Meet the Fairies - The enchanting fairy images based on real children

For all the images that come my way as a map and print dealer its so often the little things that capture the attention and these delightful prints always get the thumbs up.  They are simply captivating with both adults and children.

At this time of year I always tend to post more of these images in my online shops as often people like to pick them up as small gifts for loved ones.  Just yesterday I had a lady in Italy purchase a dozen or so from me online.  You're not going to need to re-mortgage the house to buy these little gems and the market is full of later reproductions if thats all you want. The originals however seem to have something about them, almost a sense of 'time gone by' as the original coloured lithographs tend to warm with age.

First published in 1923 by Cicely Mary Barker the drawings were not only botanically accurate but also the fairy images were based on real children from Cicely's sister's nursery school. Originally accompanied by a poem or verse dedicated to the individual Flower Fairy the charming characters and detailed artwork have also been translated into fiction for young readers as well as the New York Times bestselling Fairyopolis series.

Cicely Mary Barker worked principally in watercolour with pen-and-ink, but she was equally competent in black-and-white, in oils, and in pastels. She carried a sketchbook with her for capturing interesting children. She once indicated, "I have always tried to paint instinctively in a way that comes naturally to me, without any real thought or attention to artistic theories"

Well I'm still enchanted by the fairies and as my sister often says to me "You're as old as your shoe size" lets face it growing up is so overrated!

Stay young and stay enchanted!   

​You can see more flower fairies over in my etsy shop HERE.