Aussies 'n' Fairy Tales Week: Debra Phillips, Painter of Stories

You may have seen her work recently in conjunction with the AFTS conference, but not known the name of the creative woman behind this new vision of Snow White. Her name is Debra Phillips and she tells stories. But not just with words. She also tells stories with paint.

While she is a writer and is currently involved with an academic study related to storytelling and fairy tales, she also creates stories using paint and often incorporating other media as well. Be it stitching, photography, old maps or her own brushstrokes, there is always a story woven into the work.

A Grimm View of Life series: Three Little Pigs

From Ms. Phillips:

When I paint I tell myself a story about the people in the scenes, the events leading up to the scenes and the qualities of each person within the painting. For me, a painting is a story. Although it is entire in itself, there is always a story before the image and a story after the image.  Decades ago when I painted the series of saints, I also wrote on the back a short story about the life of the saint (either imagined or real). 

A Grimm View of Life series: Goldilocks and porridge

What you see here are some of her intriguing paintings, exploring familiar fairy tales in a new ways, something, she says, is bring influenced by her current academic research and study, with an emphasis on the notion of time experienced in fairy tales and how they can transform to become a distinct narrative about an imagined future.

But that's not all she does.

A Grimm View of Life series: Snow White and rotten to the core

In the past, Ms. Phillips could often be found writing stories for friends by request, often with the purpose of commemorating a specific and special life event (birth, wedding etc). Over time, she began to include water colors, collages or photographs she had created. At some point she added stitching and the concept of her unique brand of hand crafted books was born.

Detail from a mixed-media collage

Story writing has overtaken my self and my life. There is always a tension between the desire to write and the desire to paint. Sometimes the paintings emerge from writing and sometimes the story comes from seeing a theme running through paintings or collage images. 

Fairy story themes are a constant thread running through all the stories. Some fairy stories are obvious and others are hidden in the other themes of the story. All my stories are about the human condition, especially its frailties and it’s complex relationships.

As you can see at the head of the post, Ms. Phillips had the honor of being the cover artist for the AFTS Inaugural Conference program this year. She also attended and, along with everyone else, has been reported as being both delighted and inspired by the papers and presentations of all kinds.Which can only mean one thing: we should be seeing more from Ms. Philips very soon.  

A Grimm View of Life series: Snow White & Rose Red have the wolf at their feet

In the meantime, she has a small website with a few examples of her work HERE, including a fascinating introduction to her current studies with fairytales. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Phillips does next.

Aussies 'n' Fairy Tales Week: Bruno Torfs "Phoenix" Fantasy Garden

The fantastical sculptures of Bruno Torfs, nestled in a temperate rainforest garden setting in South-Eastern Australia, wowed, moved and inspired 1 000's of visitors from all over the world for over a decade, until, in the midst of a devastating national bushfire disaster in February 2009, amidst great loss of lives, homes, unique rainforest habitats and more, this beautiful garden also became a casualty. While it doesn't compare to the loss of life, losing great art is worth mourning in its own way and many of these mythic sculptures were lost forever.

While, at the time, I was concerned with family members there and fire fighting cousins who were battling against the odds (all of whom survived and got to safety) to hear of the loss of the Torfs' gardens affected me very deeply. (I'll explain why shortly.)

The Torfs family, who lived at the unique garden and gallery, managed to get to safety but lost their home, over 300 paintings and sustained great damage to the sculpture garden. Friends and neighbors in nearby Marysville weren't as lucky and lost not only their homes but their lives. The area remained in a state of emergency for quite some time. Miraculously escaping with his family, Bruno made a statement on his website, saying they would be salvaging what they could, with the intent of bringing another fantasy garden to life.

Here is one of the many video tributes showing the beautiful sculptures the garden contained before the fires swept through (The Torfs' website has a slideshow as well):

Below are some images of what Bruno and his family found once they were allowed back into the area afterward.

