I'd never heard of these little guys until I started researching for this project. Living in Northern Italy they haven't made it into very many English books about Faeries. I think it's kind of odd that Faeries/nature Spirits can be found in virtually every culture in the world yet most of the books are full of those that come from Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany and the British Isles. Perhaps it has something to do with the literature of these lands and the many writers from these places who have kept the stories alive. But it's also good to see today's writers searching farther afield and bringing the stories and the creatures from other cultures to wider attention. I'm a big fan of 'Urban Fantasy' and love the novels of Charles de Lint and Neil Gaiman in particular, some of which feature Native American folklore and raise the interesting issue of how the Faerie Folk cope with human immigration as their histories and stories are transported around the world.
As you can probably tell, I don't have a lot to say about Norggen that I haven't put in the pages of the book, having only brief details to work from, but what I can say it that I really enjoyed painting him in his smart little jacket and hat. I'd been beginning to feel a bit bogged down with the last few letters, taking so long to decide which creatures to depict, getting side-tracked by other projects and really not feeling 'in the right mood' to paint but I'm pleased with the way he worked out...
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| © Shona M MacDonald 2012. All Rights Reserved |
my sister lives in Italy, towards the northern part, i think i might need to warn her ;-)
ReplyDeletethis is wonderful, as can be. I had never heard of or met a Norggen.
bogged down can happen for so many reasons, with any project. wishing you grace with all you wish to experience and accomplish.
Thank you Tammie. I've realised over the years that my painting goes through 'phases' of intense work on something for a few weeks followed by a lull where I just can't seem to get going again. Fortunately, having recognised this cycle, I can usually work around it by having several different things on the go at once.
DeleteAnd yes, I think your sister may need to lock her doors at the full moon :D