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Throughout the coming months FaerieCon will be making announcements for our featured guest artists and authors. Please check back at this page for updates!
2008 was an amazing year at FaerieCon, featuring a gathering of Faerie artists like none other. Below are listing of all of our featured guests from FaerieCon 2008. This is an outstanding group of talented people, and the photos below also link to their sites, so please visit their personal sites as well and get to know their work!.
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ALAN LEE |
BRIAN FROUD |
WENDY FROUD |
HOLLY BLACK |
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JESSICA GALBRETH |
LINDA RAVENSCROFT |
KINUKO CRAFT |
MICHAEL HAGUE |
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CHARLES VESS |
JASMINE BECKETT-GRIFFITH |
CAITLIN MATTHEWS |
JOHN MATTHEWS |
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ARI BERK |
HELENA NELSON-REED |
RUTH SANDERSON |
WENDY PINI |
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MICHAEL BUCKLEY |
PAUL BORDA |
DIANA ZIMMERMAN |
JEN DELYTH |
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LISA STEINKE |
JOHN CURTIS CRAWFORD |
BRIDGET WOLFE |
J. CORSENTINO |
For over thirty years, international best selling artist, author and film designer Brian Froud has been recognized as an authority on faeries and faery lore and is the artistic inspiration for The Faerieworlds Festival. His significant accomplishments span a wide variety of media: The multi-million selling book, FAERIES created with fantasy and Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee is considered a modern classic. His conceptual design work with Jim Henson on the classic feature films THE DARK CRYSTAL, LABYRINTH and other Henson projects set new standards for design, puppeteering and animatronics in film, are landmarks in the evolution of modern day special effects and continue to attract an international cult following. His published works include the best selling LADY COTTINGTON’S PRESSED FAIRY BOOK, GOOD FAERIES / BAD FAERIES, LADY COTTINGTON’S PRESSED FAIRY ALBUM, and THE RUNES OF ELFLAND, GOBLINS and LADY COTTINGTON’S PRESSED FAIRY LETTERS with author and folklorist Ari Berk.
Wendy Froud worked as sculptor and puppet builder for Jim Henson for many years, primarily on the films THE DARK CRYSTAL for which she sculpted “Jen” and “Kira”, LABYRINTH and THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK for which she sculpted “Yoda”. Other work for Jim Henson included THE MUPPET SHOW and THE MUPPET MOVIE. Wendy has also made puppets for use in television commercials. With author Terri Windling, she created three books illustrated by tableaus of her dolls, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S FAERIE TALE, THE WINTER CHILD and THE FAERIES OF SPRING COTTAGE. Wendy’s dolls and figures are highly sought after and are in many prestigious collections around the world. www.worldoffroud.com
2008 FEATURED AUTHORS & ARTISTS
Ari Berk is a folklorist, poet, visual artist, and scholar of literature, iconography, and comparative myth. Deeply dedicated to interdisciplinary writing, teaching, and research, Dr. Berk holds degrees in Ancient History (B.A.), American Indian Studies (M.A.), and Comparative Literature and Culture (Ph.D.). Professor of English at Central Michigan University, he teaches courses in mythology, folklore, American Indian studies, and medieval literature, and is the editor of Realms of Fantasy magazine’s Folkroots section. Dr. Berk also sits on the board of directors of the Mythic Imagination Institute. He is the author (with internationally known artist Brian Froud) of the books The Runes of Elfland, Goblins! and Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Letters. His latest books are Coyote Speaks — Wonders of the Native American World, and The Secret History of Giants. He now lives in Michigan with his wife and son.
