POPPIES

"All across the meadows, many poppies blossomed, and they were so hypnotic and brilliant in colour they nearly dazzled Dorothy's eyes. "Aren't they beautiful?" the girl asked her companions, as she breathed in the spicy scent of the big, bright flowers."

– The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum.

As children we all imagine climbing through the back of our wardrobes into Narnia, falling down a rabbit hole into Wonderland, or getting swept up by a hurricane and landing with a giant thump in Oz.
Dorothy and her companions have long been a source of wonder to me. It wasn’t enough to create one interpretation of this gang, I had to dive in again – this time into a giant field of poppies.

”As she walked on her eyes grew very heavy, and soon she felt she must sit down to rest and to even sleep.”
– The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum.

Like Dorothy, I also found myself stepping out of black and white and into a world of full colour! It was a completely different way of working for me - and I enjoyed it so much.
(I’ve dabbled with client work previously, but never took the leap in my own work until now.)

In a nod to the Dorothy of L. Frank Baum, her shoes are not the shimmering ruby slippers we’ve come to know and love, but heels in the original silver - courtesy Prada, complete with blue bow!
Fun Fact: Dorothy’s shoes were changed to the famous ruby slippers in order to show off the brand new technicolour film for the 1938 release.
I also chose to focus only on the Cowardly Lion and Dorothy as those familiar with the story will know that the Tin Man and Scarecrow weren’t affected by the poisonous poppies - not being 100% human/animal/vegetable/mineral - and carry the two out of the fields before they fall asleep forever.

These sleepy beauties are my first new print of 2019 - just sneaking in before the end of the year.
As mentioned previously, my print shop is changing and from now on print releases will be a little more limited and available in one size/edition only.
So with that I give you the latest offering: “Poppies” is available in an edition of 20 prints only - in a lovely large A2 size - the best way to appreciate all of those tiny poppies in detail!
To purchase a print visit the shop here: www.birdyandme.com/shop
(For a sneaky pre-Christmas 10% discount use code: XMAS19)

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BEAUTY & THE BEAST

It's come to the point in my fairy tale collection where I've started saving the best for last.
While it's so hard for me to play favourites, as so many different stories appeal to me for different reasons, 'Beauty and the Beast' is one of those stories that just gives me butterflies.
Admittedly, it's a tale that I never connected with until I saw the Disney adaptation in 1992. Prior to that, I think I had seen an 80s soap-style version that starred Linda Hamilton – which didn't exactly grip me. Of course, we can never forget Shelley Duvall's 'Faerie Tale Theatre.'
However, from the very first moment I laid eyes on that shiny, big screen and listened to a host of villagers sing 'Bonjour!' to each other I was hooked. I still vividly remember turning to my Mum half-way through 'Be Our Guest' and requesting we 'buy this on video as SOON as it comes out!'
It was love.
Over the past 25 (gulp!) years I have devoured other editions of the story - most notably the French live-action film starring Léa Seydoux as Belle and Vincent Cassell as the Beast.
This version is much more in keeping with the original tale and I highly recommend watching it. It's visually stunning.
I also have to make mention of Disney's current live-action remake. I admit - I've already seen it three times. On first viewing I wasn't sure what I thought of it, having already seen (and loved) such a high quality live-action version of the story, but also being so familiar with the original 1992 version.
However, on subsequent viewings, I was able to take it in without any pre–conceived ideas and just enjoy it for what it was.

