Just a little bit of sketchbook work...

the first picture is a concept for a short story I've written called 'The Not-So Haunted House'. I've been trying to develop a house that looked a little scary, but still had charm. The mice above are from one of the verses.

'But what the noise was in this case,

was a bunch of mice all in a race.

Running in the pipes they were,

with track suits on and sweaty fur.'

The second picture is where the little baby fairy from a few of my paintings was born, his sisters were yet to be created. I didn't want to paint anything else on the page, I thought there was something lovely about his little wondering face and unsure posture, 'where is everybody?'

Fairies First Flight

A little scarred of Heights, the baby fairies tip toe closer to the edge of the tree in hope to spread their wings and take their first flight. A passing butterfly flutters around in support, and a little pink bird looks on in anticipation...

Fairy Puzzled???

It's that exciting time of year again, when all the veggies that the garden fairy worked so hard to grow are ready for picking. Her harvest basket begins to fill with lovely big, colourful, juicy carrots when all over a sudden... what is this? She doesn't remember sewing this back in march. But how on earth did it get there????

Vanity Fairy

What to wear? What to wear? The little fairy flutters from wardrobe to mirror, unable to decide which lovely dress she should choose for the following day. Don't even get her started on the accessories! My little sister Gemma adores her clothes, and loves planning her outfit each day. Every detail is given lots of thought and care.  She always looks beautiful, so this little fairy is modeled on her.

Last year during my masters, I read a lot of material critisizing the fairytale genre. The texts focused on the weak portrayal of female characters in fairytale books, the likes of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Red Riding Hood. But these stories were written many years ago, and today must be read with their historical and social context in mind. Fairytales are meant to be simply enjoyed, and not psycologically pulled apart. I feel the same about the modern fairy books of today. So what if the characters enjoy beautiful things, it doesnt make them weak, it's just one of there many character traits. They could also enjoy digging in the dirt to discover hidden treasures, or reading old texts to discover their ancestors secrets... This particular fairy, as she is modelled on my little sister, has a Masters in Renaissance Literature. I just used her love of clothes to experiment using different patterns and textures in the material.

I've begun a little series of Fairy paintings this week so WTS for more like this.

A few sketches from a land downunder

So on our trip to Oz, we payed a visit Australia Zoo. Some of the biggest crocodiles I'd ever scene inhabited several enclosures, but it was the tree hugging Koala that caught my eye. Shaded from the sun, all soft and cozy enjoying his mid afternoon nap. Then directly behind his enclosure I noticed the funniest looking bird. It looked like a cross between a turkey and a dinosaur, his waddle dangling under his long neck and his big flat horn on the top of his head. I couldn't stop laughing at the awkward way he moved, he looked so funny, well, he was funny until I was told that they are pretty aggressive and can cause quite a bit of damage. So I crept over to the pen full of echidna, just as funny, yet much less intimidating!

"On The Rooftops Of London, Coo What A Sight..."

One afternoon, watching Mary Poppins. Dozens of nimble chimney sweeps are singing and dancing when suddenly, Dick Va Dyke pauses, “On the rooftops of London, Coo what a sight!”. Today, you can truly see a multi layered London. Old church spires mingle with modern structures. Airplanes flying peacefully past. There’s something romantic about escaping to such peacefulness, when there’s so much chaos just below your feet.