Hansel and Gretel 

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Hansel and Gretel are wisped away into the densely packed forest, aged and festered with weeds, while the moon glows softly; The bread crumb trail they leave in their wake fattening up the crows. In front of them, through the lush grass and vibrant flora, the delightful gingerbread house; palleted with tasty colours and delighting to the eyes of the famished. In the rocking chair made of bones sits the cannibal witch, the sounds of the chair cracking and creaking as marrow oozes. We can see in the attic Hansel in a cage, cramped inside a rusting cage, while Gretel is left in corroded and withered shackles. Once the witch was slaughtered, the pearly white bird up in the canopies leads the two home.

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Dick Whittington 

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Here in this painting Dick Whittington appears 6 times. A young man first appears on the cobbled street, with the promise that the streets are paved in gold. He is taken in by a ship builder named Fitzwarren, labouring away, working and shining shoes. With his new found income, he buys a cat; while Fitzwarren asks all his employees to give a token of good luck to his ship that was set to sail to distant shores. Dick Whittington gives his cat to the vessel. Meanwhile the cook abuses Dick and he decides to run away, however when he does the bells of St. Mary Le bow chimes three times for him to return as he will be Lord Mayor of London. When he returns to the house he discovers boundless riches from the cat that he sent to sea; a sultan bought the cat for it's mice chasing properties. He soon became Lord Mayor and married Fitzwarren's daughter. This fairy tale is a British one and is based on a true story, it is the subject of many pantos each year in the UK.

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Little Red Riding Hood

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A well known fable, but its true meaning isn't well known. Originally it was meant to warn young girls of the nature of bad men. Riding Hood is seen skipping through the beautiful forest, but its light and life sapped as she nears the cottage, The wolf is cosied up in bed dressed up as Riding Hood's grandmother, while the shadow scarred across the wall, shows us through his facade and representing his true nature. Riding Hood holds cherries in her basket, representing the intrigue of lust, while the blue butterflies signify her innocence being captured.

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Jack and the Beanstalk 

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Jack like Dick Whittington appears many times in my creation of the beanstalk. The story is well known and for me the strange story behind this tale is a rather odd one. For most fairy tales are warnings not to trust people, but in this one Jack is a thief and a murderer and on top of all that gets away with it.

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The great beanstalk envelopes the house, while Jack scales up and ascends into the clouds; soft and wispy as he walks towards the giant's den...

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Rapunzel 

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The top of the tower was modelled on an artichoke flower head, as most of my inspiration in my paintings I look to the greatest creator of all time....mother nature. The flower in the front of the painting is indeed the Rapunzel flower which starts the story. In the original story the prince gets her pregnant and the empress banishes Rapunzel to the forest. When the prince returns to the tower the empress throws him to his doom and a thorn pierces his eyes. He stumbles his way to Rapunzel to find her singing to her baby and her tears of joy remove the thorns from the prince's eyes.

A coming of age story for mothers and how you can't keep them locked up forever!

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Rumplestiltskin 

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In this story the King locks the merchants daughter in his tower as he is under the impression that she can spin gold. Rumplestiltskin appears to her over three nights (hence the three moons). On the first she gives him her ring, on the next her necklace and on the third promises her first born. When the king marries her and she has her child Rumple wants the baby and challenges her to guess his name. She sends her spies to find out to gather this information and so is the end to Rumplestiltskin.

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Original paintings available here. Limited prints available here.