Illustration ofa black
raven perched atop an ornate floral arrangement of roses, leaves, berries, and
a human skull, set before a glowing purple and magenta Celtic knotwork mandala.
the circular knot design weaves three stylized ravens from continuous
over-and-under strands in a triadic pattern around a small green central node,
forming a symmetrical backdrop. this artwork is titled “Celtic Morrigan’s
Ravens” and created by artist Brigid Ashwood
You
drift first into the black raven’s stillness—its body perched with quiet
authority, feathers catching faint blue-violet highlights along the back and
wing as if the light is colder than the air. The beak points slightly forward,
the posture composed, neither aggressive nor soft. Beneath it, a skull rests at
the center of a dense floral bed: pale bone framed by curling greenery, deep
pink blossoms, purple petals, and clustered berries that read as small, round
punctuations of color. The arrangement feels ritualistic rather than
decorative—like something assembled with intention, not aesthetics alone.
Then
the eye is pulled upward into the Celtic structure behind it, and the whole
mood tightens into geometry. Intertwined within the knotwork are three
ravens, and they are unmistakably ravens—each bird’s silhouette built
directly from interlace and negative space, not placed on top of the design.
One raven sits at the top center of the knot circle with wings extended
outward, the wing shapes defined by thick black forms edged in pale highlight
while the interior is filled with intricate, pale-blue knot lines. A second
raven occupies the lower-left triadic section, angled inward with a
defined head and beak shape, its body filled with the same interlaced blue
knotwork that loops and returns in tight corridors. The third mirrors the
structure in the lower-right section, completing the triad so the ravens
rotate around the center like three guardians fixed in a single system. You can
literally see where the knot strands pass “over” and “under” around each raven
form: edges lighten where a band rises, deepen where it dips, especially at
tight turns near the ravens’ wings and backs. On denim, those crossings settle
into the twill ridges and valleys, making the ravens feel engraved—like the
birds are carved into the fabric rather than drawn on it. It matters because
the knot doesn’t just frame the ravens; it binds them into permanence.
A
shift in mood happens at the center, where a small green circular node anchors
the triad and the surrounding knot compresses into tighter crossings. The
palette here leans into violets, magentas, and smoky purples, with the knot
bands thick and disciplined—broad arcs looping around the ravens, then
tightening into smaller turns that create pockets of negative space like
windows. Around the circle, small oval shapes and green bead-like dots
punctuate the design, giving the structure a jeweled, talismanic feel without
breaking the interlace logic. On fabric, these small nodes catch light
unevenly, so they flicker subtly as the jacket moves—tiny points of emphasis
that make the geometry feel alive.
Then
your eye returns to the foreground raven, and the contrast is immediate. The
three intertwined ravens behind are symbolic—constructed of knot and rule—while
the painted raven in front is physical, dimensional, and grounded in matter.
Its feathers are rendered in layered dark tones with cool highlights along the
contours, and the body sits directly above the skull-and-flower bed as if
keeping watch. That separation is deliberate: the knotwork holds the mythic
triad; the foreground raven holds the present moment.
The
base of the composition deepens that present. Leaves fan outward in pale and
dark greens, their edges clean and slightly glossy, framing clusters of berries
and layered blooms. A small gold-toned detail sits among the greenery above the
skull—an ornate accent that reads like filigree tucked into the bouquet. The
skull’s teeth and eye sockets are sharply defined, but surrounded by
softness—petals, mossy greens, and curved stems—so the image feels less like
threat and more like threshold: life and death held together without melodrama.
On
stonewashed denim, the knot becomes atmospheric first. The purple and
magenta bands soften into the worn grain, and the three intertwined ravens
remain readable because their silhouettes are bold, but the over-under
crossings gain a textured, weathered depth. The background halo blooms, making
the circle feel like fogged stained glass. The foreground raven’s highlights
mellow, and the floral bed embeds into the fabric so leaves and berries feel
like tactile pattern rather than printed detail. As the jacket moves, the green
nodes and tight knot turns catch light in scattered flashes, like a slow pulse.
Stonewash
shifts the emotional tone toward relic and ritual—something carried daily,
softened by time, protective rather than performative.
On
white denim, clarity asserts itself. The three intertwined ravens
are easiest to count and trace here: wing edges sharpen, knot-filled interiors
become crisply legible, and the triadic placement around the center reads like
a deliberate seal. The purples brighten, the greens look jewel-like, and the
foreground raven’s feather contours become more distinct. The skull brightens
too—bone tones clean against white—while the surrounding flowers and berries
become saturated accents. This clarity matters because it turns the artwork
into statement: symbolism made unmistakable.
On
black denim, the piece becomes intimate and cinematic. The knot circle
glows in layered purples against the dark base, and the three intertwined
ravens feel carved into shadow—crossings deepening, loops reading like
channels. The foreground raven partially merges with the base, but its cool
highlights and eye line lift forward, making it feel like it’s emerging from
night. The skull and flowers become dramatic focal points: pale bone and vivid
petals flashing against darkness, while green leaves and berries appear and
disappear as the fabric folds.
On
black denim, the artwork feels like a sigil—three ravens bound into knotwork
behind one living raven in the present—a threshold of beauty and omen worn
close, revealing itself fully only when you move.