From the website: The slideshow (below) is the bonus extra feature in the new edition of the award~winning 30 minute documentary of Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden. (You can order the DVD HERE.):

And here is a video of Bruno's new garden, nearing it's basic completion (with new works being added all the time):

Though I have long loved the classics and fairy tales of European, Celtic and Russian influence in particular, there was always a part of me that yearned to integrate that mixed-heritage fantasy 'sense' into the landscape I love of Australia, especially the forests and rainforests.* One of my (now shelved) multimedia projects was an attempt to approach classical fantasy from a unique Australian perspective in a very organic way. It wasn't just a story or novel but included an artistic exploration of the images so people would literally 'see' what was in my imagination. I had planned to come back to Australia at some point to build a fantasy garden project with the dream that the concepts and characters in it would eventually make their way into film and/or animation.

I hadn't heard of Bruno's Art & Sculpture Garden till after I had been working on it for a while and couldn't believe the images I was seeing. It was as if he'd dreamed the same dream then brought it to life in his own way. It seemed uncanny. I nearly cried for joy to see such imaginings had become reality and gladly put aside the project in hopes I would travel to see it before doing any more. When I heard of the tragedy, the loss felt personal, though I had never met Mr. Torfs or his family in person.

Three years ago, the pieces that were salvaged and repaired, along with new works, were placed into a new garden and the Torfs' wonder forest was opened, once again, to the public.

A new "Phoenix Edition" of the original coffee table book of Bruno's art and sculptures was expanded and published after the tragedy. It now contains the story of the fires, the rebuilding as well as photos of the many wonderful works that were lost. You can order a copy (and support his work) HERE.

Bruno Torfs grew up in South America (you can see the influence in many of his sculptures), only moving to Australia as an adult but he clearly has a connection with the land and much of his work has the essence of the Australian Dreamtime stories as well. It's no surprise to hear he now calls Australia "home" and we are very glad he does.

Below are some of the restored and newer sculptures now greeting visitors, of which I sincerely hope to be one, one day.

*Perhaps it runs in my blood. My Nanna's aunt - May Gibbs - had the same desire and created the well-known and loved characters of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie.

Aussies 'n' Fairy Tales Week: Kate Forsyth, Author and Enchanting Word Weaver

I read recently this interesting quote (source sadly unknown)...

Words cast spells.

That's why it's called SPELLING.

Words are energy.

Use them wisely.

... and it immediately made me think of Kate Forsyth, because that's what this amazing author does: she captivates you with her words and shows you worlds - ours and that of fairy tale, woven together - that you never knew existed. And when she sets about to tell a fairy tale, people start to realize just how real these stories can be.

Ms. Forsyth is an award winning and internationally best selling author and much in demand so we'll have to wait for another time when we can ask her some questions for fairy tale folk here, but the AFTS conference was privileged to have her speak about Rapunzel, which she wrote her recent PhD on (the title of the talk was Rapunzel in the Antipodes), discuss her book based on the story (Bitter Greens) and to also have her on the panel for Cultural Editing: How Some Fairy Tales Get Lost in the Woods. (We are hoping for video eventually but I've yet to hear if all went according to plan for the recordings. Keep your fingers crossed!)

The one thing you should know, apart from being the recipient of many awards over many books for her writing (she is also the author of numerous lovely fantasy novels), when it comes to fairy tales Ms. Forsyth has as tendency to delve into the history behind the tales and weaves them together with the tales themselves. (Her newest adult novel, Dancing on Knives is more contemporary novel, set in Australia and it has a murder...)

Her books have been released one after the other in quick succession this year, with UK version not far behind the Australian ones and now, finally US versions are appearing as well. (So many lovely covers!)

Here are some of her recent books interweaving fairy tales and history with the magic of her words, as well as a new children's fairy tale retelling "duet" and her latest release which puts a little mystery into a very different Little Mermaid story. You'll note she's also been gifted with some of the prettiest book covers out right now.

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BITTER GREENS

A retelling of Rapunzel, interwoven with the story of the real life woman who first told the story, Charlotte-Rose de la Force.
(Released in Australia March 3, 2013)

A lovely stew of sex, fairytales and, well, sex really. THE AGE. An exquisite rendering of the story behind the Rapunzel fairy tale. 

Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. She is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of Bitter Greens ... 

After Margherita's father steals a handful of parsley, wintercress and rapunzel from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off ... unless he and his wife give away their little girl.  

Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death, sixty-four years later. Called La Strega Bella, Selena is at the centre of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition. 

Locked away in a tower, growing to womanhood, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does ... 

Three women, three lives, three stories, braided together to create a compelling tale of desire, obsession, black magic and the redemptive power of love.

