thirst for beauty is what drove Alice to select the name.  Some may find this confusing, however, Alice felt it best to compartmentalize her works.  “Little Alice” for that belonging to the fashion industry, and “Katerine” for that belonging to the art industry.  [Hereafter referred to as “KHR.”]

Recently, KHR has created two paintings she has dubbed “Oiran.”  She has a third in her plans, but is not sure of any others in the series.  These were inspired by the Japanese Oiran, the head prostitute of the house.  They had the most flamboyant, traditional, costumes.  KHR found them fascinating, and felt that the many ornaments and combs looked like deer antlers perched upon their heads.  She created this image in her paintings, so others might find the same luxurious beauty that she did.

The images originated from the manga Sakuran: Oiran.  The unapologetic story grabbed her attention, the idea simmering for a good year before she put brush to canvas.

The two paintings were done on the same evening.  Each took roughly 3 hours to paint, plus time for the pre-sketch.

The actual painting process was a work of muscle memory.  It was as if she had never stopped painting, bridging the eight year gap.

The final product was exactly the vision KHR had wanted to achieve.  Oiran and deer melded together, to create a vision of power and feminine mystery.

Watch her work evolve, and check out her website.