🍂Milirien Creations

Welcome to this blog! You can call me Mili, she/her, 30+, from Brazil ~

I've been a professional traditional/digital illustrator for almost 10 years now. A daughter of ancestral Mother Earth, flowing in folk-fantastical art and water, as my main technique is watercolor. Also, a former Tumblr user from the 2010s, I'm now back to share some art. :D

About my work, I illustrate for projects that carry purpose, exhibit at conventions, and teach art (both watercolor and drawing). Born on International Animal Rights Day, I remain dedicated to the wildlife conservation and to the Nature of my country.

Brief background: A former hospital pharmacist, I’m also an enthusiast of biology and ecology, always looking for ways to (re)connect people with Brazilian wonderful Nature, whether in my city or in the wild landscapes beyond. That's why I love to draw our amazing fauna and their jungle adventures, bringing up aspects of the powerful ancestral South American culture. I believe both their voices deserve to be heard so that this can converge into more conservation efforts.

I'm also a cat, trekking, and cappuccino lover. When I’m not painting or drawing, you’ll probably find me wandering in a grove, collecting feathers and fallen leaves, hiking, photographing insects, birds and fungi, or relaxing with my 15-year-old cat, Eduardo.

Also ~

✨ I have a shop and now I'm starting a Patreon (super excited to share even more with the world!)

✨ I'm open to work! Get to know my work and projects through my Portfolio

✨ Explore: International Shop | Instagram | Youtube | Brazilian shop

International Bat Appreciation Day 😊

April 17th was International Bat Appreciation Day! Did you know? Despite this, it's obvious that preservation and awareness efforts should occur year-round. Bats are incredibly beautiful animals and crucial to the survival of ecosystems and all of us. In Brasil, there are more than 180 species, of which only 3 feed on blood, so enough with the crazy urban legends!

The species I chose to honor this time is the tiny Glossophaga soricina, popularly known here as the “hummingbird bat”, which feeds on flower nectar at night and is very fond of bromeliads. It’s even a crucial pollinator for some species. Native to the Americas, present in all Brazilian states and common in urban areas, such as here in São Paulo, it has a long tongue and elongated snout, can tolerate a very high sugar diet, and is often attracted even to hummingbird feeders!

Interesting facts: Like hummingbirds and beetles, it can hover in mid-air and even fly backward, an adaptation that facilitates access to flowers. Mother bats usually have one pup at a time, but twins can sometimes occur. Female bats generally fly carrying their babies. The species likes caves, tree hollows, and rock crevices, but sometimes they may take shelter in roofs and attics of houses. If you are bothered by them, you can always contact your city's environmental agency instead of harming them.

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Easter?! In Brazil, we have our own rabbit. 😊

Sylvilagus brasiliensis, known as the tapiti (a name derived from the Tupi word tapiti, used for rabbits in general) is the only rabbit native to Brazil, a small but meaningful part of our natural heritage.

This tiny species can be found from Mexico to the southern reaches of South America and across nearly all Brazilian biomes. Measuring about 21 to 40cm in length and weighing under 1 kg, it has yellowish-brown fur lightly speckled with black, a delicate pale eyebrow, and short ears. Nocturnal and solitary, the tapiti lives quietly and discreetly, spending the day hidden in shelters such as hollow logs, burrows, or dense vegetation, an essential strategy to avoid predators like jaguars, ocelots, and snakes. It feeds mainly on fruits, shoots, and stems, and uses plant material along with animal fur to build nests for its young.

Despite its wide distribution, the species faces serious threats, including hunting, conflicts with domestic animals, and roadkill, often affecting animals that many people don’t even realize exist. Sadly, this is a recurring reality for many native Brazilian species. As a result, the tapiti is currently classified as endangered, making it all the more important to learn about it and share its story!

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World Rat Day ~ The little traveler learned the language of fireflies and a few camouflage tricks, just enough to risk crossing the night unseen by owls. 🐭🪄

Although some sources point to April 4th as a date focused on pet rats and their role in scientific research, I prefer to celebrate our lesser-known native species!

••• About this species:

Brazil is home to an incredible diversity of wild mice, small, free-living neotropical rodents that still hold many mysteries. While reading scientific studies about one of them, Oligoryzomys nigripes, I was struck by how limited detailed information still is, not only about this species, but also about the other 8 species in its genus and the roughly 170 rodent species recorded in the country (not even counting animals like squirrels, agoutis, pacas, and capybaras, which would push that number beyond 200). This estimate comes from the Guide to Rodents of Brazil, published by the Pan American Health Organization.

