Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Through the Enchanted Forest Painting



Through the Enchanted Forest, 16" x 12", Acrylic/Mixed Media © Robin Phillips Studio

I created this small piece for the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tale Art Show curated by Kelly Williams, currently on display at Portland'5 Centers for the Arts through May 31. Each participating artist chose a scene from one of the Grimm's Brothers stories to illustrate. If you're in the Portland area and haven't seen it yet, do check out this magical show!

My piece is based on a scene from the story Twelve Dancing Princesses:

“Then down they all went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled beautifully…. Then they came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds… On the other side of the lake stood a fine illuminated castle.”


To me, this is one of the most magical scenes in the story. The princesses escape through an enchanted forest of silver, gold and diamonds to meet their princes and dance all night long. I hoped to capture a sense of excitement and wonder in this painting.

Through the Enchanted Forest prints (photo or giclee) are now available in the RPS shop! Wouldn't this print be adorable in a little girl's room? Or it would add a whimsical touch to a feminine/antique room. :)

Behind the scenes, painting in the studio...




I approached this piece with a vision of an old German book cover opening to illuminate the scene. The princesses are descending down the cellar stairs and through a doorway into the magical forest. To create the figures, I referred to images of bridal and Victorian models. One of my favorite Victorian fashion sources is the classic Godey's Lady's Book. 




For the scrollwork, I traced design templates and then filled in the filigrees with a tiny brush. 


I hand-stitched metallic-foil glass beads through the canvas to create the effect of diamonds in the trees. 




On opening night...I became a princess myself :)






Framed and hanging at the show on the 'Wall of Maidens'...  







"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale" - Hans Christen Anderson


♥ Robin