Valhalla

This piece was as a passion project. The miniature, The Bather by Junebug Minis, was sent to me as an example of a non-sexualized female figure: a nude Norse woman bathing in a stream. While the original sculpt is quiet and intimate, I wanted to push it further: to tell a story with weight and emotion.


I reimagined the scene as Valhalla, depicting a fallen warrior cleaning her wounds after her final battle. The composition is built around a deliberate duality of light: the back of the piece is set in sunset, bathed in warm golds that echo Valhalla’s eternal fields, while the front is cast in twilight, signaling that this warrior’s story has come to an end. Two arrows in her back and blood spattered across her skin and shield tell the story of her final moments. This contrast - peace and violence, warm and cool - is central to the narrative.


All water droplets on the skin, the water texture and reflections, and the wood grain of the shield are freehand. I’ve included a render to help highlight these painted details.


This piece took first in the Open Category at Dragon Fall, 2025