I'm an artist, illustrator, writer and some day I hope to become a film maker as well. These are the four major things which keep me busy. Besides these I always run 'little projects' such as story-telling, making dolls and jewelry.Furthermore I like to visit old churches, graveyards, libraries, botanical gardens, local farm markets where you can find all sorts of delicious food and I am very fond of puppet theatres and campfire stories.
For those who are interested in all the projects I have worked, or I am currently working on I advice you to take a look at my resume.
As most of you probably know I also run my own shop at several places on internet such as, Etsy and Dawanda. Here you can find a selection of my latest art-works and shadow-puppets which are for sale, but if you wish to see all my (older) work you should visit my website.
Currently a new section is added at my shop: Art with a story.
This section is al about my art and love for folklore. All works which you can find here are depicting scenes from legends, myths or historical events which are connected with folklore in some way. For those who share the same love and are interested in the prints I sell it might be nice knowing that all prints are accompanied by the story behind the drawing.
Why this section? Why this blog?, you might ask....
Because this is what I love, this is what keeps me busy whole day long, this is in a way my life. Though I also like to make drawings of images which are not related with folklore but come from my own imagination, I just seem to be drawn to the subject of folklore every time. There is not a single day in my life I am not reading in some book about myths and legends and many times a year I visit archives to search for local, historical events related to folklore. I spend many days in libraries as well, seeking for that one special story and when I'm on a holiday I can't help ending up at a place where a statue of some witch or knight stands flaunting with her tale and so I end up doing research again.
All of this I do while an old record player plays the folk song collection of Alan Lomax in the background.
I guess when you read so many stories and listen to this many songs, the urge to illustrate all of these things comes automatically. I would love to explain why I love this subject so much, but I find it hard as I am driven by pure emotion. Maybe I'm attracted because these stories are as old as mankind which gives me a feeling of being connected with the past. Maybe because it makes me understand human desires, frustrations, hope and love and in this way learn to understand myself. Maybe because I am seeking for a way to escape reality every once in a while, like many of us do when they read a good book. But I know for certain that I am mainly attracted to these stories because of there pure beauty. No literary work has the attraction or beauty of oral tradition. Simply because a writer is constantly busy with writing a good story, having a strong plot and making beautiful sentences.
In legends all of these things don't matter they are purely coming from the heart of the narrator, or in case of music the singer. They reflect their emotions, being it fear or happiness. These stories are not only his story but the story of the people, of a country, of mankind and therefore so much bigger and greater.
And perhaps I am also still young at heart, longing for a rabbit hole which leads me to wonderland.....
It is my mission to share these marvelous stories with people and to keep these legends and songs alive in my works of art, as a drawing, book, article or a film production. As long as these legends don't get lost.
So come and follow me on this great adventure and I will tell you all I have heard.
Yours Truly,
Isabella
