Folktale Week 2019

I participated in Folktale Week on Instagram for the first time and just loved it! The prompts really had my creative gears turning to come up with some cool ideas, and I am very pleased with what I came up with. My children's portfolio got a much-needed update, which is so great, and I am thinking to do a couple more self-directed challenges to come up with some more in the future. My definite favorite is based off the the prompt KEY: 

The little house is based off of some of the gnome houses at Pondhill Farm in Harbor Springs, MI, which were SO magical.
​Pictured: Boyfriend for scale.

And then my second favorite was DARKNESS. I am so intrigued by how other artists paint light surrounded by darkness, so I tried it out for myself. The first attempt (below, left) I really loved, but light doesn't really come out from above the lantern, so while I love the circular shape, I scrapped it for the time being. Also I need to work on creepy eyes...they look a little weird. The second attempt (below, right), I really like because you get more of a sense of how dark and desolate the landscape is.

Next is SECRET, which I interpreted as the little girl trying to figure out what is inside the little gnome/fairy house from the Key prompt. 

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To the left is what I came up for the prompt PATH: she's running along the path, and the cardinals are directing her to go down a much older and less-travelled path. 

And finally, HOME, which I interpreted as family.