When I was a young girl, I was fascinated with lichen. I loved to discover a patch, touch it and smell it. I liked lichen so much, I imagined a world of little elfin creatures who meticulously groomed, cared for and protected all the lichen in the forest.

At that time, I didn't understand the importance of lichen in the balance of our ecosystem, but I did recognize that it was something of great significance in nature.

This series of Lichen Queens is a dedication to my childhood fantasy of the little elfin creatures who were so dedicated to protecting the lichen.

Made with stable diffusion and photoshop by @dehiscenceart, August 2022.