That’s how most fairytales start.

The Brothers’ Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and Aesop are some of the most well-known names in ye olde literature. Their subject matter often dealt with talking animals and far off kingdoms. Fanciful as it was, their audience was eager to read, listen and learn, and thus children’s books became a thing in the world of writing.

Good thing for me. I never would have survived if it weren’t for brightly illustrated stories that danced across the page of a book or flickered on a movie theatre reel. That’s what inspired me to create these fairy tale paintings of Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.

They are ink sketches painted with watercolor. I did my best to make them unique and stylized since these stories have been interpreted hundreds, if not thousands, of times by very capable artists. My favorite touch in the painting above is undoubtedly the “Trespassers will be Eaten” sign that the witch put out in front of her house… and which the children have completely overlooked. Other than that, I enjoyed adding whimsical touches to Goldie and Red’s costumes, including the flower pattern on Red’s hood and Goldie’s slumpy sock and black ribbon.

The challenge today is for the artists out there: reminisce a little and reinvent a classic in one or two finished drawings. Childhood self, we salute you.

October 3, 2017

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