I chose this species because of its small size and delicate appearance, which aligned beautifully with the idea behind my artwork. It’s usually recognized by its fur, which ranges from yellowish-brown to gray tones, a lighter belly, and a tail that is noticeably longer than its body.

This mouse has a wide distribution across South America and is most often identified through morphological traits like fur coloration and bone structure. Even so, there are just over 70 photographic records of it on iNaturalist (so if you’re curious, it’s well worth creating an account and contributing your own observations!). In Brazil, it’s found mainly in the Atlantic Forest, my home biome, and the landscape that inspires much of my work.

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Ferret Day! 🐾

International Ferret Day is celebrated on April 2nd and highlights the importance of care, welfare, and conservation for these mustelids, both domesticated ferrets and their wild relatives, teh grisons. Of course in my Brazilian socials, my focus is to turn our attention to native species like the Galictis cuja!

You may have seen this one here a few months ago, bringing with it a touch of magic as an ancient snake-tamer, and  a quiet storyteller of spirits hidden in the mist. 🌿

••• About this species:

Part of the same biological family as martens and otters, this grison can be found in the Atlantic Forest and the Pampas, across southern and southeastern Brazil, as well as in neighboring countries, even reaching the Andean regions of Chile. It measures between 44 and 68 cm in length and weighs around 1.2 to 1.8 kg, small, but full of personality. Its diet is quite varied, including rodents, rabbits and hares, birds, frogs, lizards, snakes, and their eggs. Usually solitary, it can sometimes be seen in pairs or with its young. Despite its size, it has a reputation for being bold and even a bit fierce, sometimes playing with its prey for quite a while before eating it.

Grisons are fond of burrows, whether in tree hollows, under rocks, or dug into the ground, which, combined with their speed and agility, makes them hard to spot in the wild. They’re intelligent, curious, and highly active animals, equally comfortable swimming or climbing. Like their close relative, the greater grison (Galictis vittata), they’re active during the day. Sadly, they face growing threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and fires, as well as persecution by farmers and road accidents.

Happy World Frog Day! 🐸🧪

I know: I just painted a magical toad. Here in Brazil, the word “sapo” is often used for both toads and frogs, even though we do have specific terms to distinguish between them. By the way, the name cururu originates from the native language in Tupi 'kururu', which means sapo/frog/toad. :D

••• About this species:

The cururu-amarelo (Rhinella icterica) is native to South America and is very common in southeastern and southern Brazil. It's quite adaptable, living in forests and being relatively common in cities, even large ones. They are venomous! The glands near their eyes produce toxins for defense against predators, which can cause effects on the heart and gastrointestinal system, as well as reduce the impact of bites. They aren't dangerous to humans in normal situations unless you bite them, but they can cause problems for domestic animals, especially dogs. Over the years they've suffered from pollution, habitat loss and the cruelty of people, even though they're so essential for the environment and maintenance of ecosystems, something that directly affects us!

Their diet is mainly based on insects, slugs, and small vertebrates, using the strategy of remaining motionless and capturing prey when it approaches. It's also resistant to scorpion venom.

Mysterious drawings were found on leaves and they were made by the most unlikely of creatures... Allow me to introduce you to the one who taught me how to make the ancient writing of the forest.. 🌿🖌️

Who is this? The inspiration came from the macuquinho (Eleoscytalopus indigoticus), a bird whose voice resembles the vocalizations of some amphibians, making it very difficult to spot in nature. It's a very discreet species that lives mainly in dark and shady environments in the humid forests of the Atlantic Forest in the south and southeast of Brazil. Measuring about 11 cm in length, it feeds on insects that it finds while foraging for leaves. Unfortunately, like almost all species, it is threatened by the loss and fragmentation of its habitat, mainly caused by deforestation and the expansion of human activities.

This clever little one was inspired by the Brazilian tororó (Poecilotriccus plumbeiceps), a very small bird that inhabits various regions, such as the Atlantic Forest of the Southeast and South.

Now it's following the tracks of an ancient bird civilization... 🍃

Frieren is back and I'm still in love with this art I made in 2024💚

Also, I'm starting a Patreon :)