In April 2025, British artist Ophelia Ray Lester began a road trip to Orkney that sparked her professional art career. During the journey, she filled a sketchbook with detailed travel drawings that inspired her first major piece: a sprawling, surreal depiction of Edinburgh.
Based in Oxfordshire, Ophelia had previously worked for clients including Scotland’s Evelyn Hollow and had a piece published in Rolling Stone Magazine endorsed by The Beatles Estate. However, she only considers herself a professional artist since completing this Scottish magnum opus.
After returning from Orkney via Edinburgh, Ophelia started drawing without a fixed plan or scale in mind. Her goal was to weave as much Scottish folklore as possible into one artwork, allowing it to develop organically. Over nine months, she devoted up to twelve hours daily to create a 6ft by 3ft hyper-detailed pen and ink drawing of Scotland's capital, seen through her surreal and mystical perspective.
Her style draws heavily on Art Nouveau illustrators like Aubrey Beardsley, Kay Nielsen, and Harry Clarke, known for intricate, eerie ink drawings rich in storytelling and symbolism. This influence is evident in the complex details and symbolism throughout the piece.
The panoramic artwork invites viewers to explore its many layers, featuring legendary Scottish figures such as the dragon of Arthur’s Seat, the Loch Ness kelpie, will-o’-the-wisps, selkies, and unicorns. The drawing also highlights Edinburgh’s historic architecture, with the Old Town at the centre of the above-ground scenes and an underground city below, depicting merchants’ workshops, taverns, and references to Burke and Hare and plague outbreaks of the 16th and 17th centuries.
Ophelia encourages viewers to examine the drawing closely, noting that some historical details, like genuine 17th-century literary titles on book spines, are accurately represented. She describes the physical demands of her hand-drawn work, sharing how she often tapes calluses and soothes finger joints after long sessions, calling it a labour of love.
She hopes her drawing offers a sense of whimsical nostalgia and reminds people that "magic is very real," viewing human creativity as a form of magic worth preserving, especially amid the rise of AI art. Ophelia’s passion for myths, legends, and folklore shines through her gothic fantasy, which she sees as a celebration of meaningful aspects of life.
The drawing, titled 'Edinburgh', will be on display at Edinburgh Central Library from 3 October until the end of November 2026. It will be part of a free exhibition featuring several other works by Ophelia, all themed around Scottish folklore. Souvenir prints will be available at The Real Mary King's Close shop and The Witchery on the Royal Mile.
