Art & Writing of Katy L. Wood
LightNews LightNews
banner
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Art & Writing of Katy L. Wood
@thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
1.3K followers 380 following 630 posts
Queer author+illustrator from Colorado. Wildland Fire Dispatcher. 🎃🏳️‍🌈🏔️

Art+Writing: www.AspenAndCopper.com
Disaster Blogging: www.Katy-L-Wood.com
Tumblr: @ThatDisasterAuthor
Posts Replies Media Videos
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Please enjoy thirty seconds of a moose calf having EXTREME beef with my wishing well.
July 30, 2025 at 3:19 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
New illustration! :D So happy with this one.

And I'm doing a special edition print run to fund a Spanish translation of my Emergency Evacuation Poster!

Preorder: www.aspenandcopper.com/product-page...

See the evac poster: www.katy-l-wood.com/posters?pgid...

#Wildfire #Illustration
A digital illustration of three wildland firefighters watching a distant wildfire in the mountains at sunset. The fire is burning in a forest and putting up a thick, dark column of smoke. Everything is lit in warm, orange sunset light. The person in the foreground is sitting next to a chainsaw and among wildflowers. The other two figures are in the midground. A detail shot of the foreground figure. She has her back to the camera and she is sitting with one knee pulled up, her arm draped over it. Next to her legs is a chainsaw. A detail shot of the body of the chainsaw and some of the flowers. A detail shot of the second midground figure, her back to the camera as she stares out at the fire, which is visible in the distance just above her head. The woman is sitting and leaning back on her hands.
June 9, 2025 at 3:01 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
If you back the Kickstarter for my new book, you can get tons of awesome, Kickstarter exclusive goodies! The book box tier includes the special edition hardback, stickers, a mini firetruck keychain, and more!

Come check it out: www.kickstarter.com/projects/kat...
February 8, 2025 at 7:58 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
I did it. 😄

It was my reward for finishing the other tasks.
February 8, 2025 at 12:47 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Me: trying to get actual work done.

My ADHD: paint a fire tower on the office wall right now. We have plenty of paint. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.
February 7, 2025 at 10:30 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
I now have an easy order form on my website if you would like to license use of/order my disaster posters! Been getting a few inquiries lately, so I wanted to make it simple. They're great for community events, community displays, fire/police/emergency, etc.!

www.katy-l-wood.com/posters
An informational poster titled "Evacuation Prep" which breaks down different levels of evacuation preparedness in case of an emergency, depending upon how much time you have. An informational poster titled "Stay Prepared" showing a diagram of a way to organize all your preparedness supplies and important mementos in an easy, aesthetic way in case of an emergency.
February 4, 2025 at 10:38 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Coming up with comp titles feels like pulling teeth every time, sooooo...have a comp title, a comp podcast, and a comp set of episodes from a TV show. Are two of these fiction and one of them nonfiction? Yes. Do I care? No. It fits.

Come check the book out: www.kickstarter.com/projects/kat...
A graphic for comparable media to my new book, Lie Down in the Ashes. The top part says "Do you like these?" with three covers beneath it, the cover of Neal and Jarrod Shusterman's novel "Dry," the cover for the podcast "Disaster Area," and the cover for the tsunami arc on ABC's 911 show. Below that it says "Try this:" with a loopy arrow pointing to the cover of "Lie Down in the Ashes" below it. To the right of the cover are the bullet points: -A realistic look at how people behave during a disaster. -Lots of queer characters. -A focus on the helpers. -Characters pushing themselves to their limits for those they love, and others they don't even know. -Written by a disaster researcher.
February 2, 2025 at 7:46 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Another snippet from my wildfire survival book! Come check it out on Kickstarter: https://buff.ly/40Pl5D5

#BookSky
The fire galloped beside us, veering away down the mountain a little at a time, and I was struck by the inexplicable thought of riding Fiddle through the flames like some heroine in an overly CGIed movie. Fire would lick at our legs, Fiddle’s nostrils would be blown wide, I’d be bent low in the saddle. Barely there horses would fade in and out around us, formed in the flames. I’d find Dante somewhere, haul him up behind me, and get us both out of there, with a very romantic kiss at the end, of course. A delirious laugh escaped my lips. It felt a bit like choking. Maybe it was.
February 2, 2025 at 1:00 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Another illustration from my book, THE PITS. This one is from one of my favorite scenes, and the location is inspired by the giant crystal cave in Mexico that is so hot it will kill you if you go in without special gear.