"Jasmine Becket-Griffith is a talented young artist who paints... vivid, exquisitely colored paintings...Specializing in fairies with occasional excursions into various spiritual/mythological traditions (I've seen paintings based on Polynesian, Mayan, Hindu and Greek themes so far) as well as some of the darker aspects of childhood bedtime tales. All her work is subtly connected by an overlaying gothic feel that adds depth and additional dimension to all she does drawing her audience irresistibly into her magical realm. Jasmine has definitely sparked the imagination of many and has attracted a varied and ever growing audience to her artwork."-From Amazon.com. For more visit strangeling.com
Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, was published in 2002 by Simon & Schuster. Tithe was called "dark, edgy, beautifully written and compulsively readable" by Booklist, received starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, and was included in the American Library Association's Best Books for Young Adults. Holly has since written two other books in the same universe, Valiant (2005), and the sequel to Tithe, Ironside (2007). Valiant was recorded as an unabridged audiobook by Renee Raudman for Listening Library, was a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award for Young Readers and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature.
Holly collaborated with her long-time friend, Caldecott award winning artist, Tony DiTerlizzi, to create the bestselling Spiderwick Chronicles. The first two books, The Field Guide and The Seeing Stone were released together in 2003 by Simon & Schuster, with the next three, Lucinda's Secret (2003), The Ironwood Tree (2004) and The Wrath of Mulgarath (2004), following in rapid succession. The Wrath of Mulgarath climbed to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. The five-book serial has been called "vintage Victorian fantasy" by the New York Post and Time Magazine reported that "the books wallow in their dusty Olde Worlde charm." The chapter books were recorded as an audiobook by Mark Hamill for Listening Library. The lavishly illustrated Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to The Fantastical World Around You (2005), The Notebook for Fantastical Observations (2005), and Care and Feeding of Sprites (2006) expanded the Spiderwick universe. To date, the books have been translated into 32 languages. Three more Spiderwick chapter books are planned, with the first one expected to be released in Fall of 2007.
The Spiderwick Chronicles were adapted into a film by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with Nickelodeon Films. Released in February 2008, the film stars Freddie Highmore and Sarah Bolger, with Mark Waters as the director.Holly has also been a frequent contributor to anthologies, including The Faery Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm (2004), Young Warriors: Stories of Strength (2005), Coyote Road (2007), 21 Proms (2007), The Restless Dead (2007), So Fey (2007), and Villains (2008).
Paul Borda is the artistic hand behind the magical products offered internationally by Dryad Design, Ltd. Most of his designs begin as wood carvings and are reproduced as statues or interpreted into jewelry, t-shirts and other items. The world of Faery is an integral part of his everyday life. Some of his closest friends are members of the unseen realms. He lives with the love of his life, a cadre of faeries and his beloved dog in the wild foothills of Vermont’s Green Mountains. For more visit dryaddesign.com.
Michael Buckley’s Grimm future began at birth in Akron, Ohio. He attended Ohio University where he worked on the school newspaper, hosted his own live television talk show and formed a comedy troupe. After graduating with honors he moved to New York City to find his fortune, but instead found work as a pasta maker, hamburger flipper, personal assistant, stand-up comic, and even a singer in a punk rock band. Eventually he found work in television production and in his ten year career he has developed programming for MTV, MTV Animation, Discovery Networks and Klasky Csupo (producers of Nickelodeon's Rugrats), focusing heavily on children’s programming. The Sisters Grimm series is Michael’s first venture into the world of children’s book writing. Michael lives in New York City with his wife Alison and their dog, Daisy. For more visit: www.sistersgrimm.com
Joseph Corsentino has always been attracted to science fiction and fantasy. Born in Bogota, Columbia in August 1978 and immediately adopted by a Long Island, American-Italian family, Joseph's bi-cultural background gave him an amazing imagination. Joseph spent his youth creating videos, writing, and studying temporal theories. After years of study in photography, Joseph began work of "Time of the Faeries" project, a project inspired by many of the people he knew growing up, which merged his photographic talents with his deep interest in fantasy. His take on the faerie lore is based on urban myths, our current political climate, and the spirits who carry on none the less. While beautiful, it contains his vision of the chaos and tragedy that is present in a fading, counter culture.For more visit timeofthefaeries.com
