Deadlines, deadlines. Charles certainly has ‘em. He’s at the drawing board now, so here is The Wife typing a post. The website has been down and there is a month of news to summarize and post, but that will have to wait another day (sorry).
TODAY is the release of the “Stardust” DVD so we wanted to let you know. It’s yet another wonderful gift item for friends and family! Some friends of ours are having a special Stardust Release Party for us, with food, drink and a state-of-the-art entertainment center - we are quite excited.
Also, if you are lucky enough to live in a town that has a Borders Bookstore, you can get an exclusive version that includes a booklet of Charles’ art with the DVD. Only at Borders, though. Otherwise any Target, Walmart, B&N, or movie store worth their salt should have it.
Cheers!
Karen
I spent last weekend at FaerieCon, three splendid days, filled to the brim with lovely people, lively conversations and art of the fantastic in every size, shape and kind. I was hosted, wined and dined by Kim and Mary (and Mike too, of course!), two living and very real Queens of the May who produce Faerie Magazine and introduced to the lovely Be and Drew of ‘I Do Believe’ in the UK, all of them passionate advocates of the practical benefits of art and magic in all of our lives. As the days ran too quickly forward I discovered a large and ever-growing population of similarly passionate people who dance under the fairy hills every day of their lives. I felt very much at home amongst a tribe of people that shared so many of the aesthetic sensibilities that I myself value. Brian and Wendy Froud made for excellent hosts of the event and the gathering of other artists, performers and writers was amazing to say the least: Linda Ravenscroft, Delia Sherman, Ellen Kushner, Michael Hague, Holly Black, John and Caitlin Matthews, Ari Berk, Josephine Wall, Jessica Galbreth and my new extended family just goes on and on.
A very big thank you goes out to Robert, Emilio and Kelly for putting in all the enormous amount of hard work that it takes to organize an event like this. I will be there next year for sure.
That’s me with Jo Wall and Linda Ravenscroft (Hello sweetie!) just in front of the Faerie Magazine booth.
All that fae energy certainly helped to make the four-square gray convention walls that surrounded us disappear from time to time. Least you think that events like this only happen once a year they don’t. All over the country and the the UK they are springing up more and more often. The Faerieworld Festivals in Portland are going very strong and I’m planning to sit down at the May Day Faerie festival held each spring (for the last 15 years) at the Spoutwood Farm in Glenn Rock PA over the May day weekend next year.
www.fairiefestival.net
See you all there,
Charles
After a quick 5-day trip to Seattle, then a few short, quiet days at home, Karen and I headed over to London and the UK for a week full of old friends, art and surreal events, like the European premiere of Stardust. We’re finally back home but have no idea what time zone our bodies are still in. However, I did want you to know that the premiere was pretty outrageous compared to LA with the public very much a part of the premiere night. Lights were dancing out front of the Odeon in Leiceister Square and the carpet walkway was green! Flashbulbs popped from both sides of a long line of media on our right as well from a huge crowd of fans filling the square on the left. Mobs of people were screaming and holding out booklets from behind a fence for autographs (of the more famous people). Acting more like ‘deer caught in the proverbial headlights’ than invited guests, we were not at all prepared for such a boisterous and excited public. Neil did much better. Everyone inside was as bubbly as the champagne.
If you’d like to see more photos from the gala here’s the link:
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=21183
We almost walked away without any photos of our resplendent selves but at the last minute our host in London, Jim Young, took a shot of us with his cellphone. So here we are with friends Terri Winding and Howard Gayton outside the theatre (sorry about the quality). With the magic of Photoshop I have inserted the UK version of the Stardust poster behind us. It uses a great tag line that I wish had been applied to the movie in the States: “A Fairy Tale That Won’t Behave.”
Later this week I’ll be heading up the road to Faerie-Con International in Philadelphia, PA.
http://www.faeriecon.com
Brian and Wendy Froud, who we just spent a delightful dinner with in their very special home in southwestern England, will be the GOH at the Festival. But Kinuko Y. Craft, John and Caitlin Matthews, Holly Black, Michael Hague and many more artists and writers will also be there so I expect there to be quite a few interesting conversations to say the least.
Come on down…
In the meantime, Karen wrote an article about me and “Stardust” for a slick regional magazine that is now posted on-line. This doesn’t have any of the wonderfully laid out art and photos they ran, perhaps you can order a hard copy if you’d like to see that. You can view the story at:
http://www.marqueemagazine.com/read/features/
Cheers,
Charles
Well, better late than never! I just wanted to remind everyone that my exhibition of paintings from Stardust is closing on Sunday (Sept. 9) so if you live in the area or are just passing through, you only have a few more days to see 35 of my original illustrations from the book. Plus Neil’s hand written manuscript and my concept sketches as well as a replica of my working space. Not to mention the giant, fairy laden tree or a life size bronze figure of Puck. All of this is located at the William King Regional Art Center in Abingdon VA.
http://www.wkrac.org/
Also, that Saturday (Sept. 8) the William King and Kim Cross of Faerie Magazine (with indispensible help from the amazing Pat Jessee) will be hosting a Fairy Market on the grounds of the museum with food and gift vendors, live music, face painting, a costume contest, book and poster signings by your truely and a special apearance by Silverbell the unicorn. Come one! Come all!
Then on the following Monday (Sept. 10) I’ll be in Asheville NC for a book signing with my great friend and brilliant writer, Charles de Lint. We’ll be at one of the best independent bookstores anywhere, Malaprops
http://www.malaprops.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp?s=storeevents&eventId=352147
from 7 pm on. Come by and say hello, okay?
Enjoy,
Charles
Lordy, my back can really tell that I’ve spent the last several days (weeks) chained up in my studio struggling to finish my illustrations for the ‘Blueberry Girl’ picture book. But I am finished! I can now answer e-mails, pick up the phone, maybe even venture outside into the rather sweltering late summer air of southwestern Virginia. Neil’s poem is quite beautiful and I had to go a few extra miles to live up to his words. I still need to hand letter the book but right now I’m going to relax…
Enjoy!
Charles
