Rumpelstiltskin

"I'm always interested in capturing that magical moment in fairy tales when a transformation takes place and this is the moment when it literally happens, when the straw is turned to gold. So that's the moment I have painted, paying special attention to the look and light on the character's faces.

"This one is fun for a different reason than some of my other paintings in that I was able to concentrate equally on the look of my fantasy character and human character. They are both lit by the golden light, but the title character is closer and, besides, he's the one who is actually creating the gold while the miller's daughter is reacting to it. Sometimes I think I have his expression on my face whenever a painting truly comes together!"