Art & Illustration
"Wood Sprite"
Into the woods...
I have decided to start a new series of paintings that are very story-driven and challenge me in some way. I grabbed my sketchbook the other day and quickly sketched a few of the ideas that have been in my head, then I've ruminated on them and tried to decide how best to convey the feeling, image, or idea I'd had. This was the one I decided to start on: the idea that a tree can be a portal to another world. I had the image of a knight in winter furs wandering through some dark, snowy woods, when suddenly a tree opens and, through the sudden brightness, someone's hand reaches out to pull him into another world. With this in mind, the first sketch was born:
I was very happy with the way the prince turned out in this version, but something wasn't working for me with the woman in the tree. I originally wanted it to be ambiguous whether or not she was a force for good or evil... But I think it ended up being too ambiguous. I realized that I needed to make a decision about what the story really was and re-work the whole tree part of the painting.
It's always hard to go in and erase elements of a painting you've worked hard on and thought you were done with, but in this case I felt it was necessary. I wanted to make something that is more engaging, original, and tells a clearer story. So, I took a few reference photos of myself with a timed camera and I tried putting myself in the character's shoes. I went back to the idea that the tree is a portal, so I tried several ideas: is she tempting him to come through for selfish reasons? Does she need his help? Is this his destiny? The idea that charmed me the most was that perhaps she's from a land of perpetual spring/summer, and she's never seen winter before. She's been warned not to open the door between worlds, but one day she just can't resist. She comes through and is enchanted by the frosty forest... so much so, that she doesn't even notice the prince she's startled during his solitary travels.
As I started painting, I wanted to convey the contrast between the two worlds with the light behind her and the splash of color with the grass and flowers at her feet. But when I stepped back I thought it was a bit too much, so I turned down the saturation. When I showed it to my husband and told him about the portal idea, he asked, "Why does the grass extend so far out?" I said, "Well, perhaps she's a summer sprite; and grass and flowers just sprout beneath her feet?" Upon reflection I agreed with my husband: she needed to be entering a new world, not bringing hers along with her. Besides, I kind of like how her foot is now poised above the snow in the moment before she discovers just how cold it is!
And here it is! I'm so glad I persisted and re-worked this painting. It's taught me that I should never be afraid to start again if things aren't turning out right. Which version do you like best? Do you have an idea for a story to go along with this illustration? Feel free to write your ideas below! I look forward to hearing what you think :)