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The Fairy Circle
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Fairy Circle Imagined Bookplate
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Fairy Circle (detail 1)
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Fairy Circle (detail 2)
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Inspired by Victorian fairy painting. Also quite strongly influenced by the books of Katharine Briggs, the Grimm's tales and English folklore. Almost entirely digitally painted, excepting the tiny skeletons and the lace pattern on the frocks.
I am drawn to the darker, more frightening side of fairy lore, although a subtle flight of fancy cannot hurt on occasion....Speaking of which, one of my most cherished, most favourite collections of fairytales belong to a book entitled Granny's Wonderful Chair, which I located by chance whilst browsing through an antique shop many years ago. It is still possible to purchase this darling little book, thankfully - my own copy is very old and some of the pages are beginning to come loose. The Katharine Briggs books are more academic, concerning the traditions of fairies in literature, art and folklore.
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Visually, I adore the rich, detailed beauty of victorian fairy painting, which obsesses me in a similar way to Pre-Raphaelite painting: the lush, natural scenery, detailed flora and fauna, and the slightly distant, ethereal characters....
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And then there's the weird and wonderful. The phantasmagorical. The terrifying. This, alongside the surreal, is perhaps where I am most at home:)
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At present, I am attempting to fight off a cold. Maybe it will turn into flu, but I don't want to think about that. I have enjoyed lying around reading most of all, these past few days, browsing the works mentioned above, and playing around with dreamy-style photographs taken around my home:
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Lars and Me
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He didn't creep upstairs after midnight to terrorize me after all! Just imagine, the creak and clack of his wooden limbs as he pulls himself upwards, stair by stair.....made all the more alarming when you consider his lack of elbow and knee joints. I think that he looks Swiss, for some reason, although my friend here insists that he resembles a French postman.
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Sage
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A gift from a friend.
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Lavender
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Garden dreams.
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BrighterDay
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Oh, and................
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I don't suppose I will manage to maintain it very well (if at all), but there, I made the effort!
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Be Seeing You.....soon! xxx
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Hello Lou, I particularly love the colours of the Fairy Circle, they seem to me at once both delicate and slightly sinister. Ooh, and the fairy ring with the creepy skeleton beasties. All of it really.
Have you ever read 'The Kingdoms of Elfin' by Sylvia Townsend Warner? It's very much in the darker tradition of fairy stories, quite disturbing really. It's out of print but if you ever see a copy, you might like it.
x
Posted by: helen | July 16, 2009 at 03:16 AM
Lou, every time I arrive to your blog is like if i get in a beautiful and magic fairytale. I love the Victorian era, the writers (dickens, Austen, Gaskell...) and of course the illustrators particulary the fairytales ones...
In any case i want to thank you for sharing your art with us.
Posted by: Casiopea | July 16, 2009 at 03:44 AM
Your art is magnificent Lou!!
I also love your pictures!
That's very cool that you have a Twitter :)) I'll follow you :)
Posted by: Lena | July 16, 2009 at 07:01 AM
thanks very much!
Helen, I havent read the story, but I'm aware of the author, so will definitely take a peek!
x
Posted by: louise (art and ghosts) | July 16, 2009 at 10:36 AM
Ohh, I love it! The pink and the starry sky, just such a lovely and dark atmosphere. I hope this is in your shop someday!
Posted by: Julianna | July 16, 2009 at 04:01 PM
Take me to the midnight folks, take me to the ring, let me dance under starlight twinkles, and ask for fairtyales to unfold in my wee world too ;)
Lars is a dashing ole chap! You are a doll! Must be off to check into the Joker's Daughter...
Your ethereal world is a magical escape, always - Love, V
Posted by: a fanciful twist | July 17, 2009 at 10:28 AM