Alyson Petruncio, a Virginia-based illustrator, infuses her work with elements of childhood horror and uncanny surrealism, reminiscent of classic Goosebumps covers. Her art explores themes of discomfort, loneliness, and societal expectations placed on girls. Using vivid colored pencils on watercolour paper, she creates dreamlike visual narratives that evoke emotional crises within a suburban setting. Petruncio aims to revisit and transform unsettling memories into something cathartic, ultimately creating powerful illustrations that invite viewers into her imaginative worlds filled with unease and surreal beauty.
These moments, whether drawn from my childhood or imagined in hindsight, help me process feelings of discomfort, loneliness, and disconnection.
There were strong, often unspoken ideas about how girls should act and what they should be interested in—expectations that never quite fit.
Through my work, I try to revisit places where I didn't or wouldn't feel safe and place myself and the viewer there.
Turning those moments into something cathartic and quietly powerful.
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