Trolls Original Cut Paper Illustration

Titled "Waiting for the Sun to Set" sized 15 x 11 inches.

As any good troll lore-keeper knows, in the daytime these creatures turn to stone and await the return of night when they awaken again. Here you see two such trolls, moss-covered with a circle of mushrooms popping up around them as a warning to passersby.

Inspired by my 2019 trip to Iceland for an artist's retreat where our group was led to different scenery with a history of magic and folklore, I added another challenge to this project: not painting any new papers (except for the sunset background). That is what brought about the incredibly intricate individual grasses. I also tried out a new technique, with the troll shapes made from paper mâché I shaped to their form.

Framed in a handmade shadowbox, charred and sealed to create the deep black coloring, and finished with Museum-quality glass. This protects the artwork from fading with UV-protection while being entirely clear so the colors can appear and stay bright and protected for years to come.