May 2003
Annette Hassell
Studio City, CA
circe3@earthlink.net
Artist's Statement:
I've always wanted to be an illustrator. As a small child, I fell in love with the classic illustrators of children stories such as Rackham, Detmold, Dulac and Tenniel. I knew that I would grow up to illustrate all those wonderful, magical stories.But then, as I grew older, I decided that the only thing logically for me to do would be to work for Disney. I was and still am enchanted by the beautifully rendered backgrounds of Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan. But that didn't happen.
So now I tell my own stories and illustrate my own concepts through my paintings. I call them "Animated Still Lifes" and I try to infuse them with personality, mood, atmosphere and meaning.
I think that I'm succeeding because the very same painting will invoke very different reactions in different people. The reactions range from an amused, warm and fondly nostalgic feeling to a feeling of unease or vaguely remembered childhood fear, just like those wonderful magical stories from my childhood.