From Kate Forsyth:

I began by wanting to retell Rapunzel as a historical novel ... as if it had really happened. So I began to wonder about the source of the tale ... who first wrote it?  

I began to research the sources and and so stumbled upon the life of Charlotte-Rose de Caumont de la Force, one of the most fascinating women ever forgotten by history. Her story was just a gift to a novelist. It had everything ... romance, intrigue, drama, black magic ....  

I ended up doing my doctorate on Rapunzel, all my research was so interesting and no-one had ever really looked at it in so much depth before. 

THE WILD GIRL
The untold true love story of Wilhelm Grimm and Dortchen Wild that lies behind the tales of the Brothers Grimm. It also weaves in many of the Grimm tales throughout.
(Released in Australia on March 3rd, 2014)

One of the great untold love stories - how the Grimm brothers discovered their famous fairy tales - filled with drama and passion, and taking place during the Napoleonic Wars.
Growing up next door to the Grimm brothers in Hesse-Cassel, a small German kingdom, Dortchen Wild told Wilhelm some of the most powerful and compelling stories in the famous fairy tale collection. 
Dortchen first met the Grimm brothers in 1805, when she was twelve. One of six sisters, Dortchen lived in the medieval quarter of Cassel, a town famous for its grand royal palace, its colossal statue of Herkules, and a fairytale castle of turrets and spires built as a love nest for the Prince-Elector's mistress. Dortchen was the same age as Lotte Grimm and the two became best friends. 

In 1806, Hesse-Cassel was invaded by the French. Napoleon created a new Kingdom of Westphalia, under the rule of his dissolute young brother Jérôme. The Grimm brothers began collecting fairy tales that year, wanting to save the old stories told in spinning-circles and by the fire from the domination of French culture.  

Dortchen's father was cruel and autocratic, and he beat and abused her. He frowned on the friendship between his daughters and the poverty-stricken Grimm Brothers. Dortchen had to meet Wilhelm in secret to tell him her stories. All the other sisters married and moved away, but Dortchen had to stay home and care for her sick parents. Even after the death of her father, Dortchen and Wilhelm could not marry – the Grimm brothers were so poor they were surviving on a single meal a day.  

After the overthrow of Napoleon and the eventual success of the fairy tale collection, Dortchen and Wilhelm were at last able to marry. They lived happily ever after with Wilhelm's elder brother Jakob for the rest of their lives.

 

TWO SELKIE STORIES FROM SCOTLAND 
A retelling of the Scottish fairy tales, The Selkie Bride and The Seal-Hunter and the Selkie
(Released in Australia in May 2014)
Illustrated by Fiona McDonald (Children's)
You can read a lovely guest post from Ms. Forsyth HERE on creating the book and on her ancestry which, apparently, might just involve a selkie!

From Kate Forsyth:

My grandmother’s grandmother was Scottish. Her name was Ellen Mackenzie and she grew up on the Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland. Ellen’s mother was called Margaret McPhee, and as everyone in Scotland knows, the McPhee clan was descended from Selkies. The name McPhee is derived from an older version of the name MacDuffie, which comes from the Gaelic term MacDubhSithe, meaning ‘son of the dark fairy’. Family legend says that the first McPhee took a Selkie as a bride!    

...I always loved the tales of selkies, who were seals in the water and humans upon the land. It seemed the best of both worlds. I loved wondering if I had Selkie blood in me, and if one day I’d find the way to transform into a seal. 

(See? Seriously. Go read!)

DANCING ON KNIVES
Using the fairy tale of The Little Mermaid and referencing The Red Shoes
(Just released in Australia on June 2nd, 2014)

A damaged family and their generations of dangerous secrets 
At twenty, Sara is tormented by terror so profound she hasn't left her home in five years. Like the mermaid in the fairytale her Spanish grandmother once told her, Sara imagines she is dancing on knives. She feels suffocated by her family, especially her father – the famous artist Augusto Sanchez – whose volcanic passions dominate their lives. 
Then one stormy night, her father does not come home. His body is found dangling from a cliff face. Astonishingly, he is still alive, but the mystery of his fall can only be solved by the revelation of long-held family secrets.
At once a suspenseful murder mystery and a lyrical love story, Dancing on Knives is about how family can constrict and liberate us, how art can be both joyous and destructive, and how strength can be found in the unlikeliest places.

