First Impressions

How the magic of fairy tales set the artist’s course

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What is your main source of inspiration? So much of my inspiration comes from stories. Old fairy tales have often inspired me and given me ideas to play with. Lately, I've been working to improve my watercolour painting, so I've also been creating many landscapes, which helps me focus on technique. Seeing what other artists have done also gives me a lot of ideas.

As a young artist, were there fictional worlds that gave you a desire to create your own?

There was a TV show that my parents would record onto VHS tapes called Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre, and a lot of my love for fairy tales came from watching it. I enjoyed seeing how they could tell the story of Cinderella in one way, and Disney could do it in a whole different way.

As I got a little older, I'd go to the library and check out beautifully illustrated books of fairy tales. Trina Schart Hyman and P.J. Lynch both worked in watercolour and created such magical artwork, and I wanted to be like them.

How has the industry changed for the better since you started?