This is a very different interpretation of Cinderella based initially on Aschenputtel (Cinderella) written by the Brothers Grimm. It is a much, much darker version - awful in places, even for me! What we all know and love from the Disney version is so far from the reality here it is scary.

This piece is a classic example where I build a secondary narrative into the piece that then takes over and consumes the image, albeit it making it much more beautiful. There is no fairy godmother - instead a pear tree that grew on Cinderella’s dead mothers grave whilst birds flocked together as one to destroy the ugly sisters in a way you would not think possible.

So this piece runs in line with the overriding concept that pushes Cinderella into that coach and that gets her to the ballroom to ultimately be rescued by her Prince yet it represents so much more, to me and hopefully to others who can find affiliation to the concept.

The doves, an incredibly poignant detail throughout my work, come together when one simply isn’t enough in the hope that working together they can make the difference as they desperately try to help the person who has fallen, who sees no way out, before it is too far gone. A beautiful title for a beautiful act, good will win out if the shoe fits, and it does in this case, perfectly.

The hope was to create a piece that makes you change your opinion on the girl out of view, we can be so quick to judge and dismiss. I try to encourage a closer look, for clues that create empathy towards the young woman. Is she a monster, or is she the victim of the cards that she has been dealt?

So for this piece entitled ‘Fear Is How I Fall’ it sets a scene that can either be the prequel, or sequel depending on how you view it. Have you walked into her room before her downfall, where you notice the contributing factors starting to blow in from the world outside? Or are we actually in fact seeing her after being rescued once again by her Prince who simply could not walk away like others who had already done so.

If you favour the latter you will notice that cracks remain, clouding the clear. Do her phantoms still stand tall behind her? Her wounds, they will not heal. The title ‘Fear Is How I Fall’ suggests fragility, bringing with it empathy. There’s something inside her that pulls beneath the surface, consuming, confusing.

This is a classic example of how I strive to show the proximity that darkness resides to light, where one can so easily fall back yet equally walk clear. Will good win out? Will she live happily ever after? I really hope so!

The challenge for this piece was deciding what would be best fitting, to embrace the beautiful sunlight that shines through 100 Acre Wood or to stand in the shadows of the Heffalumps and Woozles. If I’m honest, it’s a pretty even split as there is so much within the original narrative and the theories behind the characters that lends itself to a very intense and complex piece. However, at the time of planning this scene the sun was shining through the studio window and the clouds had cleared within my mind so what we see is an image that embraces everything that is enchanting and uplifting, created to make you feel comforted and nostalgic.

New works will feature modern-day references to link to the world that we live within and seek to escape from when we reminisce, acting as a stark contrast and helping to relay my narrative. This is showcased within the scene in front of you as you look out across the stunning East Sussex landscape. A table is being set for afternoon tea, but for whose benefit? Look at the details that surround the bench, is this simply a case of parent playing out their child’s fantasy or rather their own? Maybe their love for the story still takes up so much space in their heart? Has obsession won through and the only friends dining are those still cherished from childhood? Sometimes the smallest things take the most room.

As a father experiencing the pressures that come with having a beautiful daughter racing towards her teens, it is becoming increasingly evident just how the world we look back to in seek of comfort is so completely different to the one that we reside within. This piece reflects that, it’s a tale of contrasts, darkness and light yet represented in a different way. The scene acknowledges the change from how we used to read the stories by A.A Milne as children to how ours often now do. Does that mean that the screen dilutes the scene? Probably not, is there a case for pixels actually creating a much more engaging and immersive experience for the young mind? Possibly.

My aim, as with so much of my work is to create interaction between characters, to convey emotion. What I strive to achieve is creating an image that isn’t static, where what you see now is different to the one that I created a moment before. A stark iPad left in the grass soon attracts the attention of a woodland rabbit, or two ladybirds become acquainted… It is very much what you can’t see that is as important as what you can, that is where your imagination is awakened.

As the process of creating these pieces evolves over a good number of days they can often end up very different to what was initially intended as my mindset may change, even for that short moment. I will be honest, with this piece I had to fight the urge to mutate the concept and inject another level to the narrative based around the modern-day gadgets but out of respect for all of those who adore Winnie and friends I chose not to. It’s still there, I’m just not going to tell you!

So many know and love the characters for their ‘Disneyfied’ feel and I can see why, however further embracing the contrasts I have chosen to show the original toys that Christopher Robin owned as a child that inspired his father to create his masterpieces. They are beautiful and show their age and personality so well. Christopher actually lost Roo in an Appleyard back then so exists in the modern state, sat next to Kanga this reinforces the concept.

It’s amazing what happens when there is tea and honey, everyone and everything joins in. What’s with the random black bear cub and swan? You won’t find these within the Disney store yet these are two fundamental animals that without them things would be very different. Pooh bear was actually inspired by both, Winnie being a Canadian bear cub that Christopher Robin saw in a London Zoo and changed his teddy bear from Edward to Winnie. As for Pooh? Well, originally Pooh was a swan, a different character entirely!

I hope you enjoy this piece and it keeps you looking towards the sun.

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