Once Upon a Wicked Time

As a young child, I remember immersing myself in these old volumes of Grimm's and Andersen's classic Fairy Tales - a gift from my late, Great Aunt Marguerite, my paternal Grandmother's sister...

No modern day, sanitized version were these tales - far from it! These were stories of fair maidens and wicked witches; where unlucky suitors were beheaded, and evil stepsisters had their eyes pecked out by birds. Scary stuff for a child, but instructive too (as was their intent)...Fairy Tales taught me that slow and steady wins the race, that ugly duckings become beautiful swans, that lying is wrong and will get you into a world of trouble, that there's magic and wonder in the world, and that someday, if you're good and kind and virtuous, and work hard, you can live happily ever after.

Now that I'm older (and am in fact living pretty much happily ever after), it's always a joy to revisit these tales in my art - and what better excuse than a "challenge" among EHAG members (Eclectic Halloween Artists' Guild) to create a piece inspired by the more wicked elements of these tales.

The theme "Once Upon a Wicked Time; A Halloween Fairy Tale" is pure inspiration, and I must give credit where credit is due - the brainstorm of daughter Courtney, who conjured it up as a party theme. With her permission, the EHAG group borrowed it, and the art it inspires will make its debut on the EHAG Emporium this month (April 30th, 9PM eastern time).

Little Red Riding Hood? Hansel and Gretel? The Frog Prince? Sleeping Beauty? Rapunzel? Something else? A canvas? A box? A wood panel?

Decisions, decisions, and what fun! Stay tuned to see what we all come up with - and in the meantime, I'll leave you with this:

"Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told me in my childhood than in any truth that is taught in life."

~Johann Christoph Friederich v. Schiller~
German Poet
(1759-1805)

Until next time, wishing you a bit of *magic*...
♥ Carolee