2025 Dracula and the Enchanted Roses Original Painting
Dracula and the Enchanted Roses is a work that embraces both the sensual and the sinister—two qualities at the very heart of Bram Stoker’s 1897 masterpiece. In this 6x9 original painting, sent unframed and mounted in an 11x14 white mat, I merge my backgrounds in advertising and henna artistry to create a movie-poster-like composition: bold, alluring, and unforgettable.
The roses spiral with henna-inspired swirls and dots, embodying the hypnotic pull of desire, while the woman at the center leans into her fate—her pale neck poised for Dracula’s bite. Watercolor washes fade across the surface like vintage parchment, while black 3D paint defines the outlines, heightening the drama of flesh against flower, temptation against terror.
A Brief Return to the Story:
In Dracula, Jonathan Harker travels to Transylvania to assist a mysterious nobleman, only to discover Count Dracula is no ordinary man, but an immortal vampire. The novel unfolds across England and Eastern Europe through letters and diaries, chronicling Dracula’s attempts to spread his dark influence, the resistance of his pursuers, and the eternal struggle between forbidden desire and moral restraint.
Banned for its Sensuality:
When first published, Dracula was considered scandalous in certain corners of Victorian society. Its overt suggestions of erotic desire—women swooning as their blood is consumed, the intimate imagery of penetration, and the mingling of pleasure with death—were seen as indecent. At times, schools and libraries restricted it, particularly in early 20th-century America and Britain, for its sensual undertones. These very qualities, however, give the book its enduring power, echoing in my painting through the roses—symbols of beauty, desire, and blood.
Why Celebrate It:
Dracula remains a cornerstone of gothic literature, a work that explores not only fear but also longing, repression, and the duality of human nature. By celebrating it through visual art, we honor the ways literature continues to challenge cultural norms, provoke thought, and seduce the imagination.
