Belladonna In Green by Kelley Hensing

Title:	Belladonna In Green
Date Created:	2023
Copyright:	© Kelley Hensing
Genre:	Fantasy
Mediums:	Oils
Views:	505
Posted:	12/10/2023

Projects: Some of Kelley' s favorite projects: -Airbrushing murals and fashion clothing, and creating art live at on-location projects with Marc Jacobs in NYC -Illustrating a card game for Atlas Games, titled Lost in Rlyeh, among other drawings for roleplaying books -Painting public murals, statues and other instillations for the non-profit Artworks of Cincinnati -Creating 10 interior illustrations for the limited edition of Edgar Allan Poe: Poetry and Tales published by Suntup Editions

This figure was inspired by some of the unusual practices of the Victorian era, the first being her vibrant green dress. It may seem surprising, but one of the green dyes popular during that time actually contained arsenic. Another of her elements are the lovely but toxic plants used back then, most notably the Belladonna flower. Also known as deadly nightshade, ladies would use it to enlarge their pupils which they felt made them more attractive. In addition, arsenic and other toxins readily available back then became a hidden method of utilizing poisons against their foes.