#OriginalArt
A digital pen and ink style illustration of a cave full of giant, glowing crystals that are all tangled together as they criss-cross the cavern. In the foreground, their backs to the viewer, stand four people on a stone ledge, looking out at the crystals (that dwarf them) with awe.
February 1, 2025 at 7:39 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
I did this illustration, hated it, started over, loved it, accidentally deleted the file, and had to do it all from scratch again. Worth it, though.

Another one from my book, THE PITS.
#OriginalArt
A digital pen and ink style illustration of two women rappelling down a cliff with just ropes and no modern equipment. The viewer is looking down at them from above as one falls, the snapped rope visible at the top of the image. The other woman is reaching out to try and catch her. There are small, trinket items scattered all over the cliff face, including a necklace with a heart charm.
February 1, 2025 at 6:27 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
A mysterious little coyote from my book, THE PITS. He eats light.

#OriginalArt
A pen and ink style digital illustration of a coyote sitting with its mouth wide open and eyes glowing. A starscape swirls out of its open mouth.
February 1, 2025 at 2:06 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Social media use during disasters has always been fascinating to me, and I wanted to be sure that was shown in my new wildfire survival book. Multiple social sites get used in it.

Come check out the book on Kickstarter! https://buff.ly/40Pl5D5
@JackrabbitNightmare Up on my buddy’s roof watching the smoke plume. Gettin’ scary. More the light falls more you can see the bottom glowin’. #LostHenFire R2 | L1 @AidenAidenAiden You’re not too close, are you? Mom’ll have a fit if she finds out you’re just standing around watching. R0 | L0 @JackrabbitNightmare Nah, I’m miles off. Still don’t tell Mom… R0 | L0
February 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
The Preachers are a group of characters from my novel, THE PITS. They are made up (according to the myths) of scorned women who now guard the mysterious, magical portions of the world.

#DigitalArt
A pen and ink style digital illustration of three women against a starry backdrop. The women on the right and left are nude save for a thin veil that covers them from head to toe, tied around their necks and waists to hold it in place. The woman in the center is nude, save for a strange mass of swirling, ink like substance roiling around her body. All of them have no irises or pupils, just scleras, but they all still look directly at the viewer.
February 1, 2025 at 12:07 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
I love doing my own layouts, because it means I can do fun things like having little illustrations at the start of each epistolary section to help guide the reader.

Check out this book over on Kickstarter! https://buff.ly/40Pl5D5
A snaptshot of a digital page of a book. There is a small handheld radio illustrated in black and white at the top of the page. Below it, the text reads: Captain Henderson: Where’s my spot weather report? Troublesome Dispatch: Just got it. Spot weather for the Lost Hen campground area. Winds out of the west gusting up to fifty-two miles-per-hour, no major shifts currently predicted. 42% humidity decreasing overnight. Current A snaptshot of a digital page of a book. There is a small handheld radio illustrated in black and white at the top of the page. Below it, the text reads: 911 Operator: Troublesome County 911, do you need police, fire, or EMS? Caller: Um, well, I’m not sure. We’re staying at an AirBNB and there’s a bunch of smoke. We’re just wondering what’s going on and if we should leave? 911 Operator: What is your address? Caller: Uhhh, I don’t know, hang on. Honey, what’s the address? Sorry, we’re not one-hundred-percent sure. Maybe 718 County Road 31? My wife is checking.
February 1, 2025 at 12:00 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Another illustration from my book, THE PITS. I had a lot of fun coming up with Little Mountain's signs for the story she's telling. Their group uses a very weird mix of different types of sign language, so I had a lot of freedom with the signs.

