I started painting Faeries in 1992. I'd always been interested in them, but had never considered them to be a career option, until one day when I was not quite twenty-one and working in a small art gallery. My boss asked me to paint something to fill an empty frame that had been sitting around. I asked her what I should paint and she said "I don't know, paint a Faery or something." So I did. Three days later, the piece sold. So I painted another. It sold. And I painted another. It sold too. You get the picture. I began painting Faeries whenever I had spare time. Rapidly I became more and more drawn to painting them. They demanded it. The years shoved their way past me and I kept my head down; painting, painting, painting and not paying much attention to the rest of the world unless I absolutely had to. It was like the Faeries had taken control of me and were pushing me to paint their portraits and perhaps to let the world know they are watching.
Gradually the Faeries have evolved in meaning for me... something more than the typical definition of Faeries being winged girls flitting around in the woods or at the bottom of the garden. They are often wise, majestic and beautiful. Sometimes they are terrible and cruel. They embody grace, mystery, wonder and miracles as well as despair, trickery and desire. Wings can be a symbol of freedom, enlightenment and spiritual growth; or power and strength. Horns and antlers hint at ageless wisdom and grace in some Fae and malice and cunning in others. Feathers signify free spirits or a dark and mournful nature. In the Faery realm, all things become possible and not all is what it seems.
My goal in my work has always been to capture a moment and offer that moment to the viewer to weave his or her own story. I want each piece to whisper, taunt and tickle a reaction out of you.
My paintings always speak to me. What will they say to you?
