About Watercolor Fairy Fantasy Artist AMY BROWN

Amy Brown resides in the Pacific Northwest with her family. As a child, her interest in Faeries sprouted when she was introduced to the works of Arthur Rackham, Brian Froud and Alan Lee. Movies like The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, and Legend played large parts in developing Amy’s love of fantastical tales and mystical creatures. Over the years, various artists, books and films from the past and present added inspiration to her growing imagination and continue to do so.

Amy began her Faery art career in 1992 when she started work at a gallery called Festival of Art. There she learned about color, design, framing techniques, layout and various art techniques. She was surrounded by various types of art on a daily basis and read every art, printing, framing and business article available in the monthly magazines that came to the gallery. Festival of Art is where Amy displayed and sold her first Faery painting after her boss, Shawn, asked her to paint a picture for an empty frame she had lying around the gallery. As months progressed, Amy devoted more time to Faery paintings and began selling in the gallery, local shops, and street fairs.

For several years, Amy sold through various stores and venues. Then in 1997 her first website debuted. It was only for viewing her work, sort of an experiment at the time to see what would happen. Almost immediately, she began to get email requesting to purchase her work. The site was re-designed and began selling Amy’s work world wide soon thereafter. Word spread rapidly about the new site. There was an intense interest if Faery that seemed to be surfacing. Amy was happy that so many people enjoyed her work, but also frustrated she had to spend more and more time processing orders for the new site instead of painting, but it posed a challenge to learn to balance her career.

In early 2001 Hot Topic stores happened upon Amy's site and contacted her about licensing various articles for their stores. After the first stickers and postcards hit the stores, Amy's web traffic began to multiply at a ridiculous rate. A new group of people was now seeing her work for the first time; a younger generation. Hot Topic went all out and began expanding their line of Amy Brown Faery items. Many wonderful opportunities grew from the exposure at Hot Topic and Amy credits Hot Topic as being largely responsible for helping to bring Faeries into the mainstream.

In 2002, Chimera Publishing, a friend of Amy's with connections to some well known publishers, offered to help her look for a publisher to do her first art book. Alas, they had no luck. Publishers felt they could not market her art. Amy knew she could make this work, because the number one request from her customers was for a book. Chimera offered to publish the book themselves and they embarked on the job immediately. Amy was so happy about the opportunity; she paid for part of the 1st printing. The long awaited book was released in January 2003. The success of the first book was so great; they came out with a second volume mid-2005. Amy is currently fiddling with ideas for future books, but has not settled on anything solid yet.

I have been drawing and painting for most of my life, but I began my professional career in 1994 when I was approached by a company called Wizards of the Coast to contribute work to the popular Collectible Card Game called "Magic: the Gathering."  I worked with WotC for a  few years, as well as several other CCG companies, but eventually I grew tired of working for other people and decided to try doing my own thing.  In particular, I wanted to paint the characters from a story that I had been working on since high school, and I felt I needed to hone my skills to be able to truly 'capture' them.

The decision to become a print artist rather than a contract artist wasn’t an easy one for me to make.  Contract art can be very lucrative—at least in the short run—and I was making fairly good money.  Unfortunately, the work wasn’t as satisfying to me as painting my own work was, so I stopped being a Contract artist, and started my career as a Print artist.    As a print artist I was free to create anything I wanted, but with that freedom came the understanding that I wouldn’t have a steady paycheck waiting for me, and because of that anything I produced had to be marketable.  Even today, I paint everything with one eye towards the artistic side, and one eye on the practical business side.  Experience has taught me that no matter how good your technique may be on a piece, stray too far from common themes in art and no one will buy it.  In the end, the customer will always tell you if what you’ve created is marketable. 

For the first 10 years or so of my career I painted exclusively in watercolor, with a touch of acrylic on some pieces.  In 2004 I became enamored with digital art, and the more I began to like it, the more dissatisfied I became with my own paintings.  So, I set aside my watercolors, bought a digital art tablet, Corel Painter 7 and Adobe Photoshop CS and began experimenting. It was a lot more difficult to learn than I assumed it would be, especially because I do not have a lot of experience with computers, so I spent countless hours surfing the internet looking for any and all digital art tutorials that I could find.  My first digital paintings were actually hybrid works, where I mixed watercolor elements with digital ones, but eventually I became comfortable enough working with the digital art programs that I completed the transition to fully digital works.  Now I do all of my work digitally, from the preliminary sketch to the finished product, and when I look at my watercolor art compared to my digital art, my watercolor pieces look unfinished to me somehow, almost as if they are color studies. 