Kinuko Y. Craft considers her self a story teller. She is one of the most widely respected and well known fantasy artists in the United States today. Her narrative art has included paintings for the book covers of many well known fantasy authors, opera posters, fairy tale books and covers for many national magazines. During her career she has become known for meticulous attention to detail, a passionate love of fine art and a deep knowledge of art history. Her fairy tale books are currently distributed in the USA, other English language countries, Europe, Greece, China and Korea. Her work has been widely exhibited and is now in private collections in New York City, Atlanta GA, Santa Barbara CA, Dallas TX, Connecticut, San Francisco CA, Italy, Japan and Greece. For more visit kycraft.com
John Curtis Crawford is a maker of magical things from puppets to elaborate sculptures of wood and stone. Beginning as a puppeteer at age 12, his lifetime of work in the arts and entertainment industry has encompassed many disciplines. He has designed and constructed fantastical creatures and miniature habitats for stage, television, commercials, and feature motion pictures. His work has won numerous awards including one from the Cannes Film Festival for Special Effects. John’s early training as a puppeteer honed his innate gift of bringing inanimate objects to life; his love of the natural world and of wild places led him through mystical doorways and his creations are the outgrowth of that marriage. His unique sculptural technique animates his mystical and whimsical wood and stone structures. His sculptures and graphic images call forth the “intelligent energy” inhabiting every twig and stone and bring the wild places of the Otherworld to life in his work. For more visit fairywoodland.com
Welsh artist and author Jen Delyth is one of the most highly respected contemporary Celtic artists in the world. A self-taught artist, for the last 20 years she has been creating original Celtic paintings and illustrations which illuminate the beauty, power and spirit of nature expressed through the ancient language of Celtic art, myth and symbol. Her new book and animation film Celtic Folk-Soul takes us on a journey of discovery, following an ancient thread which weaves back through art, myth and poetry, connecting us to a complex mysticism that expresses the interconnection and balance of all things. Jen Delyth's original Celtic artwork has been widely published and exhibited in North America, and back in her native Wales and in Europe. Published works include cover art for magazines and books, and the popular "Celtic Mandala" calendar and journals, and"Celtic Folk-Soul" greeting cards and book. Jen created her successful business Keltic Designs in 1990, to produce quality textiles including clothing and fine art tapestries which feature her original designs. Her body of work spans an array of media including traditional egg tempera painting, oil painting, printmaking, textile design as well as digital illustration and multimedia animation.
Jen's new illustrated book "Celtic Folk Soul, Art, Myth & Symbol" is a retrospective of her artwork and writing, weaving together stunning images of ancient Celtic themes and archetypes with truly innovative and insightful commentary about the guiding spirits of the traditions. Her Celtic art film, a series of Celtic Animations collaged with Celtic poetry and music is also available as "Beyond the Ninth Wave" interactive DVD. For more visit www.kelticdesigns.com and www.celticfolksoul.com
Mythic fantasy artist Jessica Galbreth crafts her original works of art mostly with watercolors, pen and ink, but at times also utilizes an airbrush and acrylic for certain effects. Jessica's work is available in numerous formats, from prints to greeting cards to calendars and books to collectible figurines and ceramics produced from leading manufacturers throughout the world. With distribution of her art and inspired products reaching as far as Australia, the United Kingdom and Japan, Jessica has truly become a world-renown artist. She is perhaps most celebrated for her ability to capture the haunting and often mysterious beauty of goddesses and faeries from mythology. Each of her visions brought to life on paper have a personality of their own, and often evoke strong feelings in those who view them. Some of her faeries are elegant, sweet and wistful, while others are defiant, dark and powerful. For more visit enchanted-art.com
Michael Hague is one of America's foremost illustrators. He is perhaps best known for his series of children's classics, which includes such favorites as The Wind in the Willows, The Velveteen Rabbit, Mother Goose, The Secret Garden, Peter Pan, the Hobbit, the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and more. He is also the creator of "The Book of Faeries", "The Book of Pirates, and "The Book of Dragons" amongst others. He is renowned for the intricate and realistic detail he brings to his work, and the rich colors he chooses. More information is available at www.michaelhague.com.
