Donar: the God of Thunder, on his chariot! New illustration for "Sonah Magazin", autumn 2025

 

Donar was the Old German name for the Norse god Thor. 

Myth, then legend, said he used to race across the skies, unrestrained, in his chariot pulled by two goats. The rumble of thunder was the sound of the chariot, the lightning flashes that flashed in the sky during storms were the sparks emanating from the chariot's wheels, in its mad rush (as well as from his mighty hammer Mjollnir).  Tanngnjóstr and Tanngrisnir was the name of the two goats (literally Teeth thin and Teeth grinder in old Norse).  

I once again thank Anika Meyer from the bottom of my heart for giving me the honor and pleasure of illustrating such a beautiful subject for her wonderful Magazine "Sonah".

Holda (Frau Holle) and Wodan-Odin, are the previous figures of the pantheon and folklore that I had the pleasure of illustrating for "Sonah", Magazine and Publishing House:

Sonah Verlag - Die Region Saar-Mosel-Rhein neu entdecken

Odin, disguised as an old wanderer with cloak

 

New illustration! For the cover of the Magazine "Sonah Magazin", summer 2025 issue

My first illustration on prehistory (and on the cover)!  A landscape from the prehistoric Carboniferous period (360-300 millions years ago), when the world was dominated by immense forests of giant ferns and horsetails. Oxygen levels were extremely high, and the swamps were traveled by enormous insects and amphibians.

Shown here are two giant Meganeura dragonflies (as large as modern hawks) and a huge two-meter long proterogyrinus like amphibian.

I am so grateful to Anika Meyer for allowing me to illustrate the cover of her beautiful magazine Sonah  https://sonah-verlag.de/

The original watercolor and gouache painting on the work table next to the Magazines

Wodan (as a young God) riding Sleipnir. New Illustration for "Sonah Magazin", winter 2024.

 

Wodan (here represented as a still young God riding his eight-legged steed) is the name that the populations of Central Europe gave in the Middle Ages to the Scandinavian and Norse God Odin

(Old German: Wodan, Wuotan, Woden; Old Dutch: Wuodan; Old Saxon: Uuoden; Old English: Woden; Old Norse: Odinn). 

Even in Southern Germany he is a figure at the center of many legends, such as that, among others, linked to the horseshoe. Beautiful and in-depth article by Anika Meyer (Editor and Art Director I thank very much for allowing me to illustrate such a beautiful subject!) on the topic.

sonah-verlag.de

The God Wodan - Odin in his appearance as an old wanderer with a blue cloak and gray robe

Even the Frau Holle of fairy tales is the derivation of Holda, an ancient mythological Goddess (Hertha - Jord) among the wives of Odin and mother of Thor

New Christmas Illustration for Sonah Publisher: Frau Holle

 

Among the wonderful things I am grateful for is the new opportunity, which I had again this year, to create the Christmas card for Sonah Publisher.

Many thanks to Mrs. Anika Meyer for her trust. I love the subject :

Frau Holle, seen in the original mythological aspect of an ancient goddess, and I love painting winter landscapes, forests and ancient villages!

Sonah's cards are always beautifully edited and printed! The quality of the print, colors and paper are excellent!

You can find the wonderful Sonah Magazine and see the images and postcards (Christmas and floral) on the site: Sonah Verlag

  And here: 

Grusskarten - Greeting Cards

New! Floral illustrations for the Publisher Sonah Verlag

   First illustration: wild mallow, cuckoo flower and elderflower (and butterflies)

Second illustration: lily of the valley, forget-me-not, a couple of field herbs (e.g. wild oats), common daisy (and a new couple of butterflies)

Third illustration: field poppy, tansy and marguerite (instead of butterflies, or butterfly and moth, this time a bumblebee). 

An original watercolour illustration alongside the three greeting cards

Here are the new floral-themed  illustrations for the publisher Sonah Verlag. Many thanks as always to Ms. Anika Meyer for her valuable advice and Art Direction!

The illustrations are published on wonderful greeting cards and  represent local floral essences, accompanied by refined captions with their names in the dialect of the Saarland region, and a series of information - on the back of the cards - on each botanical species.

You can see and find them here, on the Sonah website Sonah Verlag and Magazine and Blumengrüße auf Saarländisch – Gruß-/Glückwunschkarte

If I can afford some advice and opinion to friends who live in Germany, I'd say run and buy the Magazine "Sonah Magazin", it's wonderful, don't miss it! ;-) 

New Christmas illustration: the old tradition of the Christmas log (Yule log). For Sonah Verlag

 

The ancient tradition of the yule log seems to date back as far as the 12th century. Spread from Scandinavia to the Alps, it involved the custom of burning a large log of wood in the fireplace of the house on Christmas Eve. And then to let it burn for the next 12 nights, until Epiphany.

This is the first of two illustrations for Christmas cards published by the publisher Sonah Verlag. Many thanks to Ms. Anika Meyer for entrusting me with these Christmas illustrations and for her precious Art Direction. 

Here you can see the Christmas cards (and find the wonderful magazine) Sonah Verlag

The Christmas cards have arrived!

The Autumn Issue of "Sonah" Magazine (with my illustration of Trier in roman age)

The wonderful Magazine "Sonah. Das Saarland und die Region neu entdecken"

                           My illustration with the city of Trier at the end of the 3rd century AD