One of the positive side effects of keeping one eye on the artistic side of the art business and the other on the practical side is that I have had the good fortune to have companies approach me to have my artwork produced not only as limited edition prints, but also into a variety of other products, including statues, journals, art books and calendars, mugs, key-chains, magnets, pins, ornaments, stickers, and t-shirts.  You can find products featuring my work in several catalogues, in retail outlets throughout the world, and all over the internet. 

Creating new artwork for the various companies that feature my work on their products keeps me very busy, but I am making time to work on the project that I have been imagining for over twenty years.  It is called “The Zarryiostrom”, and will be a multi-part fantasy novel featuring many of the characters that I have painted over the years.  Last year my husband started writing the first novel, and I started painting images to go with it.  The first book, entitled “Powerborne”, is nearly complete, and I couldn’t be more excited.  It will take a couple of years to finish it, mainly because my painting schedule is dominated by projects for licensing companies, but when it is done it will be extremely long, with (hopefully!) an illustration per chapter.  You can read the first nine chapters and see some of the illustrations on my website, http://www.nenethomas.com/zarryiostrom.shtml. 

David Delamare has been painting all his life. Even as a child he was busy drawing, painting, and writing stories. He was (and is) strongly encouraged by his mother. Una lives just a few blocks away and is still his greatest fan. She keeps a scrapbook of his work, bakes cookies for local gallery openings, and not infrequently drops by with a roast beef sandwich or chicken pot pie. David knew from a very early age that he wanted to be an artist, and has always earned his living through art. In his early years he set up a business painting signs and he occasionally taught art, but he is proud of the fact that he has never had a "real" job.

David was born in Leicester, UK but has spent most of his life in Portland, Oregon where he enjoys the cloudy weather. Though he likes to travel, he has never driven a car. He sleeps late and works deep into the night. When he's not attending films, plays, or concerts he can usually be found at home or strolling in Portland's Hawthorne District. He's a bit reclusive and rarely makes public appearances, so if you have an opportunity to see him at a book signing or gallery opening don't miss it.

In his early years, David painted in gouache (an opaque water-based medium) but he discovered that acrylics offered more luminosity, resulting in higher quality reproductions. Today he also works with oil paints which provide more texture and depth than acrylics. Oils also slow him down, keeping him more aware of the painting process. Most often he uses both, using acrylic for under painting and oil for detailing, and he sometimes adds other mediums such as colored pencil or oil pastels. He's very flexible, allowing the painting to dictate the medium. The one medium he never uses is the computer.

About Mythic Fantasy Artist JESSICA GALBRETH

Mythic fantasy artist Jessica Galbreth was born on April 29th, 1974 in Toledo, Ohio.  Today, she makes her home and studio in Waterville, Ohio with her husband Josh and their two children.  Though Jessica did study fine art with a major in painting for three years at the Toledo Museum of Art, she also considers herself largely a self-taught artist.  She crafts her original works of art mostly with watercolors, pen and ink, but at times also utilizes an airbrush and acrylic for certain effects.  

Jessica began her art career in 1999 with a modest web site.  Much to her surprise, the interest in her fantasy and faery art seemed to increase very quickly once she showcased her art on-line, so she went on to expand her web site and product line.  Now you can find Jessica's work in numerous formats, from prints to greeting cards to calendars and books to collectible figurines and ceramics produced by leading manufacturers throughout the world.  Her work is often featured at Spencers Gifts, Hot Topic and at specialty retail shops throughout the world.  With distribution of her art and inspired products reaching as far as Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan, Jessica has truly become a world-renown artist.

She is perhaps most celebrated for her ability to capture the haunting and often mysterious beauty of goddesses and faeries from mythology.  Each of her visions brought to life on paper have a personality of their own, and often evoke strong feelings in those who view them.  Some of her faeries are elegant, sweet and wistful, while others are defiant, dark and powerful. 

When asked about the path she chose to follow with her art, Jessica has this to say...