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You can see more information about Ms. Forsyth's books at the Random House Australia site HERE.

Ms. Forsyth's books have been reviewed all over the internet so there are plenty of opinions out there letting you know how much they love her work. She's been interviewed in a number of places as well so you can glean little bits of information about her research and process if you do a quick search but best of all, there's a video (though 46ish minutes, the time goes quickly listening to her!) in which Ms. Forsyth talks about Bitter Greens and The Wild Girl.

Have a listen (& a look):

She also just wrote a very interesting post on the history of Sleeping Beauty from Troylus and Zellandine (around 1300) to Matthew Bourne's recent ballet and the recent Disney revisioning in Maleficent, including a brief look at criticism of the tale. It's very comprehensive yet easy to read and includes her favorite novel versions of the tale. While I wasn't surprised to find Jane Yolen's Briar Rose there (with a WWII setting) I was pleased to find Adele Geras' Watching the Roses there (a lovely device throughout is including descriptions of various rose varieties that ultimately provide a subtle commentary on the story). You can find the post HERE.

Kate Forsyth

Ms. Forsyth can be found all over the place speaking on fairy tales these days. Whether it's with regard to her books and work, or discussing the importance of fairy tales with world renowned fairy tale scholar, Professor Jack Zipes, discussing the relevance of fairy tales in the 21st century on the radio, or being involved in a lively discussion panel for the Australian Fairy Tale Society, I have a feeling we will see even more fairy tale inspired work from her. With her enthusiastic fan following, including many among the young adult crowd (though her books aren't specifically YA), you know that she's doing a lot of good in having people consider fairy tales, their importance and their relevance.

I have a feeling... the best is yet to come.

Kate Forsyth's website and wonderful blog is HERE (she's also in the Other Fairy Tale News Sources blogroll on the right of the page here at OUABlog).
She can also be found on Twitter HERE.
And her Facebook page is HERE.

For Australian buyers, Booktopia is recommended. For the UK and US, Amazon.com. Some of her many awards are listed below.

TWO SELKIE TALES - released May 2014

DANCING ON KNIVES - releaseD June 2014

THE WILD GIRL - voted the Most Memorable Love Story of 2013 by Australians

BITTER GREENS - shortlisted for the 2012 Aurealis Award, the Ditmar Award & the Norma K. Hemming Award, for which it received an Honourable Mention 

THE PUZZLE RING - shortlisted for 2009 Aurealis Award & named an Unsung Hero of 2009 

THE GYPSY CROWN - won the 2007 Aurealis Award & was nominated for a CYBIL Award

THE LIGHTNING BOLT - named a CBCA Notable Book in 2007

THE CURSED TOWERS - shortlsted for the 1999 Aurealis Award

DRAGONCLAW - shortlisted for the 1997 Aurealis Award

Aussies 'n' Fairy Tales Week: Spike Deane, Mythic Glass Artist

New Stories From The Old Wood

UPDATED 1:18am on Friday, June 13th, 2014: Spike Deane's Into the Woods stop motion animation video added!

First up on the Awesome Aussies working in fairy tales list is the truly amazing Spike Deane. (All images shown throughout this post are of Spike's beautiful work.)

She also has a lovely way of introducing people to her art. Here's the introduction sheet from the AFTS (Australian Fairy Tale Society) Conference:

The AFTS (Australian Fairy Tale Society) presented an exhibition of her work in slide form during the Inaugural Conference on June 9th this week, and though Spike was overseas at the time and couldn't be there, she presented the AFTS with a very special and lovely key ahead of time, which was on display on the donor acknowledgement table:

AFTS key presentation

I have been meaning to highlight her work for some time and it is a disservice to you all that I haven't (my sincere apologies for that), because Spike's work is beautiful, mythic and uses a very special medium: glass. She also uses other mixed media, sometimes as part of her glass work as well, including (be still, my heart), stop motion animation! I am in serious AWE.

