Arthur Rackham - Illustration for "Till Eulenspiegel"

I am an admirer of Arthur Rackham and am often to be found scouring places for his work. It's great fun to get lost in the online galleries of museums and dream of one day seeing the works in person. I stumble across this beauty of his in the Metropolitan's gallery. I have never read the story it's from, but now I must see if I can get my hands on it. How terrifying and haunting the figures are. I wonder if the fact that it was done right in the middle of WWI had anything to do with the darkness and fear in this painting.

Arthur Rackham,  Illustration for "Till Eulenspiegel", watercolour, pen, ink, and guache on paper, 1916

Waiting For Fireflies

Every year I wait for my favorite part of summer, the time when the fireflies finally come out. They're not here yet, and won't be here until sometime in June, but I'm waiting, and thinking about how I might capture them... such as how this artist, Tsuneaki Hiramatsu, has. His images are time lapse photographs of fireflies. Doesn't it make you think of faery tales?

Tsuneaki Hiramatsu, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/beautiful-flight-paths-fireflies-180949432/?no-ist

It reminds me of a Kinuko Craft painting for the cover of Juliet Marillier's wonderful re-telling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses", titled "Wildwood Dancing". Wonderful summer reading if you've never picked it up.

Kinuko Craft, Wildwood Dancing (cover art), from http://melodyfarmerphotography.blogspot.com/2012/01/art-of-kinuko-craft.html

Or, for that matter, Craft's painting for her illustrated version of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses".

Kinuko Craft, The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Tam Lin Artwork

I recently became aware of the artwork section of the site tam-lin.org. It has some wonderful and imaginative illustrations of the the ancient fairy tale "Tam Lin". This one in particular struck me; it's by Vernon Hill, an artist I am not familiar with but will have to do some research on now.

Vernon Hill, 1912, Tamlane http://tam-lin.org/images/artwork/books/weirdandwonderful.png

I think what I like is the starkness of the scene. To me it conveys how afraid and alone Janet must have felt. But she is also resolved, determined, and focused. Brave girl.

My Treefrog and Frog Fairytales

There are several little green tree frogs that live around my house. I snuck up on this one and got a few good captures of him. The jewel-like color of their skin is simply amazing; the color has not been enhanced in any way in these photos.

photos by me

Of course one always thinks of the fairytale, "The Frog Prince" by the Brothers Grimm. In that story, there is no kissing of frogs involved, rather the frog is thrown against a wall and turns into a Prince. I wasn't about to throw this little guy against the wall to see what he'd become. Besides, I've already caught my Prince.

The Frog Prince by Arthur Rachkham, source, Terry Windling's blog: http://windling.typepad.com/.a/6a00e54fcf7385883401a3fd23db7c970b-pi

I've always thought frogs are fascinating little creatures, with such odd, enigmatic little smiles. There aren't a whole lot of little girls who squeel upon sight of a toad of frog and run toward it, but I was one of them. Frogs feature a great deal in fairytales, though the one we're most familiar with is "The Frog Prince" by the aforementioned brothers. However, there's a Russian folk tale of a Frog Princess. If you're interested, you can read it here.

Winter Weather At Last: A Fairytale World

All photos by me.

After spending most of my childhood in Texas, where there is very little in the way of a discernible change in the seasons aside from hot and hotter, I have an utter and complete fascination with snow. For a child who loved reading the fairy tales of Hans Christian Anderson and the various Red, Blue, and Violet Fairy Books, all of which have tales of Snow Queens and winter lands, the rarity of snow or even sleet was extremely disappointing.

Thus, when my family moved to an area where there was at least one good snowfall every winter, I developed the habit of wandering for hours in our woods every time it snowed, reveling in the enchanting sound of falling snow and the way the ordinary world could be transformed in a matter of minutes into the world of the fae, dangerous and beautiful, silent and yet full of music.

To an artist's eyes as well there is endless fascination and inspiration. Ice and snow exhibit some of the most exquisite, detailed patterns one will ever find. If you bother to slow down and look closely, new worlds reveal themselves to the naked eye. I invite you to try it next time you're outside in the snow.