"I am often asked why I chose to paint images of myth and fantasy for my art career.  It honestly never seemed like a choice, as this is what is truly in my heart.  From the time I was a small child, I have loved fantasy art, especially art with a basis in mythology.  I am inspired by many things...mother nature in all her beauty, the intricate myths and stories of ancient cultures, the shadowy mysteries of the moon, and the innocence and simplicity I see in the eyes of my young children.  It is my most sincerest hope that my artwork serves to remind others of the magic that surrounds us and lives within us always."    - Jessica Galbreth

I was born in 1963, A very typical Pisces, always preferring to live in a dream world, a world which I have painted ever since I can remember, and one which as a child I could retreat to whenever things became tough.  I still pay regular visits to my dream world, though with a lot more of the real world thrown in… It’s where I go to paint.

I live in the beautiful county of Cheshire, England (famous for its Cheshire Cat, of course) with my long suffering husband John, daughter Vivien and numerous pets. My home is situated near a very small wood, which is a constant source of inspiration to me, I use many mediums for my paintings, though my favorite has to be watercolor, I adore the way that the paint blends creating almost transparent washes, and yet the colors can also become quite vivid. My inspiration comes from many sources. I rely mostly on my dreams and inner feelings as I have done since I was a child, along with my love of nature, instilled within me from an early age by my parents, and their wonderful tales of myths and legends which they would share with me at bedtime.

Now as an adult with more experience of the world, I am influenced by artists from the past, such as Alphonse Mucha and William Morris, and the era in which they lived and worked, I also have a fascination for the supernatural and unexplained, all of these elements help to fire my imagination and enable me to create my images. The idea of the Faerie Folk or earth spirits, call them what you will, dates back as far as time itself, to me they represent the natural world we live in and whether you believe in the fae or not, I feel that they have a place in our modern day society, even more now than they ever did in the past.  It's time to look at our beautiful world and take stock of our feelings and behavior towards our fellow man, time to open our eyes to see what harm we are doing.

I find it easier to translate some of my feelings into my work, ironically, the sort of feelings that make you feel powerless to do anything about can be turned into the most enchanting images.  These are usually some of my larger more complicated paintings, each one containing my messages of hope, perhaps a gentle reminder to take care of the world and each other.  Most of my images are serine and benign, although we all have a darker more passionate side waiting to emerge..... “After all we are only human.”

I truly believe that we all have a little bit of Faerie magic within our hearts, helping us to make the right decisions within our everyday lives; we just have to look for it.

Shine brightly and live your dreams.

Linda

  "THE REST IS JUST BEGINING"

 Buy Linda Ravenscroft Fairy Tiles, Mugs, Cards and Giftware Products!

About Enchanted Fairy Fantasy Artist SELINA FENECH

Australian artist Selina Fenech was born in 1981 and has always had a great passion for creating art. Her daydreams of magical creatures and places were irrepressible, and goddesses, fairies and nature spirits started showing up in her artwork from a very early age. She has always had a great love and appreciation of the magic of nature, and frequently gets lost in mythology and fairytales which all inspire her greatly. While she always loved to draw, she didn't know she wanted to, or could, be an artist for quite some time. When she was sixteen years old she placed a few of her artworks in an online gallery and was amazed when fan mail and print and commission requests started coming in. Always wanting to please, and excited to be sharing her passion for art and magic, Selina began taking commissions and producing fine art prints of her work, and her art career has grown steadily since then, seeing publication in books and magazines worldwide and a range of licensed merchandise.

Selina has accounts on the following websites where you can find out more about her-
Live Journal Account- http://www.livejournal.com/users/selinafenech/ 
MySpace Account- http://www.myspace.com/selinafenech

Selina Fenech Fairies and Fantasy has been a registered business since 2002 with merchandise being produced and marketed worldwide, to over 30 different countries. Selina has been fully self employed selling her artwork since the age of 23.

Selina's artwork has been published in the UK Pentacle Magazine, US Faery Magazine, UK Fae Magazine, Australian Spellcraft Magazine, Australian Witchcraft magazine, "500 Fairy Motifs" by Myrea Petit, “Visions of Atlantis" by Ellen Million Graphics, and "Curvy 4" by Yen Magazine, as well as interviews in various newspapers and on radio shows.

