New Concept Art: "Anima I"

[Mark] For some reason, I woke up this morning at 3:40 and this image was very clear in my head. It wouldn't go away, so I just got up and started sketching. Usually, when I try to draw something I've dreamed, the results aren't that close to what I saw in my head. I've had a few successes, but this is the most accurate one so far.

I actually "inquired of the muse" at every stage of the process, asking what kind of paper I should use, what sort of pencil, and even where I should sit. Then, as I was drawing, I kept checking to see if I was getting the shapes right, whether there were other things I was forgetting, and how each bit should be finished. It was a fascinating process! There are other elements to the complete image (she's knee deep in a swamp and gesturing toward something), but this figure was the most important one. I've been working on it most of the day. When I figure out what to do with the rest, I'll post. In the meantime, here's the concept art for "Anima I."

In case you're wondering: no, those aren't tentacles, worms or snakes. They flow, but they don't wriggle. They're both part of the head dress and part of her actual physical self--which parts are which, I'm not actually sure, though.