The Elvis of Fairy Artists

Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored!" They're immortal. They're bored. Invite them to your next chic soiree!

Oh by damn, there's the Mister Softee guy again. BE STRONG, ANNE!

Okay. Woman of steel, don'tcha know.

Those of you who are into faerie art will recognize this handsome fellow immediately. The wackadoo woman with him is surely bound for a long stay in a ward presided over by Nurse Ratchet.

Seriously, I got to meet Brian Froud! He is the Elvis Presley of faerie paintings and sketches. He signed my book on the page that has the faerie who used to be my childhood friend. We even chatted about these types of guardian faeries. (He has one too.) He got a kick out of my costume (pictured above, inspired by one of his paintings). He also LOLed when I told him I dragged a Froud print to the house paint store so that I could match my bedroom wall paint to it.

I didn't bother him with the significant fact that a signed and numbered Brian Froud print of Queen Brighid the Bright hangs above my altar to same (QBTB, not BF). It's the first thing you see when you come into my double-wide.

The poor guy was so dead tired, and he did at least two more signings Sunday afternoon, and still people got turned away. I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time to get my favorite little Froud faerie embellished by Froud.

You may ask how Anne got lucky when other faerie fans were thwarted in their desire to meet the master?

Suddenly my two worlds collided. That's how.

As I strolled through the streets of Philadelphia dressed as above (true dat!), I happened upon a harvest festival at Reading Terminal Market. The festival had a bluegrass band. And it was a gorgeous day, too pretty to be inside a stuffy convention hall that still reeks of the 2000 Republican National Convention. So I watched the bluegrass band for a whole set, and the pickers loved it.

There's nothing quite like clogging in a wimple and bodice, with a wreath of leaves on your head.

This unexpected detour led me to the Faerie Con late. And when I bought my copy of The Secret Sketchbook of Brian Froud, I asked when his next signing would be. The lady told me she thought he might stop by the booth for a minute or two. And he did, and I met him, and it's all because I like bluegrass.

My pal Bibi was there, and she snapped the photo above. If you look closely you can see Puck (dark blue) and Princess hanging from my headpiece.

Now picture me riding mass transit in that gear. I did.

Mountain music makes you free, and faeries make you immortal. Not a bad combination, all in all.