Course Details on the FREE USF Fairy Tale MOOC with Kevin Yee (Starts August 5th!)

Note: All images in this post are from one of my newer favorite illustrated version of Snow White. These are from "Blancanieves" by Iban Barranetxea (website/blog at link)

Free Online Class: Fairy Tales by Kevin Yee 

(Reposted from HERE with permission)

Some of you know that my “day job” is in Higher Education. Among the classes I teach is one on Fairy Tales, with focus on Disney, Grimms, and Perrault. This college class is now available to the general public, and it’s completely free! There’s not even a book to buy for the class! 

The class is a massive open online course (MOOC) and is administered through canvas.net - it’s free to sign up and take the class! It’s a four-week course starting on August 5. 

Here’s the schedule:
Week 1 – Cinderella
Week 2 – Snow White and Sleeping Beauty
Week 3 – Rapunzel and the Frog Princess
Week 4 – Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast 

The class was built to expect about two hours of engagement/interaction (“work”) per week, so it’s not meant to overload the participants with chores and duties. In that sense, it’s less rigorous than my regular college classes. The class doesn’t have any required (synchronous) meetings; you do the work whenever you want within the week. 

This course does not have a completion certificate – you’d be taking it just for the fun of it. There aren’t any papers or projects. While the class does offer quizzes and discussion boards, there isn’t really a rigorous process to “pass” the course since there isn’t a certificate offered anyway. 

The class is, however, experimental in a different sense: it’s got game elements in it. We added badges and group competition, as well as Easter eggs, throughout the class. Each group is named after one of Walt’s seven dwarfs–it works a lot like the Harry Potter “house” competition, where individuals can earn badges for the whole group. This should be fun! 

Please feel free to sign up and spread the word. I can’t wait to share with you what these fairy tales used to mean and how they’ve been changed for modern audiences!! Sign up HERE.

One of the "nicer" (?) ways I've seen the Queen depicted ,dancing to her death in red hot iron shoes

I've signed up. Will you join me? Hope to see some of you next week and talk fairy tales with you!

Fairy Tale Art by Julie Dillon

Frog Prince

The piece above, Frog Prince by Julie Dillon, is one I've been meaning to post for quite some time now. Apart from being an amazing illustration, it's one of the few in which the actual transformation from frog to man is shown. Plus I ADORE transformation stories and am fascinated by what someone might see if a transformation from beast to man (or man to beast) happened right in front of them.

Treasure From the Deep - not specifically a fairy tale piece but I can think of a few tales this reminds me of

Since Ms. Dillon is also featured on the tor.com website today (with an illustration for a short science fiction story, Uncle Flower's Homecoming Waltz) I thought I'd showcase some of her fairy tale work here too.

Snow, Glass, Apples (Interior) for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's booklet/perfume set with Neil Gaiman's short story. There is a very dark cover HERE as well.

Reassurance - again, not specifically a fairy tale piece but there are a few tales it would work with, including Beauty & the Beast

She has quite a few Alice pieces, both from Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I love the lion and unicorn one.

The Lion and the Unicorn

Alice

Alice and the Queen of Hearts

As you can see, her style lends itself beautifully to both fantasy and science fiction. Her work pops up everywhere, from magazines to covers and more and I think we're only going to see more from this talented artist. 

Surface - not specifically a fairy tale piece but it instantly made me think of The Marsh King's Daughter

Ms. Dillon has a large gallery on deviantArt HERE and her personal website is HERE.

Advertising: "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" for Sky

You may have seen the previous fairy tale ads for Sky broadband on the SurLaLune Blog (HERE) well now there's another to add to the collection, although technically it's a fable rather than a fairy tale.

In time for a Christmas Day premier to advertise their Winter special is "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".


This ad joins the Sky fairy tale TV spots of The Princess and the Pea, Aladdin, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood and The Emperor's New Clothes. (There is a King Arthur spot too.)


From the company:

 “The new advert is the latest addition to the popular Sky fairytale campaign and  The Boy Who Cried Wolf has provided a great setting for our Broadband Winter sale. We’re also pleased that the ad has helped answer the perennial question: can a wolf ride a bike?’

I believe this is the same company who used fairy tales in a set of print ads in 2008 for the "SKY Satellite TV (Only the safest program for your kids)" campaign. In these a guard uses a security wand over Red Riding Hood, Pinocchio and a princess to check for "unsafe programming". I've included the Pinocchio one below. (See HERE for the three ads.)

2011 Winter campaign ad Source: HERE

Red Riding Hood & Other Mythic Work of Beatriz Martin Vidal

Beatriz Martin Vidal is an artist and illustrator from Spain and her portfolio has many unusual and mythic paintings which once seen are hard to forget. I was, of course, immediately drawn to her retelling of Red Riding Hood and to pique your interest I'm inlcuding her captions for the RRH paintings below:

The Girl

Premonition

First Encounter

Grandma and Wolf

Coming Out The Wolf

Second Wolf

(The link takes you straight to that page in her portfolio.)

I'm only including a few of the illustrations as you really should see them on her site with her captions and amongst her other work to fully appreciate them.She has a lot of other work which is of interest to myth and fairy tale enthusiasts too so take time to browse. You won't be disappointed.

There is a Spanish version of the book available HERE.

I feel I have to include some of her other work to tempt you to go browse her galleries, in case you've already seen her Red Riding Hood series so here are just a few which caught my eye:

This is for The Goose Girl.

 

This is for a Rusalka tale.

 And this puts me in mind of The Frog King and little girls growing up (with or without their manners... as if they're in a very different sort of finishing school ;)

Coilhouse Magazine + Blog has a wonderful article on Ms. Martin Vidal which I highly recommend (lots of pretty pictures to see there too!).

Please make sure you visit her website HERE and her deviantArt page HERE (LOTS of gorgeous work here). She has a whole series for a book on birds and children too - something which always feels very connected to fairy tales for me.

"Because now you know that some birds are born with wings and other birds have to make wings by themselves. "

(Beatriz Martin Vidal from her book "On Children and Birds")

I'll leave you with this lovely tribute video to her artistry.

NBCs "Grimm" Take on Fairy Tales

I hope to write something on NBCs Grimm vs ABCs Once Upon A Time very soon but for now, here are some promo clips I found of how the Grimm detective meets fairy tale subjects in present-day Portland, OR (with a twist, of course).

Considering the spring board for the show is that the lead detective (of the "Grimm bloodline") is able to profile criminals (and other people) with his abilities (fairy tale profiler!) I was glad, but not surprised, to find these sorts of clips.



What I am pleasantly surprised by, though, is that this world is proving to be far more complex than a monster/fairy tale crime-of-the-week show and that good and bad are not so black and white. Just like fairy tales.



NBC is moving forward very cautiously with this show. After much critical raving over episodes 2 and 3, this week the network has ordered two more scripts, so we can now expect to see 15 episodes at minimum.



Just so there's a complete set, I'm including the Red riding Hood based pilot episode promo:

I have yet to see the Bluebeard/Pan-based 4th episode that aired this week as "Lonelyhearts" (see link for the tale and myth connection) but early ratings after last night are high (eg 4 or 5 stars).

We know we have the Frog Prince, Snow White and Cinderella reworkings coming but after last week's "Beeware". based on the more obscure tale of The Queen Bee, I'm looking forward to seeing what tales they tackle next.

Fairy Tale Felted Wool Art by AndreasFelts

LITTLE RED CAP

(In this scene, the girl more commonly knows as Little Red Riding Hood is on her way to visit grandmother.)

I found these and had to share.

The work is so gorgeous and unique, not only do I want a complete notecard set but I'd love to see these in person. What's more, the artist, Andrea, obviously reads the old tales rather than relying on newer childrens versions, as you'll see from her descriptions of the pieces.

CINDERELLA
(In this scene, Cinderella kneels at her mother’s grave under the hazel tree and receives her dress for the ball. )

Here's what the artist says about her work:

I am a watercolorist turned felter. Using a felting needle, I "paint” scenes with fiber. Each work begins as a sketch and is felted by hand, using no machine, pattern or mold.

I sincerely urge you to go to her shop HERE for the close-ups views, as well as to see all her work. It's just stunning and completely reminiscent (for me) of impressionist pastel work.

FROG PRINCE
(In this scene, the princess bargains with the frog over the return of her lovely golden ball.)

HANSEL & GRETAL
(In this scene, the brother and sister are alone in the woods collecting small stones in their hopes of being able to find their way back home.)

LITTLE MERMAID
(In this scene, the little mermaid gazes up at the ocean’s surface in contemplation of trading her mermaid’s tale for human form.)

There's information about her techniques under the 'shop policies' section of her Etsy shop, which is very interesting too.

Just stunning work. I'd love to see a whole story book illustrated this way.

You can find her work in her Etsy shop HERE.

Principi e principesse

Please excuse the break in the news this week. Here's the weather: we've been under it.

In the meantime, while my household recovers from the various bugs and/or flu floating around, I thought I'd quickly point you toward this lovely Italian silhouette animation.

This is from a film called "Principi e principesse" from 2000 and yes, I'm aware the cover shows a different title but both iMDB and YouTube call the film by this title, not the one printed on promotional poster. The film has a collection of six magical short stories and while the whole thing is in Italian, you don't need to speak or understand any to enjoy it (though I'm sure that would add to it - it's obviously very funny).It's a very different take on The Frog Prince and I suggest you 'fast forward' to the one minute mark where the action begins. There's a bit of Italian dialogue right after the frog appears that I suggest you be patient through but after that it speeds up considerably. You'll very quickly get the idea and should enjoy the surprise conclusion*.

The style is somewhat reminiscent of Lotte Reiniger's silhouette animation but clearly has a more modern sensibility behind it. I've seen a short article on it a few months back but haven't been able to relocate it in my limited time (if anyone spots it, feel free to add a link in the comments).

Enjoy!


(I'll be back to sniffing out fairy tale news for you just as soon as my sniffer is available again.)