John & Caitlín Matthews are respected initiators in the Shamanic, Celtic and Arthurian traditions, and have opened many doors to a reappreciation of the mythic heritage of the Western World. They are the authors of over 90 books. John's best-loved works are The Celtic Shaman, King Arthur and The Winter Solstice. Caitlin's books include The Da Vinci Enigma Tarot, Celtic Devotional, and Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom, Bride of God.
They are the joint authors of Walkers Between Worlds, The Element Encyclopaedia of Magical Creatures, and The Arthurian Tarot. They have also written several children's books on myth. Their books have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, German, Czech, Dutch, Hebrew, Portuguese, Danish, Korean, Japanese, Finish and Russian.The material in their books is based upon practical knowledge, which they teach worldwide. Together they have pioneered the shamanic use of the vatic and spiritual elements within ancestral and Celtic traditions.
The Matthews are co-founders of The Foundation of Inspirational and Oracular Studies. They have made numerous appearances on TV in the United Kingdom and the US, and have been advisors on several TV series. John was recently the historical advisor to the Hollywood blockbuster King Arthur. They live in Oxford where Caitlín has a shamanic practice dedicated to midwifing the soul.For more visit hallowquest.org.uk
Born in San Francisco in 1951, Wendy began exhibiting her artwork at sci-fi conventions in the mid '60s, garnering awards and recognition. In 1972 she married Richard Pini and in 1974 began her professional career as an illustrator for magazines such as “Galaxy" and "Worlds of If" and various publishers including Marvel, First Comics, Comico, Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated and DC Comics. She created two critically acclaimed graphic novels based on the hit TV series "Beauty and the Beast" and supplied text and illustrations for “Law and Chaos,” an art book inspired by the writings of Michael Moorcock.
In 1978 Wendy and Richard co-founded Warp Graphics and a deeply personal project, ELFQUEST, was born. The first ongoing graphic novel series with a high fantasy theme, ELFQUEST became an international hit attracting an unprecedented male and female audience of all ages. 2008 marks ELFQUEST’S 30th anniversary and millions of related comics, graphic novels, books, calendars and other merchandise have been sold worldwide. Warner Bros. has optioned ELFQUEST as a major motion picture with director and longtime ELFQUEST fan Rawson Thurber. Wendy’s newest graphic novel, MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH VOLUME ONE, a darkly adult sci-fi/horror adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s famous short story is published in October. For more visit: www.elfquest.com
Helena Nelson - Reed is an American visionary artist specializing in luminous watercolor and fine art illustration. Published works include cover art for magazines, and books, and imagery portrayed in the ‘Call of the Goddess’ calendar, card, Native American Spirit, and Visions of the Shaman cards Her primary focus is the portrayal of archetypal imagery, exploring the collective consciousness evident in fairytale, myth, and shamanism as well as personal dreams and experiences. Rendered in technique most often described as ephemeral and unique, Nelson – Reed’s paintings are lovingly created in extraordinary detail, pushing the medium of watercolor and dream past the usual limits.