Selina Fenech currently licenses her artwork to manufacturers worldwide including Koala Card Publishing, Pacific Trading Collectables, The Australian Bookmark Company, Munro Gifts Figurines, Lazy Time Toys, Peter Stone Jewelry, Yujean/Net Sales, Trinity Products Apparel, Heaven and Earth Designs, Bunch of Fun Stamps, The Craft Station, Enchanted Tattoos, My Scarlet Rose Accessories, Creative Image Licensing Management and Marianne Design.

About Magical Fairy Fantasy Artist MARJOLEIN GULINSKI

I am Marjolein Gulinski and I live in Breda which is quite a big city in the south of the Netherlands. Born in 1982, and I have two older brothers, Hans and Jeroen. At the moment I live together with my boyfriend Mike. He really likes my paintings and is a great support to me. Also very supportive are my parents who are very proud of me and think my art is fantastic. I think it is very important to have this support from family and friends to go further in this field. I know for sure they will always be supportive towards me and that is a very fine thought.

I never studied art at school, so I guess you could call me a ‘Self Taught’
artist. I have been drawing fantasy art now for about 7 years, and this has been a favorite pastime of mine while I was growing up. Things that didn’t exist really appealed to me and I found them fascinating! I really enjoyed movies like Labyrinth, The Neverending Story and Back to the Future. When I was younger and still now, my whole life revolved around Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Later there were more Disney films that really made an impression on me but The Little Mermaid was always my favorite and will always have a special place in my heart. I loved drawing Ariel and drew her so much that I became very good at it!

After this I started marketing myself on the internet and I found many sites about fantasy and fairies and elves. I studied the pictures and learnt a lot from them, and finally began drawing them myself. In the beginning I traced pictures to really get my head around this type of art. I would copy pictures very precisely so as to learn about the colors and how to mix them so that they would be the same as the picture I was copying. I found that in doing this I learnt the most about mixing colors and really got to know my paints this way.

I remember when I started out I wanted to copy a picture I remembered seeing in a children’s book I used to read of a beautiful girl surrounded by flowers, but no matter how hard I tried the face never turned out right. My mother told me that drawing the face would always be the hardest part and so I practiced drawing faces over and over again. I really give a lot of worth to a ‘perfect’ face, and if the face isn’t good enough then I begin again. When I don’t find a face good enough other people do and they ask me what is wrong with it, so I answer them “She doesn’t look at me kindly enough!”

After tracing for a while, I began to create my own pictures, and realised just how difficult it really is. The traced pictures looked a lot better than my own creations; I went from copying perfection to starting anew! I thought many times that nothing would ever come of my own drawings! To bridge the gap of tracing to total original work, I cut out pictures of models in magazines and copied their faces or poses, and then added my own fairy elements. I also used a few elements from artists such as Amy Brown and Stephanie Law, but slowly I began to develop my own fairy elements and colour techniques.
I love drawing fantasy art because I feel that the idea is so happy and uplifting that it can bring light into anyone's world.

And every time I create a new piece of artwork, I am able to put a piece of myself into the art, making it my own style! I am often told by people that they can see me in my works.

About Magical Fairy Fantasy Mermaid Artist MAXINE GADD

Maxine Gadd was born Maxine Saunders, in the country of Worcestershire, England, October 14th 1962.

A shy child, she much preferred drawing than to playing with friends, getting through more pencils, paints and paper than could be afforded!

In 1967 her family decided to immigrate to Australia, seeking a much more rewarding lifestyle.
Maxine's art was first exhibited at school and then at community art shows, where her early abilities won recognition through winning both first and second awards. She began selling her work at the age of 12.

She later achieved a Diploma in Graphic Design, also winning the prestigious John Lunghi award for Outstanding Artistic Design.

Green Woman Ceramic Wall Tile by Linda Ravenscroft
$28.95

Dreams of Atlantis Mermaid Tile by Josephine Wall
$28.95

Gatekeeper Angel on a Rose Swing Print by Sheila Wolk
$14.00

Queen Caelia Fairy Antique Cameo Necklace by Selina Fenech
$24.95

Catch a Falling Star Fairy Victorian Lithopane Lamp by David Delamare
$44.95