“There’s a sense of peace that comes with soft sunlight in the early mornings.” (An Interview with Lynn Werner)
As we bloom into new definitions of morning with Half Mystic Journal’s Issue VII: Aubade, it’s a joy to feature an artist whose work exemplifies radiance and tenderness, the hope of something brighter hovering just out of reach, etching gold into our throats like a promise we know will be kept. Please join us in welcoming our seventh featured artist: Lynn Werner.
HM: Issue VII: Aubade celebrates the dawn-dizzy dance—the first chords of warmth—the sun forgiving everything it touches. What draws you to sunlight? What does the sun illuminate in your work?
LW: To me the sun symbolises rebirth and new beginnings; it represents an ever-returning warmth, the promise that there will be a new dawn, new hope and joy even after long periods of darkness. My art focuses on these brief, beautiful moments of light and happiness, and the sun does so much to illuminate those moments of joy throughout my work.
Each piece featured in Issue VII uses a muted color palette, washed in soft pinks and creams. What led you to these shades for your work with Half Mystic? How does color play into your personal dawn?
There’s a sense of peace that comes with soft sunlight in the early mornings. It paints everything in delicate, unreal colors—there is some kind of true and quiet magic about it. I’m infatuated with the way light paints itself its own atmosphere, and I tried to capture the gentle and hopeful feeling of a fresh morning with my pieces for Half Mystic.
What does the early morning represent for you, both in your art and in your life?
Morning is a time of endless possibility. I love the feeling of having the whole day ahead of me to create; it’s an opportunity to start over, to explore new perspectives, new hearts. As an artist my morning is the most productive and inspiring time of day, the time to embrace and to begin.
How does music factor into your art? What have you learned from it?
Music invokes deep emotion; there’s no other form of art that speaks to me quite as much. So much that can’t be expressed through words or visual art is effortlessly conveyed through song. Listening to music is essential to my drawing process—it helps me visualize atmospheres and early hours, and so much of the time my art is heavily influenced by the music I listened to while drawing it.
What possibilities do you feel art captures?
I see art as the ultimate way to connect with other people; no matter the form, it exceeds language barriers and cultural differences and expresses feelings we mightn’t otherwise be able to share with those around us. There’s so much possibility today especially in artistic creation, and in sharing that expression with others—seeing that the people we love feel the same things we do, or even just appreciate what we’re trying to gift them though they might be thousands of miles away, is quite comforting!
Each piece you’ve drawn for Issue VII is delicate and precise, yet simultaneously bold and self-assured. How did you go about discovering your unique artistic style? What inspires you to create work that at once embodies the simple and complex?
I’ve always wanted my art to look minimalistic and simple, like something you’d draw absentmindedly while talking on the phone—I never wanted to create art that felt overwrought, the product of hours and tears. The biggest compliment for me is when people tell me that they felt inspired to start creating because of the way my art looks like something they too could draw. Art is about expression for me, not skill—so this simple style is the way I capture the sweetness of a certain moment without overthinking, distancing myself, and thus losing the connection to the moment.
Many of your creations feature nature intertwined with music: mountains intermingled with music notes, a music stand enveloped in vines, a violin resting aside a vase of flowers. How, in your mind, are music and nature are connected?
Musical expression is the core of humanity. It comes naturally to us. In every culture, we’ve always created music. The sounds of nature, which have inspired creation since the beginning of our species, are intrinsically musical to me—birds singing, leaves rustling, rain falling—and I tried to portray this joyful connection by including elements of nature in most of the pieces I created for Half Mystic.
In one piece in Issue VII, a hand holding a pen writes notes drifting towards the sky. What connections do you make between visual art, music, and literature?
Greek mythology connects music, poetry and all forms of art in the god Apollo (who happens to also be the god of the sun and spring!). I love this way of viewing the arts: as intertwined disciplines which sing and weave into one another. They are different outlets of the same emotions, different perspectives on the same experiences. When combined, they create redemption, gratitude, connections we’d never have bridged on our own.
What songs, albums, or musicians did you listen to while crafting the pieces in Issue VII?
Somewhat ironically, I listened mostly to Conan Gray’s debut album Sunset Season while drawing these pieces. His music sounds the way I want my art to feel: quiet and gentle, but at the same time profound and honest. I also listened a lot to Hozier’s new album Wasteland, Baby!, particularly the song “Sunlight”, which struck me as the perfect melody with which to welcome in dawn.
Sunrise is filled with potential and opportunity. What aubades are you hoping to explore in the future?
I am currently focusing on more character- and story-oriented art—I would love to draw a short graphic novel in the future! At the same time, I’m working a lot on commissions for my clients at the moment. Helping people visualize their ideas for their tattoos and more is such an interesting process, and I’d love to keep exploring that field!
Lynn Werner was raised in Germany and began publishing her artwork at 16 years old. Since then she has started designing tattoos, album covers and illustrations for magazines, online shops and everything in between. Her art focuses on nature, mythology and the magic in everyday life. She is currently studying social sciences and working as an artist. Learn more: Tumblr, Instagram, email for commissions and business enquiries