These images pop into it unannounced. Sometimes that's fine as it could be an image of a red deer dressed up as Father Christmas for example. But other times it can all be a bit disconcerting. The idea of The Dream Thief popped into my head when I was walking back from shopping in town. I then lay awake at night while she was gradually being created in my head and I could visualise how she would look. Then I started drawing her. My pictures often change a bit from the image I have in mind once they start to appear on paper. Originally she had cloven hooves but once I'd sketched her out they didn't really suit. The rest of her looked too elegant for hooves. Maybe that will end up in another painting. Also in my head she was all blues and purples and icy but as I drew her, her head dress looked more like antlers or tree branches so that dictated the colours.
I don't really have all the posh arty words for my work, I just paint and draw what I see whether it's real life or a fantasy image from my head. But either way these images appear and my brain won't let me sleep until I've at least sketched them out. I do love seeing my pictures come to life but it's quite a slow process from the original idea to a pencil sketch, a pen sketch, watercolour washes, gouache highlights and finally pen detail.
When she first appeared in my brain I didn't really know who she was, but as she slowly came to life I felt certain that she stole dreams. Her long legs mean she can reach into any window to steal your dreams and hoard them for herself. I think she keeps them on a shelf and gloats over them while we toss and turn at night unable to sleep as our dreams have been stolen. That would be a bleak world with no dreams and hopes. Maybe she steals our hopes too!
