New glow in the dark fairytales and fantasy art
After nearly a year of trying new painting techniques and subjects, I think I’ve finally found where I’m supposed to land.
And, as it turns out, it’s back where I started.
It's been a stressful out of my comfort zone year of failures and meltdowns. Totally wondering whether I should have ever moved from the starry landscapes of Stella Murals that people loved, to start Shadowlux art. But I think it's finally coming together though and that's good because it's spring here and too warm to be breaking down and burning failed painting canvases on the log burner.
Fantasy art has always been my first love. It’s the ultimate escapism, a door straight back to storytime, when the world was full of impossible places that felt entirely accessible if you only believed hard enough. There’s something that feels deeply good about painting the worlds that you ran through as a kid, the ones you still half hope might be real if you turn around fast enough.
So, I’ve begun a series of fairytale portraits, caught in the moment before something changes. When night falls, the hidden parts come alive: Snow White’s stepmother looms out of the the dark to offer the poisoned apple, Alice catches a glimpse of a white rabbit who is running late, and Rapunzel’s prince crosses a country bridge, staring up at that absurdly impractical tower.
My art is also inspired by the hand-painted worlds of classic early Disney films, pastoral, detailed, and idyllic, but each carries the weight of the story and the magic. The skies are dreamy, the stone walls weathered but warm, and the countryside feels lived-in and fantastical. It calls us to wander through it and imagine ourselves inside the story. Those artists and animators were absolutely masters of their craft.
It isn’t just fairytales though, there are more characters from the past waiting in the wings. Honestly, if I can paint them the rest of my life, I think I’d be content. They mean more to me than perfect but unconnected landscapes or technically clever animal portraits. These stories really live. They’ve survived centuries of retelling and they pick up our own memories of when we were small.
It’s total escapism, in an anxious world but really it's always been like this. So come with me back to the beginning. I try to post new art most weeks, and this fairytale series has two more additions to it before I make a new fantasy series. These paintings are one of kind, I will revisit the themes but don't make prints, so get them while you can.
Next up...Today I worked all day on planning a design for Gerda and the Snow Queen. I can't believe it took all day, I've only just started the actual painting (it's a small one too!) and it's nearly the end of the day. I don't have lights bright enough to continue and but a few hours I'm going to need to paint star stickers for Stella Murals. My days are always very long like this!