ONE OF A KIND… (OOAK) collectible hand-painted stone, knee-deep in plant medicine, pixie dust, and woodland secrets.
I HAVE ALWAYS… been enchanted by magical creatures – whether they be fairies, pixies, gnomes, goblins, unicorns, or mermaids. But it’s the kind said to dwell in rural gardens and urban parks that truly capture my imagination, as well as those who might be found in overgrown meadows, country woods, thick forests, or along steep, scraggy mountainsides.
AS A CHILD… I would stay up late, as close to midnight as I could manage, to creep out into the garden with my brother reluctantly in tow – a sleepy accomplice. We would dance, pyjama-clad, around the toadstool circle that somehow existed on our otherwise manicured lawn, where even daisies were forbidden access. Chanting poems and singing rhymes, we hoped that, one night, though it never had before, a magic portal would appear. I imagined a hand-written invite materialising in the air, permitting us entry to a staircase leading deep into the earth, where a world of fae folk would be revealed to us.
I DREAMED ABOUT… this place. I read books about fantasy lands and convinced myself they were real. I believed realms of magic and wonder existed, if only I could open my mind up wide enough to the possibility. And as I grew older and stopped validating the things that once gave my childhood its sense of wonder, a small part of me still clung to hope. I stayed optimistic that inexplicable magic might yet appear in my life – if only I kept my eyes open and my heart observant.
THERE HAS ALWAYS… been this hollow inside of me; a space that feels forsaken, forgotten, outcast. A part that longs to be elsewhere – not on this earth, this planet. Only I cannot remember where it came from, or why this feeling is there in the first place. Maybe I’m being fantastical? Maybe it’s a delusion or simply a desire to escape from a world that feels too solid, too violent, too unkind – a world that grates against my softer edges, making them retreat or cry out. Magical realms and creatures offer an alternative – a world that feels alive with mystery, rawness, and untamed beauty. A sacred space. I yearn for that, more so now than ever. If there were a button to press – a way to swap timelines or escape to another world – I would struggle not to press it, repeatedly.
SO I PAINT… and draw the world as I wish it could be. And mostly my art is about all that is sparkly, magical, and beautiful. I leave the darkness for others to explore – at least for today.
MAGIC MUSHROOMS AND PIXIE DUST
Beneath the shade of crimson caps,
where whispers curl in forest gaps,
the air hums soft with secrets old,
of hidden paths and tales retold.
The toadstools rise like fairy thrones,
a world alive in moss and stones.
Each stem a bridge, each spore a light,
to guide the lost through velvet night.
And in the glow of twilight’s gleam,
a land unfolds, half-truth, half-dream.
where pixie dust and starlight meet,
and magic stirs beneath your feet.
Would you dare to step inside,
to find the place where dreams reside?
A mushroom’s glow, a woodland spark,
to light the way through shadows dark.
👉🏻 WHERE DO YOU… feel pulled or called?
👉🏻 IS THERE… a part of your spirit or soul that feels empty or missing?
👉🏻 WHEN YOU… imagine magical lands, what do they look like?
👉🏻 IF THERE… was a portal in your home, would you answer the call to adventure?
👆🏻 I HOPE YOU… find as much pleasure from gazing into this stone as I did in painting it.
👆🏻 INSPIRED BY: the enchantment of nature, the timeless allure of magical realms, and the longing for a world brimming with colour, curiosity, and wonder.
DIMENSIONS:
• Pebble: 6 x 5.5.cm; 2.4 x 2.2in
• Baby toadstool: 3.5 x 2.5cm; 1.4 x 1in
MATERIALS:
• Posca Paint Pens
• Baker Ross Multi-Purpose Acrylic Craft Varnish
• Super Glue (to attach the baby toadstool)
PLEASE NOTE: this is not a toy, it is delicate, it is meant for ornamental purposes only. If you do happen to drop or accidentally scrape or chip it, you may revarnish it with a thin layer of clear gloss varnish, making sure to allow significant time for it to properly dry. If you get it covered in dirt, grime or drool, you may gently wipe or rinse it. Deeper damage may require touching up the image with paint pens and then revarnishing. Rest assured, most minor incidents can be rescued, but the responsibility lies with you.
🔒 © Rebecca L. Atherton | All Rights Reserved, 2024.