I digress! Back to the illustration. I started my interpretation of this story almost a year ago!
I had some initial ideas of how I wanted to capture it in illustrated format, but I kept putting it off, wanting the idea to have time to grow if needed - and I was never entirely happy with what I was doing. To try to encapsulate such a delicately beautiful and layered story into just one image is not as easy as it sounds. There are so many themes within 'Beauty and the Beast' - not just the love story between Belle and the Beast, but also those of jealousy, greed, materialism and the superficial manner in which we can judge each other. There was also the symbolic nature of the rose.
Some interpretations of the original tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve are quite grotesque. Others are beautiful, and opulent. I think we all tend to associate fairy tales with the fantasy of royalty and beauty. However, they always hark back to darker roots; stories created to scare children into making good moral choices. Which is why it can be so hard to truly depict each story.
But, strip it all back and no matter which way you look at it, this story is ultimately about love; lost, platonic, coveted, and deep, true love. Which is why I decided to focus my illustration on the enigmatic rose at the heart of the story - with a side of couture as always.
Depending on which version you want to read into, the rose symbolises the Beast's love for his previous wife; his grief and guilt at her death which was (inadvertently) caused by his own callous and beastly nature, but also the love that Belle's father feels for his daughter, as it is this rose that he plucks from the Beast's garden to give to Belle when he returns home. A rose is what Belle covets most, when all of her sisters crave jewels and finery. In the Disney version, the rose is a physical reminder of the Beast's curse, representing the time he has in which to break the curse that befalls him, before the last petal falls.
One of my favourite parts of researching this tale was seeing how their relationship is depicted in different variations of the story. I wanted to focus on the progression of their relationship, and in doing so fell back into the original tale. Belle, having taken the place of her father, sits down to an opulent dinner with the Beast each night. After every meal he asks her to marry him, a proposal she refuses. However, gradually, as she begins to know him, and to feel empathy and gratitude toward him for the kindness that he shows to her, she starts to see his true character beneath the beastly guise, and falls in love with him.
Chic as ever, dressed in Chanel-inspired lace, Belle and a Versace-clad Beast are ensconced inside the glass cloche, standing amongst opulent candelabras and the peony roses that represent their budding love affair.

The latest in the collection, 'Beauty and the Beast,' is available in my store now in limited A3 + A2 editions until sold out.

SHOP HERE: www.birdyandme.com.au/shop

CINDERELLA

The latest in my fairy tale series, and perhaps one of the most widely treasured - 'Cinderella'!

For so many of us, 'Cinderella' (told by the Brothers Grimm and, perhaps most famously, Charles Perrault) is synonymous with Walt Disney's classic animated film. Along with 'Snow White' it was one of the studio's very first in a long line of fairy tales.
We're so familiar with that 'Bibbity Bobbity Boo' scene, the stunning score, and that beautiful scenery (envisioned by the wonderful concept art of Mary Blair).

While Disney's version is so vivid in our memories, I wanted to focus less on the ball and the Prince, and more on Cinderella herself.
Of course those shoes makes a precious cameo, but it's all about that glorious gown and the transformation from rags to ravishing beauty. The birds and mice are getting her dressed and she's just about to throw that god-damned broom away.
In true fashionista style, our Cinderella proves that sometimes all it takes to improve your day is a killer pair of heels and a beautiful dress! Sure, you might have to sweep a few floors, but you'll feel pretty darn good doing it.

'Cinderella' is available now in a limited edition of 40 A3 prints, and 15 A2 prints, in my store here:
www.birdyandme.bigcartel.com
I hope I've done her justice!

THUMBELINA

I can't describe how inspired I was by last week's visit to the Viktor & Rolf exhibit at the NGV in Melbourne.
One gown in particular struck a huge cord with me, along with this quote the boys had left on the wall at the exit;
"We design clothes that look like they were made by the birds in Cinderella."
UM, YES!
I feel like this idea encapsulates everything that is so whimsical and beautiful about fashion - and, in particular, Haute Couture.
These gowns are less about wearability and so much more about the fantasy of a character or mood, lending themselves so beautifully to that sort of suspension of disbelief we adopt when we read our favourite fairy tales. Which is exactly what I'm trying to achieve with this series of work.

Currently working my way through my favourite childhood stories, that quote paired with the stunning ribbon gown from
Viktor & Rolf's 2005 'Flowerbomb' collection really resonated when it came to my next effort - 'Thumbelina.'
It's probably quite clear to everyone how much the story and concept of 'Thumbelina' influences my work - just in my approach to scale, alone!
So, when tackling my illustrated version of this little lady I wanted to bring her into the world of fashion and have her 'mother' be a Parisien dressmaker; one who would create a gown for her from scraps of fabric and off-cuts from the floor.
Of course this particular gown was unbelievably fitting to my idea and as soon as I saw it in the exhibition I knew it was The One.
The mouse is also a nod to one of my childhood heroes, Beatrix Potter. After all, the mice in the building would no doubt help Thumbelina's mother stitch this beautiful gown!

I think this has to be my new favourite of the series <3

See more 'Thumbelina' inspiration below: