Cozy Beginnings: A Peek Inside My New Burrow Series

The past couple of weeks didn’t go quite as planned. After my kids came down with the flu, I inevitably caught it too, and our house became a bit of a sick bay. Between fever naps and endless cups of tea, my creative momentum took a hit.

Now that I’m finally feeling better, I’m so excited to share the start of a brand new illustration series I’ve had in the works for a while: cozy underground burrow homes—each one tucked-away, magical, and full of personality. I’m envisioning a collection of different animals (and possibly gnomes) all inhabiting their own spaces, but each of these spaces will be interconnected through maze-like tunnels underground. Sort of like an underground apartment building :)

Color Palette Sneak Peek!
To give the series a cohesive, earthy warmth, I’ve created a custom color palette that I’ll be using throughout each illustration. The tones are muted and natural with little pops of color—think rich browns, soft mossy greens, dusty blues, warm ochres, and hints of berry red. The palette image is below so you can see the vibe I’m going for!

The first piece is complete! It features a pair of mice playing cards in their underground nook. I imagined their world full of scavenged treasures and handmade comforts: buttons strung up on a string like festive garland, a candle flickering on top of an empty spool of thread, a mysterious stolen key leaning against the wall, an old-fashioned mouse shadow silhouette art print, and of course—tiny playing cards just their size. I’m loving the dark, cozy tones in this series!

There’s something soothing and storybook-like about these spaces, and I’m really enjoying creating little environments that feel lived-in and full of narrative potential. This is just the beginning—I have several more burrow scenes planned, each one with its own set of creatures and cozy quirks.

Thanks for following along. More woodland coziness is on the way soon!