Home

Alluring Innocence and Seductive Wisdom

James Wolf Strehle

A nearly naked woman stands calmly, as she begins to incandesce.
A woman with long white hair and large bat wings sits while another woman lies at her feet.
A naked elf woman sits in the forest, admiring a bird on her knee.
A young fighter strips off her battle gear.
A tanned and oiled athletic woman wearing gauzy strips of fabric carries a pail of water.
A slender horned woman with a long tail burns from within.

In the twilight between wakefulness and dreams, we may occasionally catch a glimpse of our own internal struggles between obligation and desire — Good and Evil, if you will. While each such vision is a deeply personal experience, surely some commonalities must exist. Could this subconscious conflict explain our fascination with fantasy icons, or is it simply an attraction to the mysterious mythical beauties depicted by artists such as James Wolf Strehle?

Both virtue and vice are clearly on display in Mr. Strehle’s portfolio, with neither gaining the upper hand. Angels and demons smirk and glower from within his dark character portraits, while beautiful adventurers and corrupted creatures warily stalk one another, looking for a subtle advantage.

Through James’ work, we witness the battle for the hearts and minds of all civilization: tense, sensual forms bathed in hazy light take their places in the spectrum of moral intent. Which extreme sings the most alluring song? Your answer may surprise you.

Written by in July of 2011. Last edited May 2017.

Related Features

Andrew Hickinbottom

A woman wearing a corset with glowing orange lines stands with a large glowing staff. A slender nude woman leans against a large window. A shapely woman in cat ears and a black shiny bodysuit sits on the floor next to a bowl of milk. A slim woman in a large fishbowl helmet and silver top and shorts stands. A woman with cyan hair and a skimpy outfit is ogled by convention-goers.

Kyung Up Hyun

A dark-haired woman clothed in gauzy fabirc and leather straps sits. A lithe woman with long brown hair and an elaborate tattoo stands in a tattered cloak. A scantily clad woman arches her back.

Andrew Bawidamann

A white haired woman falls quickly in a bikini and HALO gear. A red haired woman wearing a skin-tight space suit and carrying a large raygun. A well armed smiling woman in a skimpy wetsuit salutes. A curvy cosmonaut smiles big and poses dramatically. A buxom woman with white and red hair floats in zero gravity. A schoolgirl in a kaijui costume destroys a city.

Kyounghwan “Tahra” Kim

A naked woman with dark marks on her skin writhes. A blond woman in bunny ears, an open white shirt, black underwear and a large rifle. A young elf woman with long black hair and a dark, revealing dress.

Sean Harrington

A slender bare-chested woman stands holding a coconut and machine pistol. A dark elf woman with white hair and a large pole axe leaps with a wild look in her eyes. Orc and elf females grapple with each others hair and breasts. A muscular young man with long red hair and beard. A nearly naked blue-green skinned woman with long black hair, small pointy ears and large breasts. A buxom naked woman stands defiantly in a hooded cloak with a silenced pistol.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *