Myth & Moor

Coming up...

This exhibition at Green Hill Arts in Moretonhampstead will feature work by Chagford artists Alan Lee, Virginia Lee, Brian & Wendy Froud, David Wyatt, Rima Staines, and yours truly, along with Hazel Brown, Paul Kidby, and Neil Wilkinson Cave. It's running most of the summer, so if you're local or making a trip down to Devon, keep it in mind...

There will also be a program of events (talks, readings, workshops, etc.). For more information, go to Green Hill Arts.

Exhibition poster art: The painting of faeries dancing widdershins is by Alan Lee, the design is by David Wyatt.

Sir Lanval in Exeter

 

  

The poster above is for the English opening of the French/English "Sir Lanval" art exhibition, which had its French opening in Brittany earlier this year. It is connected to the new "Sir Lanval" film (based on a medieval fairy tale by Marie de France, scripted by Elizabeth-Jane Baldry and Ari Berk), and is part of the English/French "Shared Legends" project. For more information, please see my previous posts on the subject.

The film itself was premiered in Brittany in October, where it was very well received -- and will have its first English screening (at The Picture House in Exeter) in March, 2011. In the meantime, you can see a snippet from the start of "Sir Lanval" on YouTube, here -- featuring purple-clad fairy maidens in the magical local landscape as it passes through four seasons.  (Some of the film was shot in Brittany and the rest of it here in Devon.)

The "Sir Lanval" exhibition is based on the original Marie de France story, rather than the film, which none of the artists had yet seen. Each artist was asked to read the 12 century tale and to interpret it in his or her own way. Brian Froud's contribution, for example, was "Guinevere" (the large image on the poster above): a dark version of Arthur's queen, who is dark indeed in the fairy tale. The smaller image on the poster is by the French painter and graphic novel artist Olivier Ledroit.

Rima Staines drew on medieval art and traditional Breton costume for inspiration in the beautiful paintings below; you can read about their creation on her blog, here. My own contribution was a fairy tale collage, which you can see and read about here.

 

Artists in the "Sir Lanval" exhibition (curated by Virginie Ropars & Kelly Martinez)

English: Ian Daniels, Brian Froud, Wendy Froud, Alan Lee, Kelly Martinez, Jaqui Martinez, Ed Org, Marc Potts, Linda Ravenscroft, Gentian Sims Revill, Rima Staines, Josephine Wall, and me.

French: Brucero, Erle Ferronniere, Didier Graffet, Olivier Ledroit, Jean Lemonniere, Yoann Lossel, Severine Pineaux, Jean-Sebastien Rossbach, Virginie Ropars, Erwan Seure Le Bihan, Anne Smith, and David Thierree.

A number of the French artists will be coming over for the opening of the exhibition this weekend, and we'll be hosting them here in the village for a few days. They're hoping to see some of the mythic sights of Dartmoor, so my fingers are crossed that we're not snowed in. . . .

 

And while we're speaking of France and fairy tale films:

The magical and sumptuous home of Jean Cocteau (writer, artist, dramatist, opium dreamer, bon vivant, and director of the fairy tale film classic La Belle et la Bête) is now open to the public, just south of Paris. You can read more about it here.

And if you can get somehow your hands on a copy: Beauty and the Beast: A Film Diary, Cocteau's journal about the making of his famous film, is an absolute treat.

Butoh and Paint, Smoke and Ash

My friend Rick Berry (who is one of the people who first taught me how to paint with oils) has a new series of painting inspired by a stage production of Cabaret -- which can currently be viewed at the New Hampshire Institute of Art in Manchester, NH; and also on Rick's website. All of his art is gorgeous, but I've always liked this kind of monochromatic "oil paint sketch" the very best. 

"These are not renderings," he says, "but impressions of dancers from the KitKat Klub, the setting for a production of  at the Oberon Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As I watched rehearsals, the movement coach, Steven Mitchell Wright, had the performers go through Butoh training. I'd heard of Butoh, seen stills from various dances, but never experienced it in action. Crushing really. So instead of doing some sort of rogues' gallery pastiche (as had earlier been imagined being hung in the venue) I did these. I wanted something like images of ghosts projected on smoke and ash. Just at the moment you think you've resolved them, they shimmer and erode before your eyes. Color paintings of a world that's lost all sense of it."

A French/English Mythic Arts Collaboration . . .

The past several months have been such a roller coaster, due to personal and family matters, that I've been remiss in telling you about one of the nice things that happened this summer: my trip to Brittany to see the French opening of the "Sir Lanval" exhibition. This exhibition (as you may remember from my previous post on the subject) is part of the Shared Legends Project, a collaboration between the Chagford Filmmaking Group here in Devon (the folks who turned my step-daughter into a dragon last summer) and the Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurien in Brittany (organized by my friend Claudine Glot, an expert in French myth and folklore).

In the first part of the project, the two groups worked together to make a film of "Sir Lanval," a 12th century lay by Marie de France about a poor Arthurian knight and a beautiful fairy queen. In the second part, artists from (or with strong connections to) Brittany and Dartmoor contributed works inspired by "Sir Lanval" to an exhibition that premiered this summer at the castle pictured above, in the legendary forest of Broceliande.

For the opening, the project organizers brought artists from both sides of the Channel together for five glorious days in Broceliande. We were hosted royally, with storytelling in the woods, trips to mythic sites, a music concert at the Chapel of the Holy Grail, and many other delights.

View from a castle window

Harp music and storytelling in the forest

  Riders in the forest and castle courtyard

Tile-work mural in the Chapel of the Holy Grail

The pictures here are from that magical trip: from the castle and forest where we spent our days, and from La Gacilly (a village full of artists, like ours here on Dartmoor) where we spent our nights -- and where Rima Staines (one of the other artists in the exhibition), Tom Hirons, and I got the chance to visit dollmaker Virginie Ropar's enchanting house and studio.

 

The village of La Gacilly (above and below)

The exhibition moves to the Breton city of Rennes this autumn, which is where the finished "Sir Lanval" film will have its French premier. The English film premier and exhibition opening take place in Exeter in December -- which is when it will be our turn to host the French artists in our village at the edge of mythical Dartmoor. It will be a challenge indeed, for our Breton friends have set the bar of hospitality very high!

The "Val sans Retour" (Valley of No Return) in Arthurian myth

Breton fields and farmhouses

 

Poster art by two of the painters in the exhibition: Brian Froud (Dartmoor) and Olivier Ledroit (Brittany)

You'll find more pictures of Broceliande and the exhibition over on Rima's blog, The Hermitage (August 7th post, Chapter 3). You can see my contribution to the exhibition in my previous "Sir Lanval" post  --  and here's me under the trees of that deeply mythic forest (below, in a photo taken by a Breton friend), with my hair in my eyes and a book in my hands, as usual....

 

The Fairy Handmaidens

"In the Meadow," full size: 16 x 20 inches (click on the art to view a larger version)

The collage above is the piece I've contributed to an exhibition that will appear at venues in France and England when "Sir Lanval," a film by the Chagford Filmmaking Group, premiers this autumn. It's all part of the Shared Legends Project, a collaboration between the CFG here in Devon and the Centre de l'Imaginaire Arthurienne in Brittany.

Ten French artists and ten Devon-based artists were asked to contribute works based on "Sir Lanval," a 12th century lay by Marie de France about a poor Arthurian knight and a beautiful fairy queen. I struggled for inspiration at first, for my art these days is a long ways away from Arthurian castles and knights in armor. . . but Elizabeth-Jane Baldry (the film's director) assured me that they weren't looking for illustrations of the film, but rather wanted each artist to interpret the lay and depict fairyland in his or her own personal style. In other words, they'd known they would get a "Windling" and not a "Burne-Jones" or an "Alan Lee" when they asked me. Whew!

I originally sketched out some ideas for paintings, but then my thoughts turned to collage instead. There are many other painters in the show (along with sculptors, dollmakers, and other artists), and I thought perhaps one of my hand-sewn assemblages might be useful in striking a slightly different note. I collect old damaged books of myths and fairy tales as source material for my collages (I wouldn't want to rip up a book otherwise) -- and you can imagine my delight when I found a retelling of "Sir Lanval" in one of them. Perfect! Considering the obscurity of the tale, this felt like a gift from the fairies themselves and made me feel I was on the right track.

I chose the scene in which two fairy handmaidens appear in a meadow, carrying a golden basin and a towel. Later in the tale, we learn that the fairy queen rides with greyhounds, so I put a somewhat comical fairy greyhound in there too. And some bunny girls, because in my version of fairyland there are animal critters who follow in the fairies' wake. The twigs and pressed wildflowers come from the meadow behind my studio. The lace comes from my mother-in-law, a theatrical costume maker, who was busily sewing medieval costumes for the film while I was working on my piece.

Four of my village neighbors have also contributed to the exhibition: Alan Lee, Brian & Wendy Froud, and Rima Staines. You can see a preview of Rima's gorgeous, gorgeous Sir Lanval paintings over on her blog, and read a fascinating post about how she created them. For more information on the show itself, go here. There will be a "Meet the Artist" event in Brittany in July; I'll post more information about that as it becomes available.

 

 

Dark Angels

 

It pains me to admit that there's not a snowball's chance in hell of my getting up to Manchester to catch the Angels of Anarchy exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery before it ends on January 10th -- so if any of you do get to see it, write and let me know if it's as fabulous as it looks. They've gathered works by 32 artists, including Remedios Varo (who inspired Anna Naverra in The Wood Wife), Leonora Carrington, Dorothea Tanning, Lee Miller, Frida Kahlo, Kay Sage, Leonor Fini and other wonderful Surrealist artists from several countries. Fortunately there is a book for us poor deprived souls who don't get to see their art in the flesh. (I also recommend Women Artists and the Surrealist Movement by Whitney Chadwick.) You'll find a good list of Surrealist links on the museum's website, and the opportunity to add to a Surrealist poem. And the Creative Tourist blog has a video of a conversation between Patricia Allmer, the exhibition's curator, and author Jeanette Winterson.

Below, some of my favorites by Fini & Carrington, Varo & Tanning, Sage & Kahlo:

 

(Other artists whose work particularly inspires me can be found on the Inspiration Board section of this website.)

Events, events, events

I've been scolded before for not letting people know about public events I'm participating in -- but in truth, there aren't very many these days, for I've too much work to catch up on to allow myself to be lured out of my studio very often. But if you live in the south-west of England, here are events where you can catch me in the coming weeks:

* Kelly Martinez (Laughing Magpie Productions) has organized a Faery weekend in Dartmouth, consisting of a Winter Faerie Ball on Saturday night (November 28th), and a day of demos, talks, art displays and other events dedicated to Faerie, Fantasy & Mythology on Sunday (the 29th). Howard and I will be there on Sunday, giving a talk on the history of Women and Fairy Tales. Several of our friends and neighbors are going too: Brian and Wendy Froud will be speaking about their work as artists and filmmakers; Elizabeth-Jane Baldry will be performing on the harp and presenting one of the fairy tale films created by the Chagford Filmmaking Group; Katy Marchant's Daughters of Elvin will be performing for the Faery Ball on Saturday night, and she'll discuss her experiences with medieval music and dance on Sunday. There will be many other artists on hand as well, with programming geared to both adults and children.

If dressing up in fairy wings ain't your thing, then on Saturday December 5th come to the Chagford Christmas Art Market for a bit of mulled wine, home-made cakes, and art. The event will feature work by an ecclectic range of Dartmoor-based artists -- including painters, illustrators, jewelry makers, fabric artists, and ceramicists -- as well as an art raffle in aid of the Devon Air Ambulance and Chagford Primary School. It all takes place in Chagford's Jubilee Hall from 9 am to 1 pm. (Please note that it's a morning event only.) I'll have prints for sale, and maybe some cards too...if I can get them done in time....

I don't have any public gigs coming up in the U.S. this year, but for those of you who like to plan way ahead: next year I've agreed to be a Guest of Honor (with Holly Black and Marie Brennan) at Sirens, an annual conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature, taking place from October 7th to 10th in Vail, Colorado. I'll also be the Keynote Critic at the Fantasy Matters conference at the University of Minnesota, which will be sometime later that same month. I don't have much information about the Minnesota conference yet (though I know that Jane Yolen is a Guest of Honor this time, which is reason enough to attend), but as soon as they have their dates set and the website up, I'll post the info here.

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Art above: Faery Ball banner art by Linda Ravenscroft. Drawing of Christmas bunnies by me. The other little drawing is the Fantasy Matters logo; I'm afraid I don't know who it's by.  

For those of you in western Massachusetts: Don't miss Witness, a solo exhibition by  Beckie Kravetz at the Student Union Art Gallery at U Mass Amherst (October 13 - 30, 2009) -- an installation consisting of 24 life-size ceramic figures (heads, busts and torsos).

"This work is a response to tragedies, both personal and global," says the artist. "The crowd has gathered to watch an unknown, powerful event. The viewer becomes part of the crowd, and individual experience informs their interpretation of the event and the other witnesses."

Beckie and I shared an art studio in downtown Tucson for many years, where I was privileged to watch the creation of many figures included in the exhibition...and oh, how I wish I could be present for the premier of the completed piece.  More information on the show can be found on the U Mass website; more information on Beckie and her work can be found on her own website. For a glimpse of the individual clay figures, such as the haunting pieces pictured above and below, visit Beckie's work-in-progress gallery of photos.

'Busy getting ready for Open Studio tomorrow...

More info (and maps for the Open Studios Art Trail) are available from the Chagford Arts Festival box office in the village square.

If you're here for the weekend, be sure not to miss the showing of "Cherry of Zennor: A Cornish Fairy Tale" by Elizabeth-Jane Baldry and the Chagford Filmmaking Group. Established by Elizabeth-Jane (who is a professional harpist in her other life), the CFG is dedicated to filming the magical folk tales of the British Isles, while involving as many local kids as possible in the film-making process. The film is on at 10:40 Sunday morning at the Jubilee Hall -- but come at 10:30 and catch the premier of "Heist," a short film by two young Chagford animators, Diggery North and Freddie Crowley.

Also of interest: A rare showing of the silent film "Sunrise," a 1927 cinematic masterpiece, with an introduction and live harp music soundtrack by Elizabeth-Jane. That's on at the Jubilee Hall at 7:00 on Saturday night.

For those of you who enjoyed finding out about mythic artists via the old JoMA/Endicott Studio blog: I hope you're following Pam Grossman's Phantasmaphile. Kristin Bjornerud (above), a Canadian artist who often draws upon dream and animal-myth imagery, is just one of the many artists profiled by Grossman -- along with many, many other creators of mythic, phantastic and surrealistic works.

And for you New York readers: This weekend is the last chance to see Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists, curated by Grossman for Dabora Gallery, featuring the work of several artists previously featured on the Endicott blog: Fay Ku (below), Carrie Ann Baade, Lori Field, Karena Karras, Alexis Mackenzie, Amy Ross, and Madeline von Foerster (among others). What a line-up!

Oh, how I wish I could be there....

Last night, during a kitchen table discussion about the strange economic times we're living in,  I told my husband and a friend about the Public Works of Art Project created in 1933/34 as part of the New Deal, which kept writers, painters, photographers and others employed during some of the worst years of the Great Depression. (The PWAP itself only ran for seven months, but it spawned a host of other arts programs, such as the Federal Arts Project, that ran up to the early 1940s.) This is an aspect of American history unknown to many folks over here in England...and perhaps to some Americans as well.