Florence Harrison

I recently discovered this enchanting illustrator from the Golden Age of illustration. Her name is Florence Harrison, and for over sixty years her identity was unknown. Female artists, as just about everyone knows, were overlooked and and under appreciated for quite a long time, but female illustrators were practically ignored for the simple fact that illustrators in general are considered a lower life form in the art world even today. So it isn't surprising that no one knew who she was. Even the names Arthur Rackham and Maxfield Parrish earn sneers from many of those who consider themselves fine artists or art critics.

But Florence Harrison's work is stellar. It's absolutely enchanting, and her line work and use of color are sensitive and sophisticated. She has ties to the Pre-Raphaelite movement as well, having illustrated a volume of Christina Rossetti's poems. Just take a look at some of these enchanting works, and then read more about her on http://www.florenceharrison.com/herlife.html.

Maiden Song, Florence Harrison

Rapunzel, Florence Harrison 

A Birthday, Florence Harrison 

Night Slid Down, Florence Harrison 

Dreamland, Florence Harrison 

Dream Love, Florence Harrison

The Ballad of Tam Lin and Winter Rose

Grace Robert, Tam Lin, 2012

Last semester for an art class I did an illustration for one of my favorite fairy tales, The Ballad of Tam Lin. It's a classic tale of love and someone being rescued, but what I particularly like about this one is that the damsel does the rescuing. How often does that happen? And when it does, it's usually in a poorly re-written Hollywood version that is simply ridiculous.

Another wonderful part of the story is when Janet must hold on to her Tam Lin as the Queen of the Faeries turns him into various terrible beasts or painful things. This, to me, is wonderful both literally for its imagery and inspiring bravery and also as a metaphor for what real love, true love, is; it's where you hold on with all your might to someone even when it hurts or they're not who you want them to be all the time. It references the more difficult parts of having a relationship that most won't stick through. And if you're brave and try hard, even the Queen of the Faeries can't thwart you. How's that for a fairy tale love story? It shows how love is full of mistakes (er, the unfortunate "payment" at the well that first time) and trials, but it will triumph in the end if hearts are steadfast.

Now, on to the ballad. There are many different versions, but I like the old, difficult to read ones the best. There is a more modern version here and a version geared more towards children here (without the unfortunate incident at the well the first time). The version I have below comes from the wonderful website tam-lin.org which has just about every version ever come up with.

One of my favorite modern works of fiction is inspired by this story. It's called Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip, a writer whose prose I consider to be some of the best being written these days. Plus, the cover art is done by Kinuko Craft, my top favorite still-living illustrator. What a magical combination.

The Ballad of Tam Lin

O I forbid you, maidens a',

That wear gowd on your hair,

To come or gae by Carterhaugh,

For young Tam Lin is there.

There's nane that gaes by Carterhaugh

But they leave him a wad,

Either their rings, or green mantles,

Or else their maidenhead.

Janet has kilted her green kirtle

A little aboon her knee,

And she has broded her yellow hair

A little aboon her bree,

And she's awa to Carterhaugh

As fast as she can hie.

When she came to carterhaugh

Tam Lin was at the well,

And there she fand his steed standing,

But away was himsel.

She had na pu'd a double rose,

A rose but only twa,

Till upon then started young Tam Lin,

Says, Lady, thou's pu nae mae.

Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,

And why breaks thou the wand?

Or why comes thou to Carterhaugh

Withoutten my command?

"Carterhaugh, it is my own,

My daddy gave it me,

I'll come and gang by Carterhaugh,

And ask nae leave at thee."

Janet has kilted her green kirtle

A little aboon her knee,

And she has broded her yellow hair

A little aboon her bree,

And she is to her father's ha,

As fast as she can hie.

Four and twenty ladies fair

Were playing at the ba,

And out then came the fair Janet,

The flower among them a'.

Four and twenty ladies fair

Were playing at the chess,

And out then came the fair Janet,

As green as onie glass.

Out then spake an auld grey knight,

Lay oer the castle wa,

And says, Alas, fair Janet, for thee,

But we'll be blamed a'.

"Haud your tongue, ye auld fac'd knight,

Some ill death may ye die!

