It's that time of year again when the lovely folks over at The House of Illustration (champions of fine illustration) & the Folio Society (purveyors of fine books) run a competition to illustrate a new title. This year the chosen book was Angela Carters, The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. A selection of short stories based upon classic fairytales but more 'grown up' versions basically more blood, violence and sex. This presented an awesome topic to illustrate, after much procrastination I finally finished my entries today and *drum roll* here they are. Wish me luck!!
THE BLOODY CHAMBER
You never saw a wild thing as my mother, her hat seized by the winds and blown out to sea so that her hair was her white mane, her black lisle legs exposed to the thigh, her skirts tucked round her waist, one hand on the reins of the rearing horse while the other clasped my fathers service revolver and, behind her the breakers of the savage, indifferent sea, like the witnesses of a furious justice.
PUSS IN BOOTS
A-hunting we shall go! Loyal to the last I play catch as catch can with Tab's dead rats, giving the dying coup de grace and baying with resonant vigour to drown the extravagant screeches that break forth from that (who would have suspected?) more passionate woman as she comes off in fine style. (Full marks, Master.)
THE COMPANY OF WOLVES
What big arms you have.
All the better to hug you with.
Every wolf howled a prothalamion outside the window as she freely gave the kiss she owed him.
What big teeth you have.