This is a detail of the final painting from the study I made earlier. It's a work in progress. The Fairy is complete as are several leaves. I'm going with more subdued colors than the study. I want this area of the painting quiet and at rest.
Here's the full painting - a work in progress.
o/c 52X32 in. title: Between Here and There
o/c 52X32 in. title: Between Here and There
In doing these Fairy paintings, I'm inspired by a personal experience I had in my early 20s. That was a long time ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. The mythological land of the Fairies called Tir Na Nog - and many other names in many cultures - is real to me because I've seen it. It was only a momentary glimpse but it was the most extraordinary experience of my life and no no, the experience had nothing to do with drugs or any psychotic episode. To be honest, I didn't get a good look at the creatures in this place. I was too busy just being wowed by the whole experience itself. I remember their eyes though - piercing but full of compassion. I thought they were Angels at the time. Later I learned that Angels are considered Fae by many people which seems appropriate to me so I'm sticking to that interpretation.
My representations of Fairies relies not so much on what I saw - that would take a far greater artist than I could ever hope to be - but what I felt when seeing them and seeing the beautiful place they inhabit. By the way, the similarities between Tir Na Nog and the Buddhist Pure Land (Buddhist Heaven) is pretty striking.
Here's the final painting. I'm pretty happy with it.
o/c 52X32 in. title: Between Here and There