#OriginalArt
A digital pen and ink style illustration of four people eating a meal while sitting on a patch of dirt on the prairie, short grasses surrounding them and thin clouds hanging overhead. The woman on the right is a Ute (Native American) woman and is using sign language to tell a story. To her right is a young white woman, also dicussing the story. Her clothing has some dried blood stains on it. To her right is another person looking vaguely contemplative of what's being discussed. The fourth person, a white man, is listening to the other three.
January 31, 2025 at 10:33 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
My book, THE PITS, has an illustration in every chapter. This is the one from the first chapter, and it is one of my favorites. I used the Rusty Nib brush set in Procreate and it is the brush set of my DREAMS. The sort of inking set I'd been looking for FOREVER.

#DigitalArt
A digital illustration done in a pen and ink style. A group of people are sitting in a dusty, run down corner of a bar, everything a bit scuffed and faded. On the left are two people cut off by the edge of the frame, only their legs visible as they sit on a couch. To their right is a man on a different couch, one foot up on a coffee table covered in an abandoned poker game and some bottles and glasses. He is talking with a woman sat at a nearby table with another man. On the right side is another woman, sitting alone.
January 31, 2025 at 7:39 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
The naughty little wolves from my book, THE PITS.

They are, in fact, the size of draft horses.

If you knock them over they just rotate their head around and start running on their other feet.

#CreatureDesign
A digital illustration of a wolf-like creature on a plain white background. It has four regular legs, and four more legs on its back that point upwards.
January 31, 2025 at 6:27 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Another snippet of my wildfire survival book that is up on Kickstarter right now!

Come check it out: https://buff.ly/40Pl5D5

#SelfPublishing
When I was a kid, I ran through the forest like nothing mattered. Fallen trees were things to spring off of, sage bushes objects to weave and dodge, woodchuck holes something to jump. So what if I tripped? I could roll and keep on going. I hadn’t run like that in years, and I couldn’t make my brain remember how to do it now that everything mattered. The logs were insurmountable; how had I ever jumped them? The sage was thick and wild, grabbing at my clothes and pulling me back; how had I ever dodged it? The woodchuck holes appeared out of nowhere, attempting to swallow my feet and break my ankles; where did my ability to spot them go? The fire was following us downhill, sticking mostly to the trees but spreading out among the sage as well. It was slower than us, for now, but the wind was pushing it ever closer.
January 31, 2025 at 3:00 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
The four main characters from my book, THE PITS, a weird western. They're a fun bunch.

#OriginalArt
A digital pen & ink illustration featuring a portrait of a young white woman running and looking behind herself in fear, her eyes wide. Her hair is braided, the braid trailing behind her. The background is a simple gray watercolor wash. A digital pen & ink illustration featuring a portrait of a young black woman holding a revolver and looking off the left side of the image. She has thin dreadlocks capped with bullet casings. She is wearing a thick coat. The background is a simple gray watercolor wash. A digital pen & ink illustration featuring a portrait of a young white person of indeterminate gender. Their back is to the viewer and their arm outstretched to fire an intricately engraved revolver off the right side of the image. They are wearing a black duster and a black cowboy hat with a silver rim on the brim, the brim only turned up on one side. The background is a simple gray watercolor wash. A digital pen & ink illustration featuring a portrait of a young white man with his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised high. He is strongly built with curly hair down to his chest and a curly beard that tapers to a point at about his collarbone. His mustache is curled up at the ends. The background is a simple gray watercolor wash.
January 31, 2025 at 2:06 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
A big focus of "Lie Down in the Ashes" is people helping others even when it's not their job, and doing their best with what they've got.

