Enchanted Forest at the Rawlings Conservatory in Baltimore's Druid Hill Park

"King of Enchanted Forest" oil on canvas (24" x 18")

This year's show at the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens is inspired by the historic  Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City where "the fairy tale continues happily ever after" according to the web site.  The show will surround fanciful characters from the nursery rhymes and fairy tales with thousands of tulips, daffodils and more. Working in collaboration with my friend Martha Clark and her Clark's Elioak Farm, current home to many of the original Enchanted Forest's collection of buildings and characters, this year's display will bring back memories of whales, kings, castles and more.


It seems now is the time to write about my beloved Enchanted Forest and my paintings the papier-mâché fairyland inspired. I have been invited to be a part of the celebration and spring fund raiser for this hidden treasure of Baltimore. Prints and paintings of my Enchanted Forest series will be on exhibition for show and sale from March 22 until April 7, 2013.

I'll be at the celebration on Friday, March 22 from 6 - 8 p.m. with my artwork. Hope you can join us for this magical evening inside one of Baltimore's most important landmarks located in Druid Hill Park.

Meanwhile I want to share with everyone here my series of eight paintings and stories of Enchanted Forest.

"Dragon Serenade" oil on canvas (18" x 24") 2002

Papier-mâché storybook characters, designed by the late Howard Adler, virtually came to life with the aid of mechanical devices, voice recordings and a big dose of imagination. I met Mr. Adler one day in 1988 while I was painting my papier-mâché artwork in a store window. He was kind and had a great sense of humor. For me it was like meeting a movie star. I was indeed star struck that day.

"The King's Behind" oil on board (20" x 30") 2002

Hoping to entice motorists on Route 40 West, cheerful gingerbread men accompanied the  king of the Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City, MD

"Gingerbread Cottage" oil on board (18" x 24") 2002

Many birthdays, including my seventh, were celebrated in the gingerbread house adorned with bright red cherries and dollops of pink marshmallow.  After a treat of  celebratory ice cream and cake, children slid outdoors through the glowing witches’ oven to join Hansel and Gretel.

"Cinderella's Mice" oil on canvas (18" x 24") 2003

This pumpkin ride came along after my childhood.  Cinderella might have approved of passengers riding the on the backs of the mice.  It appears that they probably rode past Snow White’s cottage at some point, too.  One wonders how these two fairy tale divas would have gotten along if they had crossed paths.

"Mother Goose Ride" oil on board (18" x 24") 2003

The rides were not necessary for me during my visits. There was so much fantasizing to be done on foot that I had no need to ride.  But I saw lots of happy families riding in the Mother Goose train in my day. They did not seem to notice that her engine had a loud, unmuffled putt-putt noise.  It did not seem like a sound a goose would ever make. I wanted her to quack, instead.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel" oil on canvas (24" x 18" 2002

 Visitors entered the castle where poor Rapunzel, perched in her turret, was following the witches’ instructions to let down her hair. She stayed out there in all kinds of weather, too. Her braids were sun bleached towards the end of her time.

"Phoning Rapunzel" oil on canvas (16" x 12") 2005

This was the last painting I did in the series. It features my friend Chris Anne from first grade and her brother Kevin in the 1950's. She is speaking to Rapunzel from the phone booth. You just have to adore the crown Chris Anne is wearing. The Three Bears' House is in the background.

Ellicott City No. 9 Streetcar

The number 9 streetcar which turned around in Ellicott City, MD has a long history with great, big expectations that were never met. From what I have briefly read, there were plans to connect the line with Washington, D.C. But the top of the hill in Ellicott City was the end of the line for old number 9. The turnaround here in my painting was located on Main Street next to the old fire station on the corner of what is now called Ellicott Mills Drive. At the end of its life there was but one car on the line which outbound riders boarded near the Catonsville Junction on Edmondson Avenue. If you were heading home from downtown you had to transfer from the Number 8 or 14 and wait for the one and only car to return through the woods of Oella. Riders talk about standing in the cold at night waiting for the car. In winter when the trees were bare they could see the one headlight on the car as it slowly zigzagged toward them from miles away. Every night after the car finished its daily service the operator had to securely lock the car to the tracks. This was to prevent energetic teenagers from taking it on joy rides as they had in the past. Now I do not condone this sort of behavior but what a wild ride that must have been for the teens....operating a streetcar minus the supervision of adults. It might be like your very own amusement park ride....but as I said not a good use of Baltimore Transit Company property.