* You may be interested to know there is a Romanian fairy tale in which has a similar ending. You can read it HERE. I'm not sharing the title as it's a spoiler for the film. ;)

How Fairy Tales Can Nourish Children's Bodies (Article)

This article by Nancy Mellon discusses both the power of storytelling and how the imagery in fairy tales can be used to promote healthy thinking toward our own heart, lungs, liver and more. The suggestion is that we can promote healthy body thinking in children by telling them such stories and fairy tales.I found the stories discussed particularly interesting as most of them aren't well known. The writer concentrates on Grimm tales so those who've read them all will find them familiar.Here are a couple of excerpts:

How do stories nourish children's organs as they grow?... We can look with wonder and fascination at the fundamental archetypes of our organs to find characters and plot structures that express them.

Editors note (from the end): Stories have many levels of meaning and many possible interpretations... Contemplation and meditation about the images in these stories and how they may describe organ functions can reveal to connections.

The fairy tales discussed are:

• The Twelve Huntsman (a true bride tale)
  

• Jorinde and Joringel

• The Juniper Tree

• Little Brother and Little Sister

• Two Brothers

• The Queen Bee (another Simpleton who-is-kind-of-heart wins story)

• Gutta Percha (by George MacDonald)

• The Prince Who Feared Nothing

• The Frog King

A few other stories are mentioned too (eg Great Expectations) but the emphasis is on fairy tales throughout.Here's the article:

How-Do-Stories-Nourish-Childrens-Organs-As-They-Grow -

It's one way of using stories I haven't heard of before and although I admit I'm skeptical about children picking up this information subconsciously, I'm all for promoting health of mind and body through fairy tales.
You can download the article if you'd like to keep a copy HERE.

* All images are from the excellent fairy tale series "The Storyteller" by Jim Henson & Co. There's an overview of the epiosdes/tales with summary and images HERE and you can get your own copy of the DVD set which includes the Greek Myth series too, HERE.

12 Days: Fairy Tale Quilt

Fairy tales are a popular choice for advanced quilters (many of whom might be considered fiber artists with their innovative use of dying fabrics, applique and embroidery combinations). I have a few unique artworks in my archives to show you sometime, including the original subject I was looking for - a Princess and the Pea quilt - but while I didn't find any P&tP quilts that stood out to me, I did find a simpler, lovely multi-tale quilt for sale on Etsy. It comes with a rod pocket sewn into it so you can choose to use it as a wall hanging if you wish.This one is by MoonGazerQuilts and I'd consider grabbing it myself if it had a more gender-neutral color for the border. It's called "Fairy Tales and Dreams" and you can find the quilt HERE (for under $50!) and also see the details of a lovely Noah's Ark quilt at the shop too.

NOTE: As usual, please note I am not affiliated with any of these stores or products. I do not receive any commission from any visit to the site or any purchase. These are just items I thought may interest people as fairy tale themed gifts for the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Yuletide/Holiday Season. :)


Don't forget the "Pursuit of Happiness" Giveaway!

Entries close IN LESS THAN A WEEK on December 20th, so be sure to email me before then.
(A preview of the prize is coming soon too.)

Details for the giveaway are HERE and the wonderful London Particulars (who are making this giveaway possible through their generosity) can be found HERE.

12 Days: Frog Prince Cuff Links

These aren't cheap but I wouldn't expect sterling silver frogs with 18k gold crowns to be found at a bargain-basement price. Good timing for the release of "The Princess and the Frog" movie, some very nice Frog Prince cuff links from Red Envelope, found HERE. These would made a lovely wedding gift too.NOTE: As usual, please note I am not affiliated with any of these stores or products. I do not receive any commission from any visit to the site or any purchase. These are just items I thought may interest people as fairy tale themed gifts for the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Yuletide/Holiday Season. :)

Don't forget the "Pursuit of Happiness" Giveaway!

Entries close December 20th, so be sure to email me before then.
Details for the giveaway are HERE and the wonderful London Particulars (who are making this giveaway possible through their generosity) can be found HERE.

The Princess and the Frog Featurette: Magic of the Bayou

One more featurette before the big release day tomorrow. This one revives my enthusiasm for seeing the movie (the opening scene with the young Tiana greatly dampened it for a while there).This featurette is called Magic of the Bayou and gives us glimpses of scenes we haven't seen before. I particularly like the way the good magic of Mama Odie (in the movie it's voodoo) balances the bad of Dr. Facilier (also voodoo).Nice use of color palettes for good vs evil, yes? You may notice there's also a strong set of shapes for each set: long, lean and stretched for the baddies, round, earthy and comfortably plump for the good. I've yet to see all the magic effects but the clips I've seen and pics like these show curly, sinuously moving creeping magic for Dr. Facilier while Mama Odie's is strong and ray-like.

Here's the featurette - enjoy!

I sincerely hope the movie does well and revives people's enthusiasm for fairy tales. It's been a while since they've been in popular culture and, despite the Disneyfication of the tales (and this story, while taking inspiration from The Frog Prince and some ideas from the book "The Frog Princess" by E.D. Baker, is really more of a Disney original story than a retelling) there's no doubt we owe Disney a great deal of thanks for keeping fairy tales in the popular consciousness.