Come check the book out on Kickstarter: https://buff.ly/40Pl5D5

#OriginalWriting
“We have water trucks,” I said desperately. “They’re full. We know these roads. We drive them way more than the department ever does, and the fire is right there.” He didn’t answer. “Elliot, with this wind, by the time they get here that fire will have destroyed half the county.” “My brother’s the captain of those firefighters,” Elliot said. “He knows the roads.” “And can you guarantee he’ll be on whatever engine they send out?” I asked. “We can’t just stand here and watch!” Elliot’s jaw clenched. “Adam, I can’t order y’all to go out there! You’re not firefighters! You’ll be in the way! Look how much that damn thing has grown already! You feel that wind? It’s going to push this hard.” “That’s my point!” “No. Drop it.” Clenching my fists, I turned back to the trees, knowing I wasn’t going to get anywhere. Elliot was right. We weren’t professionals. We’d be in the way. Have to get rescued. Waste resources. That knowledge did nothing to chase away the helpless feeling clawing up my throat
January 31, 2025 at 1:00 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Easily the most complex illustration I've ever done. It was so hard keeping track of what limbs belonged to each person. Had a whole color-coded reference layer. Building the pose reference model alone took two days.

#Illustration
A digital illustration of a group of dead (or dying, it is unclear) people all piled together and clinging to a woman who is the only one clearly awake. The people, except for the woman, are mostly dressed in brown, simple clothing with touches of blue. There is a mix of men and women. The woman at the center is in all blue, kneeling with her arms stretched out to the side for the people piled on the ground around her to hang onto. She is in a blue tunic with a fancy blue and silver disk headdress. She is paler than all those around her and is staring directly at the viewer, her eyes a strange purple that matches the chunky crystal necklace she is wearing. Out of the bodies of those around her, similar purple crystals are growing, and glowing softly. The background is nothing but darkness.
January 31, 2025 at 12:07 AM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
My character Shae. She is a terrible person and I love her.

#OriginalArt
A digital illustration in a concept art style. It features a full body view of a woman in front of a plain purple background. She is wearing an intricate red dress in a somewhat Victorian style, but her legs are both exposed to show off as much skin as possible. Her medium brown hair is swept over to one side and she is wearing various bits of jewelry meant to mimic bloody wounds. She is very pale, to the point you can see thin blue veins all over her body.
January 30, 2025 at 10:33 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
An old piece I still love. I was really obsessed with painting double exposures for about a year.

#Illustration
A digital painting done in a double exposure style. The main image is a portrait of a woman with medium brown hair in loose, messy waves, mostly swept to her right and covering the right side of her face. She's wearing a dark shirt with decorative shoulders and a wide neck, one side falling off her shoulder. The double exposure is of a forest with mountains in the background.
January 30, 2025 at 7:39 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
A portrait of my character, Royal. Another very early piece of them.

#OriginalArt
A digitally painted portrait of a character of indeterminate gender. Their black hair is pulled back from their face and they are wearing a high-collared duster along with a very dirty and tattered blue silk bandanna around their neck. The top half of their face is covered in dirt where it wasn't covered by the bandanna. Their cowboy hat is only curled up on one side and has a silver edge on the brim.
January 30, 2025 at 6:27 PM
thatdisasterauthor.bsky.social
Another snippet from my wildfire survival book that just launched on Kickstarter! Come check it out: https://buff.ly/40Pl5D5
“Nope, not a chance. No campfires,” he said. “Oh come ooooon,” Toby whined. “Who camps without a campfire?” “No,” Dante said firmly. “There’s a full fire ban for a reason.” Toby rolled his eyes. “That’s just for the dumb flatlanders who don’t know what they’re doing and come up to the mountains for the weekend to coo at a bunch of mangy mule deer. We live up here, we know how to have a campfire.” “No,” Dante repeated. “It hasn’t even sprinkled in months, and we haven’t had a good soaking rain since back in spring. No. Campfire.” “Just because you want to be some hotshot smokejumper doesn’t mean you’re a firefighter yet,” Toby said. “Get off your high horse. I want a campfire.” “Hotshots and Smokejumpers are two different things,” Dante said, arms crossing. “And it doesn’t even matter, because we are not having a campfire.”
January 30, 2025 at 3:20 AM