These sketches come from a project I did awhile back for World Mythology class, where we had to create a visual representation of any item from mythology. For my project, I referenced heavily from A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits. It’s a very excellent reference for all things creature in the mythological world, and is definitely a wonderful source of inspiration.

I chose to create a sketch journal of a traveler who encounters the Surem, small, peaceful folk who live in the Sonoran Desert. They originated from an ancient tribe that split in half after receiving a message from a Tree, warning them of major changes that will come to pass. The prophecy told the tribe that their life will change forever and things such as “good” and “evil”, “life” and “death” will happen to those who stay. (Essentially, I imagined the Surem to live in an environment and mindset similar to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.)

Those who stayed grew taller and became humans, specifically the ancestors of the Yaquis tribe. Those who continued to live as Surem, retained their 3ft. stature (and some grew even smaller!) and sought other natural places to hide in the world. Surem are nomads, living in deserts and caves. They’re a natural people, and are usually known to carry around a portable lake, rolled up like a carpet. Once unrolled, they can fish and drink water.