Couples - Belle and the Ghost

There is a playmobil ghost and a disney Belle figurine that have been sitting together on my mantle, casually put there by the kids but I kept thinking about them. This is the start of my idea for this series. I began to think of them as a couple, an unusual couple and this led to thoughts of other pairings.

I liked this idea because it seems like a natural flow from my last series where I made plants into romantic novel covers. I see these as being a snapshot or a novel cover into the imagined relationship of these people and animals.

Belle and The Ghost, 9" x 12" oil on canvas 2017

With this painting I work with the idea of solid and transparent and make a solid body and a ghost body. I like her long gloves that have her hand reaching to touch his heart. Her dress I imagined had a subtle plaid pattern in yellow and I love the fluid brushstrokes of those lines. I am thinking about life and death and loving being alive to the fullest because death is there beside you and you touch upon that idea but with gloved hands. Also there is just the fun thought of a women being in love with a ghost that she can see and talk with.

Couples - Mr. Dressup and The Fairy Godmother

I was thinking of the nicest people and how they should be together. I loved to watch Mr. Dressup draw. His house was so clean and calm. He had a great sense of humour and was very kind. I loved the non-scripted chatter between him and Casey and Finnegan - who was silent but communicated too. The Fairy Godmother never had a big roll but seemed to not judge but help out if one was in trouble.  She was very smiley too.  I think they would have a playful relationship. It is interesting that the photos of the puppeteer of Casey and Finnegan, Judith Lawrence, looks a lot like the Fairy Godmother.

Mr. Dressup and The Fairy Godmother, 9" x 12" oil on canvas 2017

I am riding this balance between real and drawing using outlining and shading so they are real people who have roots in drawings and drawing. I softened the background to have them magically pop forward. I researched 70's wallpaper to give it a subtle 1970's vibe and I put those colours in the background because these are my childhood characters. I lowered the neckline of Fairy Godmother's dress because it was god awful unflattering. Now she wears a low cut hoodie style dress.  The wand sparkles I repainted many times and then finally settled on bold chunky white strokes to make it the brightest spot of the painting so it would glow.