1 of 1

Write now Article Tools

Fairy Art has existed for centuries cited in the Druid, Nordic and Celtic cultures. The celestial figures and mythical creatures of the fairy art genre flourished through the Middle Ages and The Renaissance and continue to inspire modern day artists to add their own imaginings to the Art's tree of life like Romantic painter Jacqueline Collen-Tarrolly.

"My father says I came out swinging my hands around," Jacqueline relates to her need to have a paint brush in her hand and her desire to always want to paint something. "I don't have any real first memory of painting. There has just always been painting, drawing, scribbling of some sort. I did win a 5-12 year old art contest when I was in kindergarten though. I painted a tooth fairy."

Similarly, Jacqueline's fairies today are delightful nymphs designed as sprites, elves, pixies, goddesses, and mermaids traipsing through forests and taking pleasure in living freely to enjoy earth's beauty. Some of Jacqueline's images are also mythical creatures like dragons and seahorses or earth's friendly animals such as horses, swans, frogs, and butterflies. Her Romantic series include Fairy men embracing their lady love caressively in sensual poses. The long flowing lines of her freehand brush strokes and the lively movements of her figures are natural and exude warmth and project an empyrean femininity.

Jacqueline has come a long way since her childhood drawings. "I grew up in a very small town in Colorado," she reveals. It was "Very conservative, very boring. They were none too thrilled with a wild child with fairies and Greek Goddesses and talking animals on the brain. My sketches started reflecting all of those things since I didn't feel safe talking about them, and that, they seemed to like somewhat more so I just kept doing it."

"There were no real art facilities there," she tells. "Nothing apart from junior high and high school art. The only real help I got was from my junior high school art teacher, Mr. Mark Snowden. He saw something in me no one else did, not even myself," she admits.

"I ended up staying with him in independent study all through high school as well, because I didn't click with the high school art teacher," she explains, "and Mr. Snowden convinced the school board that I should continue with classes which he knew I would not do if I could not stay with him. I wish I could tell him now where I've gone with my art," she intones.

It could be very likely that Mr. Snowden has attended any one of the Renaissance

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Artist assessment: Jacqueline Collen-Tarrolly?
We want to hear your view. Write now!