Father my bairn on whom I will,

I'll father none on thee."

Out then spak her father dear,

And he spak meek and mild,

"And ever alas, sweet Janet," he says,

"I think thou gaest wi child."

"If that I gae wi child, father,

Mysel maun bear the blame,

There's neer a laird about your ha,

Shall get the bairn's name.

"If my love were an earthly knight,

As he's an elfin grey,

I wad na gie my ain true-love

For nae lord that ye hae.

"The steed that my true love rides on

Is lighter than the wind,

Wi siller he is shod before,

Wi burning gowd behind."

Janet has kilted her green kirtle

A little aboon her knee,

And she has broded her yellow hair

A little aboon her bree,

And she's awa to Carterhaugh

As fast as she can hie.

When she came to Carterhaugh,

Tam Lin was at the well,

And there she fand his steed standing,

But away was himsel.

She had na pu'd a double rose,

A rose but only twa,

Till up then started young Tam Lin,

Says, Lady, thou pu's nae mae.

"Why pu's thou the rose, Janet,

Amang the groves sae green,

And a' to kill the bonny babe

That we gat us between?"

"O tell me, tell me, Tam Lin," she says,

"For's sake that died on tree,

If eer ye was in holy chapel,

Or christendom did see?"

"Roxbrugh he was my grandfather,

Took me with him to bide

And ance it fell upon a day

That wae did me betide.

"And ance it fell upon a day

A cauld day and a snell,

When we were frae the hunting come,

That frae my horse I fell,

The Queen o' Fairies she caught me,

In yon green hill do dwell.

"And pleasant is the fairy land,

But, an eerie tale to tell,

Ay at the end of seven years,

We pay a tiend to hell,

I am sae fair and fu o flesh,

I'm feard it be mysel.

"But the night is Halloween, lady,

The morn is Hallowday,

Then win me, win me, an ye will,

For weel I wat ye may.

"Just at the mirk and midnight hour

The fairy folk will ride,

And they that wad their true-love win,

At Miles Cross they maun bide."

"But how shall I thee ken, Tam Lin,

Or how my true-love know,

Amang sa mony unco knights,

The like I never saw?"

"O first let pass the black, lady,

And syne let pass the brown,

But quickly run to the milk-white steed,

Pu ye his rider down.

"For I'll ride on the milk-white steed,

And ay nearest the town,

Because I was an earthly knight

They gie me that renown.

"My right hand will be gloved, lady,

My left hand will be bare,

Cockt up shall my bonnet be,

And kaimed down shall my hair,

And thae's the takens I gie thee,

Nae doubt I will be there.

"They'll turn me in your arms, lady,

Into an esk and adder,

But hold me fast, and fear me not,

I am your bairn's father.

"They'll turn me to a bear sae grim,

And then a lion bold,

But hold me fast, and fear me not,

And ye shall love your child.

"Again they'll turn me in your arms

To a red het gand of airn,

But hold me fast, and fear me not,

I'll do you nae harm.

"And last they'll turn me in your arms

Into the burning gleed,

Then throw me into well water,

O throw me in with speed.

"And then I'll be your ain true-love,

I'll turn a naked knight,

Then cover me wi your green mantle,

And hide me out o sight."

Gloomy, gloomy was the night,

And eerie was the way,

As fair Jenny in her green mantle

To Miles Cross she did gae.

At the mirk and midnight hour

She heard the bridles sing,

She was as glad at that

As any earthly thing.

First she let the black pass by,

And syne she let the brown,

But quickly she ran to the milk-white steed,

And pu'd the rider down.

Sae weel she minded what he did say,

And young Tam Lin did win,

Syne covered him wi her green mantle,

As blythe's a bird in spring

Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,

Out of a bush o broom,

"Them that has gotten young Tam Lin

Has gotten a stately-groom."

Out then spak the Queen o Fairies,

And an angry woman was she,

"Shame betide her ill-far'd face,

And an ill death may she die,

For she's taen awa the bonniest knight

In a' my companie.

"But had I kend, Tam Lin," said she,

"What now this night I see,

I wad hae taen out thy twa grey een,

And put in twa een o tree."