Ramona Szczerba creates densely detailed illustrations of “things that never happened to people who never were in places that do not exist but perhaps should have.” Created from hand-cut vintage images, etchings, and bits of ephemera—many found in a cache of memorabilia from her own family—her work has evolved from the steampunk aesthetic into an alternate reality of its own, where legendary women and dark fairies frolic with unlikely inventors and woodland creatures. Her vignettes invite us to imagine a rich backstory. Make sure to look closely to get a glimpse of the materials and textures—feathers appear frequently—that reveal each composition’s actual size. 

Her award-winning art has been exhibited nationwide. She has also illustrated coloring books and published a book of Steampunk paper dolls. As you would imagine, she is also a clinical psychologist in private practice.