The moon was a painter tonight, splashing silver light across the velvet canvas of the forest. A tiny fairy, no bigger than a dewdrop, named Lumina, watched from her perch on a mushroom cap, her heart filled with a quiet wonder. The scene before her was breathtaking: the red mushrooms, dotted with white, glowing softly against the dark blue moss, the smooth grey stones catching the moonlight like scattered jewels. It was a moment of perfect beauty, a fleeting glimpse of magic in the heart of the night.

Lumina longed to capture this moment, to hold onto it, to share it with the world. She had heard whispers of a magic, a way to weave light and color into something solid, something lasting. A way to create stained glass.

Driven by inspiration, she set to work. She gathered moonlight, shimmering and ethereal, and mixed it with dewdrops, each one reflecting a tiny piece of the night sky. She crushed petals of the deepest red flowers and ground them with smooth, white stones, creating pigments that echoed the colors of the mushrooms. She whispered to the wind, asking it to carry her magic, to bind the colors and the light together.

With delicate precision, she painted the scene onto a sheet of glass, her tiny brushstrokes capturing the essence of the moonlit clearing. She worked through the night, her heart filled with joy, her fingers guided by magic. She painted the red mushrooms, each one glowing with an inner light. She painted the dark blue moss, soft and velvety beneath the moonlight. She painted the smooth grey stones, catching the silver sheen of the moon.

As the first rays of dawn touched the horizon, Lumina stepped back to admire her work. The stained-glass panel shimmered with a soft, ethereal light, capturing the magic of the night, the beauty of the mushrooms, the whisper of the wind. It was perfect. She left it nestled amongst the roots of an ancient oak, a silent promise of the magic to come.

Centuries later, a wandering stonemason, weary from his travels, stumbled upon the clearing. He was drawn to the shimmering light emanating from the base of the oak. There, nestled amongst the roots, he found the stained-glass panel, a vision of beauty in the heart of the forest. He was captivated by its magic, its ethereal glow.

Inspired by the panel, he vowed to build a sanctuary around it, a place where others could share in its wonder. And so, he began to construct a small chapel, its walls echoing the colors of the stained glass, its very existence a testament to the magic it contained.

Over time, the chapel grew into a magnificent cathedral, its stained-glass windows multiplied, each one a creation of Lumina’s enduring magic, telling stories of nature, of light, of dreams. Hundreds of years passed, and the cathedral became old and crumbling, its stones weathered by time, its roof open to the sky. But Lumina’s magic remained.

Her stained-glass panels, once shattered and diligently repaired in places, continued to shimmer with their ethereal light, still whispering tales of beauty and wonder, still offering solace to weary souls, still inspiring dreams in the hearts of those who beheld them. And this very first panel, “Midnight Mushrooms,” remained, steadfast to the magic and heart that had started it all.

“Shattered Midnight Mushrooms” is a Gansai (Japanese Watercolor) Depicting a dark blue forest floor with four red fly agaric mushrooms nestled among rocks and leafy plants at the foot of an ancient oak. Unlike the others, there are no creatures in this painting but it holds a magic and life of its own. This painting bears deep secrets. And you long to find out what they are.

This painting and more from the “Shattered” series will be appearing for sale summer 2025. Prints will also be offered. Stay tuned to my social media for sale dates and locations.

Please feel free to use the form below for commissions or gallery appearances. I will answer your request as soon as possible.

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Check out my other paintings at www.tobitokens.com or find out a little more about me at About Tobi! Visit Disclosures to find out how I establish these short stories.

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