Gossamer Glen

Gossamer Glen
by Melanie C. Jordan

I.mag: You were raised on faerie stories, fairytales and folklore. Do you remember your favorite story and how that story inspired you to sculpt faeries? Around how old were you? Who read you the story?

G.G: “Up the airy mountain, Down the rushy glen, We daren’t go a-hunting, For fear of little men…”- excerpt from ”The Fairies” by William Allingham
My Irish aunt would read this poem to me again and again…at my insistence, of course! This was just one of the many enchanting poems that she always read to me. From my earliest recollection, she read stories and poems by Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson, Eugene Field, Edward Lear and even William Shakespeare. They filled my imagination with fantastical images and fueled my passion for all things wondrous and magical. Those early poems started my kinship with the faerie realm, but the book “Little Witch” by Anna Elizabeth Bennett was the one that captured me completely. I believe I was around 7 years old when I read it. The images that were created in my mind’s eye were so vivid that they are still with me to this day. I lost track of that book for many years, but now, a copy resides in the child size, antique roll top desk that I use as a night stand. Once a year, I curl up in bed with a mug of hot tea and read it for renewed inspiration.

I.mag: 1996 you sculpted your first faerie. What was the name of your first faerie? Do you still have him/her? If yes, where did you place it? If no, where is it? (If sold it) do you regret selling your first master piece?
G.G: Ah…my first faerie! She didn’t have a name, but she was a Faerie of Starlight. And absolutely, I do still have her! She sits on my sculpting table and oversees the empire that she started! She also reminds me how far I’ve come. I actually didn’t sell any faeries until 2003. I have never regretted selling any of the faeries. They are meant to fly and spread joy and magic wherever they go. They are not meant to be contained.

I.mag: You said,” You were often disenchanted by not being able to find faeries that fit your vision of what faeries looked like”. Please explain find.
G.G: Back in 1996, I was unaware of the treasures of the Internet and its access to other artists who were creating unique one of kind faeries. The faeries that I found, or saw, in the mass produced marketplace were not my vision. They were small human replicas, such as little girls or centerfold type women, with wings. No matter how beautiful they may have been, without the wings, they were simply little girls or nude women. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it just wasn’t a faerie to me. My view is that faeries are not human. They are magical beings from another realm. So that is what inspired me to buy some clay and create my vision. I honestly only intended to sculpt one in order to satisfy this need, but once the portal was opened, the faeries just kept coming!

I.mag: You stated,” When I’m sculpting, I get totally lost in it. Often, I’m not even aware of what I’m creating. I don’t try to control the outcome. The faeries have the creative control”. As an artist myself I know exactly what you mean by that statement. However many people don’t understand the depth of this gift that is given. Can you give a brief example so others can understand this magical journey that you were gifted with?

G.G: This was the most difficult question for me. It’s like trying to describe love. My short answer would be “No…I really can’t because I’m not sure I understand it myself!” But for you, I’ll try. I think this quote sums it up best…

“True imagination is not fanciful daydreaming; it is fire from heaven.” – Ernest Holmes

I know, as an artist yourself, that you understand this experience and the truth of this quote. It’s a magical journey, indeed! I am consumed by “fire from heaven;” swept away by the universal flow of creativity; caught in the current of creation. It’s a very organic experience, somewhat like meditating. It’s very freeing for me. It’s my passion, my bliss and sometimes my therapy! I never feel calmer or in tune with myself and the world around me than when I’m creating. I feel positive, creative energy focused at my fingertips, flowing into each creation. I never try to control the outcome. And that’s why I never actually know what they will look like in advance. I just let the energy flow until it forms the next faerie. I’m really just the tool in this process. Simply put, I’m a faerie transport system! A vehicle, or channel for the creative source to deliver the faeries from their realm to ours. This magical journey and creative source is available to everyone. You just have to be open and allow it flow through you. It’s always looking for another portal and another gift to bring forth!

I.mag: I think I know the answer to this; however I want to hear it from you. Do you believe that fairy tales can come true?

G.G: Actually, I don’t believe that fairy tales can come true…I believe that fairy tales DO come true! Every moment of every day is filled with magic and miracles and fairy tales coming true.

Gossamer Glen, Enchanting Designs for Faerie Fanciers

Original One of a Kind Faerie Creations
www.gossamerglen.com

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