For more visit fine-art-studios.com
Linda Ravenscroft is a British fantasy watercolorist whose workis internationally acclaimed. Her delicately detailed and vibrantfaeries can be found on jig saw puzzles, T-shirts, cards and many other licensed products. In addition, she offers prints and originalpaintings to her customers through her on-line web gallery. Like so many of the artists featured here, Linda has been painting fantasy imagery since she was a child. She finds it as a way toescape the mundane and sometimes terrible "real world". For more visit lindaravenscroft.com
One of the most popular and prolific children’s book illustrators of our time, Ruth Sanderson grew up in Monson, Massachusetts in an old house surrounded by woodland that became rich inspiration for her blooming artistic imagination as did a nearby abandoned amusement park. Her lifelong love of horses began at this time. She received her art training at the Paier School of Art in Hampden, CT, an exceptional school that taught traditional drawing and painting techniques. Ruth has illustrated 72 books and written and illustrate 12 books. She has exhibited in museums nationally and won numerous awards including The Society of Illustrators Awards, the National Science Teachers Award for Five Nests,the Young Hoosier Award for The Enchanted Wood, the Irma S. Black Award for The Enchanted Wood and the Texas Bluebonnet Award for The Golden Mare, The Firebird, and the Magic Ring. Ruth lives in Easthampton, Massachuselts. For more visit: www.ruthsanderson.com
Through her unique vision, enchanting art and inspirational writing, Lisa Steinke visually embodies the spirit of possibility and self-healing. A freelance artist since 1987, Lisa's work found its fullest expression in images of faeries that she explored in a wide variety of media and physical scale. Recently, Lisa felt it was no longer enough to just paint the faeries: they were insisting on being heard. With her company, The Faerie Gathering, Lisa creates a spectrum of artwork and merchandise for a worldwide market that combines inspirational images of faeries with motivational words that are informed by her own relationship and experiences with faerie. Lisa lives with her husband, Michael and two daughters, Cloe and Rachel, in Roxborough Park, CO. For more visit thefaeriegathering.com
The renown mythic artwork of Charles Vess has been featured in gallery and museum exhibitions across the nation, including the first major exhibition of Science Fiction and Fantasy Art. His award-winning work has also graced the pages of numerous comic books, with publishers such as Marvel, DC, Darkhorse and Epic. In 1991, Charles shared the prestigious World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story with Neil Gaiman for their collaboration on Sandman #19 - the first and only time a comic book has held this honor. Over the last 15 years Charles has continued to produce evocative works that have earned him various awards and his work has graced numerous books. In 2007, Stardust, the bestselling book created by Charles Vess and Neil Gaiman will be released worldwide as a feature film starring Robert Deniro, Michelle Pfeiffer and Claire Danes. For more visit GreenManPress.com
BRIDGET WOLFE is a teacher, writer, myth keeper, and storyteller, weaving stories whispered by winds and Fairy wings into the fabric of everyday lives. Her relationship with the mystical world began as a child and she has spent almost 30 years studying shamanism’s maps of the Otherworld. She has blended the teachings of medicine wheels and sacred ritual together with MA degrees in English and Clinical Psychology to create ceremonial retreats and rites of passage and has guided learning journeys to sacred sites in the Americas, England, and Ireland. Bridget’s forays into the Otherworld have found expression through her love of language, first as an oral storyteller and more recently as a writer of mystical tales. In her collaboration with John Curtis Crawford, she has written fairy tale vignettes for more than 500 of John’s fairy house sculptures; her first book, The Thirteenth Moon: Fairies in the Doorway, is in process. For more visit fairywoodland.com
Diana’s role in the performing arts and the business world transcends the ordinary. She has been a performer and businesswoman since the age of eight when she invested all of her resources into a small magic trick that became the wellspring for a spectacular 25-year career as "America's Foremost Lady Magician.” She starred in her own television show, toured internationally and created, starred and staged Las Vegas style magic and music revues. Diana invented magic illusions for David Copperfield and Lance Burton, and is a highly respected lecturer, writer, and teacher in the world of magic. She sponsors a young magician's group at Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle—an organization Diana founded in 1974 with the help of legendary actor, Cary Grant. Currently, Diana is CEO of CMS Communications, Intl.—an international marketing communications agency whose clients include many of the Fortune 500.
A lifetime lover of faery and an avid collector of faery art, Diana's collection is one of the largest in the world and includes bronzes, porcelains, paintings, books, and etchings ranging from the mid 1700s to contemporary works. Kandide: The Secret of the Mists is the first of three novels inspired by her childhood memories of the faery stories and the painting, "Frost" by Australian faery artist Maxine Gadd which now graces the cover of Kandide and her color paintings illuminate the book's interior. Diana resides in Los Angeles. For more visit: www.kandide.com
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