In the first half of 2024 when everything in crypto art land seemed pretty hopeless, I started a project with the main purpose of putting a smile back on my face...

I draw a lot of flowing forms in my work like smoke, mist, water and clouds to reinforce more magical themes. I guess they could be considered motifs within my work by now. The way in which I draw these different elements developed a long time ago when experimenting and developing my style.

The first such instance of a billow like form was made on February 7th, 2013 seen over there >

I started drawing more and vectoring them to include in my digital art.

Fast forward 10 years and I found myself wanting to revisit something that brought me a lot of joy to create and that has informed so much of my creative process through the years.

Starting with a simple curved line, I don't really know how each one will end up looking. They grow in their own way, into their own unique personality but always with a smile and a kind word to say.

With 100 Billows completed and hundreds of hours put into the collection it was time to drop! July 10th, 2024 was the date and I originally released them on base. On September 3rd, unfortunately my wallet was hacked via a scam designed to take advantage of artists looking for work.

I had to cut the mint short and for a long time I was feeling very low about the whole crypto art scene. The Billows were meant to be about good vibes and a way to lift the spirits of those around me. I'd originally described them as personal web3 cheerleaders or mascots.

I'm now pleased to say that the Billows are staying true to their original purpose in keeping up the vibes in spite of the bad things this space can throw at you and wil be relaunched exactly one year after the original drop. They have found a new home on Shape L2 as well. I feel like it's the perfect place for them with it's fun, art focused vision.

So there you have it. The journey of The Billows. If you've read this far then I hope your brain hasn't turned to a fluffy tangled mess and I thank you for taking the time.