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I feel like this piece (among others of course) was so pivotal to my ongoing body of work. It’s that certain feel and aesthetic I somehow captured and which solidified in my mind that the path I was on was exactly the direction that I wanted to go in. Back then in 2017 I was only a few years into this. Each piece was defining what it all meant and what I was trying to say. More than that it was also setting into place the specific collage and painting technique that I use now but was developing then. Speaking of the collage, I still love the quilt she is laying on. I love the bed posts. I found the lion first and had to really search a bit before I came across the wolf. I’ve said it so many times but finding perfect little collage details is exhilarating.
I also love the title. I was inspired by Toby’s first poem for it, which he wrote just after I had put the final touches to the piece. It’s ethereal and contemplative and I think that pairs well with the storybook vibe of the piece. I feel like you look at the piece and think, “okay it’s like a child’s fable”, and then you read the poem and think, “wait a second”. And you go back and look again but with an altered viewpoint. It’s not that the storybook side fades, it’s in addition to or maybe another layer on top of. Then in 2020 Toby wrote the poem that appears in Of Land and Sky. While being very different, there are similarities between them. I have to admit I love the second one even more than the first. It’s a poem that’s perfect for a child or adult.