Check this out:

From the description:

Spike's main exhibits to date reflecting her fairy tale inspiration are:

• The Forbidden Chamber (based on Bluebeard and Fitcher's Bird)
• The Wolf I Knew Would Lead Me... (inspired by the transformational woods of folk and fairy tales)
• The Woodcutters Daughter (representing the many stories that begin with "Once upon a time there was a poor woodcutter..." - see her website for pics)
• New Stories From the Old Wood (representing transformation and metamorphosis in stories, using the age old fairy tale favorite symbol of the tree and the many-antlered deer)
• Fairytale Landscapes (small scenes in glass with a silhouetted fairy tale figures

And she's currently working on a wonderful and completely delightful Selkie project. I heartily suggest checking out her blog where she's been kind enough to share the process of design and casting - it's like magic, where you can see all the hard work and are still wowed.

Casting and experiments in selkie heads

Spike was kind enough to give me some insight into her inspiration and how researching fairy tales and folklore are part of her process. She sent me a wonderful letter that I will share most of, since I can see it reflected in her work so well:

My work draws on narratives found in folk and fairy tales to explore themes of individual transformation and metamorphosis. These tales evoke archetypes, myths, legends and fundamental truths from our lived experiences as social beings in an ever changing world. Each generation re-imagines the core stories of folk traditions and it is this process of reinvention and renewal that underpins my work.

Breath of the Wolf In My Ear

 

The retelling of folk, fairytale and myth in literary fiction is the mainstay of my inspiration and research. My house is stuffed with books, many of which are fantasy novels, and these new stories I believe stem from the archetypes and themes found in folk and fairytale. I love reading and the process of sifting and dreaming through someone else's (or lots of someones) words and ideas is an integral part of my artistic practice. Lucky me. 

(Ms. Deane's Artist Statement is continued below The Forbidden Chamber presentation...)

The Forbidden Chamber

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"The Forbidden Chamber" by Spike Deane

Human beings are story tellers.

My work draws on narratives found in folk and fairy tales to explore themes of individual transformation and metamorphosis. These tales evoke archetypes, myths, legends and fundamental truths from our lived experiences as social beings in an ever changing world. Each generation re-imagines the core stories of folk traditions and it is this process of reinvention and renewal that underpins my work. With this piece I examine tales like those of Bluebeard and Fitcher's bird where a terrible secret lies behind a forbidden door.

In folklore and fairy tales the key can denote liberation, knowledge, the unravelling of mysteries or a difficult task to accomplish. In these stories I see the key assisting us on a path of revelation, unlocking secrets that reveal truths that enable personal growth and transformation. 

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(Spike Deane Artist Statement cont...) 

Currently I am making towards a body of work based on the legends and stories of the Selkie. The melancholy stories express so many of the tensions that exist in close relationships while using the seal skin as the focal element of transformation. My Selkie works will fit into the broader theme of 'Depths & Shallows' with 2 other glass artists and the show opens at M16 Artspace in Canberra on the 31st of July. 

I would have to say for fairytale analysis I am most definitely in camp Zipes. I have many of his books, bristling with markers. His idea of the 'hopeful journey' really strikes a chord with my sensibilities.

Fairytale Landscapes

Into the Woods

Look at the shadows! 

Most recently I have completed 2 pieces based around the mythical archetypes of the stag in the woods. 'Midnight grove' a lighted work is on show at Kirra Galleries in Melbourne until the 30 June.

Talia Lamp

I owe a great debt to Heidi Anne Heiner of Surlalune whose fantastic website has been a great help to me over the years and also to Ink Gypsy who keeps me up to date with the current fairytale world. Thank you.

Fairytale Landscapes - Aschenputtel

You're so welcome Spike! I'm thrilled to be of help; it truly is an honor. And it's now my aim to see some of your pieces in person. And we cannot wait to see the Selkie! Thank you for sharing your vision and talent with us all.

Fairytale Landscapes - Red

Fairytale Landscapes - Talia

Isn't she just amazing? As wonderful as these little images are on the web, I can only imagine how much more impact they have in person.

The Wolf I Knew Would Lead Me...

For my regular readers, I'm adding the Depths & Shallows show to the new Fairy Tale News Calendar, which is at the top of the page in the tab menu, in case there's a chance any of you are able to go.

There are many more pictures of Spike's work on her website, as well as a wealth of beautiful "in progress" photos on her blog (it's fascinating to see the creation of these pieces!).

Spike Deane's website is HERE, her blog is HERE, and her Twitter is HERE.