As Elizabeth Broun writes: "A glance back to the 1930s shows that many New Deal programs were innovative, even radical, in treating artists, writers, and playwrights as workers deserving of support. This was new in America, where artists since colonial times had been considered marginal “extras” in our society. John Singleton Copley (1738--1815) complained that he was regarded as 'no better than a cobbler.' Thomas Eakins (1844--1916) lamented that 'My honours are misunderstanding, persecution, and neglect, enhanced because unsought.' John Sloan (1871--1951) famously said, 'The artist in America is regarded as the unwanted cockroach in the kitchen of a frontier society.' All that changed in the mid-1930s, as New Deal programs were created for unemployed artists eligible for government relief. Artists, newly defined by their government as workers, produced an unprecedented number of artworks, literary works, and theatrical performances, launching careers for many who became famous in later years. President Roosevelt is said to have declared, 'One hundred years from now my administration will be known for its art, not for its relief.' "

You can read Broun's full article in the March issue of History Now. (The  entire issue of this online quarterly journal is devoted to the Great Depression, and makes for fascinating reading.)

As it happens, there's a very timely show of art works from the PWAP at the Smithsonian in Washington DC right now, where it will run until next year and then travel to other museums around the country. You can see a terrific slideshow of the art from the exhibition on the American Art Online website. The paintings from the show that I've posted above are by Millard Sheets, Earl Richardson, and Ilya Bolotowsky.

From the Big Red Sofa exhibition: "Bunny Gifts"

Another painting from my exhibition at the Big Red Sofa. This one is called "A Bird in Hand."

Most of the work in the show is for sale, including the images posted here. If you are interested in a price list, please contact the Big Red Sofa directly. You'll find their contact information here.

I have an exhibition of "mythic art for children" currently running  at The Big Red Sofa bookstore/gallery in Chagford, Devon. The show features 10 oil paintings and assorted prints and sketches, with both original works and prints for sale. The show will be up until September 5th.

The painting above, on the right, is "Bird Mother." Below is  a cropped portion of a larger painting called "Bunny Troupe."

 

My friend Stu Jenks has a beautiful exhibition running at the grand old Hotel Congress in Tucson. Here's the info:

Nine Prayers: Photographs of Stu Jenks

The Hotel Congress Lobby
311 E. Congress, Tucson, AZ
July 21st - September 13th, 2008
Artist's Reception: Wednesday, August 20th, 2008, 6 - 8 p.m.

"Beginning July 21st, Stu Jenks will be displaying what he calls 'A small retrospective of large photographs' from the past eleven years. Each of the nine photographs has a personal prayer associated with it, be it the hopeful 'I pray we have a good Christmas' to the humorous 'I pray that bull doesn't get mad at me, once he finds out I don't have any food.'

"Most of the images are printed using the revolutionary Roland D'Vinci pigment printer, which give amazingly deep blacks and brillantly vibrant colors. Jenks' work ranges from mysterious nocturnal images of twinkling hoops and flaming spirals in desert and forested locales, to action photographs of Tucson Roller Derby women and of the circus troupe Flam Chen. The show is curated by David Aguirre of Dinnerware Artspace in Tucson."

Visit Stu's blog to see m
ore examples of the art that is currently on display in one of my very favorite hang-outs in Tucson.

Bunnies on the auction block!

      

I've just sent this painting off to the framers for an exhibition and auction at Monks Withecombe Gallery in Devon at the end of this month. (Click on the painting to see a larger version.) All the works in the show, including these little sleepy fellows, have been donated to raise money to preserve the beautiful public Commons in the village of Chagford. There will be work by many other artists as well, including Brian Froud, Alan Lee, Marja Kee Kruyt, Katherine Lightfoot, Chris Chapman, Susan Derges, and Stephen Dooley. Contact the gallery for  dates, times, and other information. Alas, I won't be able to see the exhibition myself -- I'll be traveling back to Arizona then, which is rotten timing.

The painting is called "Nap Time on Chagford Commons," 20 x 12 inches (unframed); medium: oil paints and pencil on canvas paper. It's based on a similar image I painted last year but which was damaged by a printing company. This exhibition gave me the excuse to re-create it, and all for a good cause.