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www.oakvillebeaver.com Artscene Oakville Beaver · FRIDAY, JULY 7, 2006 TREE R E M O VA L with this ad 25% OFF 905.334.1374 OVER 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE!!! 22 Keeping alive the magic of fairies By Krissie Rutherford OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Fairies are taking over Sovereign House. Midsummer Magic 2006, an exhibition of fairy paintings, prints and paper dolls by local artist Frances Tyrrell, opens tomorrow at the historical site on West River Street. "The fairy world is just a daydream away," said Tyrrell, who is displaying works she created for the two latest editions of The Illustrated Fairy Gazette, a tiny magazine for fairy-lovers created by her mom, Avril. "We care about the fairy world and we want it to look as real as possible," Frances said of her works, some of which took more than a week to finish. "They're romantic and delicate and have a certain glow. It's as if the people in the picture are just about to take off." A fine arts grad from the University of Western Ontario, Frances is also the illustrator of eight children's books, including The Huron Carol and Woodland Christmas, which were short-listed for the Governor General's Award. Original illustrations from one of her recent books, Kate's Castle, will also be included in the show. But the fairy world, Frances says, "is a whole other world by itself," and one she's been interested in since her mom started reading her old fairy tales when she was growing up. "It's that romantic loveliness of things that I really like," said Frances, quoting the fairy motto: "Goodness, beauty and truth." A couple of years ago, Avril began writing her own fairy stories, and gave them to Frances to illustrate. That was the beginning of The Illustrated Fairy Gazette, which discusses fairy clothing, home décor, offers advice columns and more. "I was brought up on fairytales, as all my generation were. Then as you grow up, you put all the childish stuff away," said Avril. "But then I started wondering, if there really were fairies, where did they go, and what did they do?" Those are the questions The Illustrated Fairy Gazette seeks to answer. As it turns out, Avril and Frances weren't the only ones thinking about fairies. "You never know who's going to turn out to be a fairy person," said Frances, smiling. "It might be the girl who's all dressed in Goth, it might be the retired person sitting on the bench watching people walk by." In fact, June 24 was International Fairy Day ­ there's actually quite a fairy following all over the world. "It's anybody," Avril added of the fairy audience. "Surprisingly, it's often men, too." The age of those interested in fairies ranges, too. They have seven-year-old subscribers, and 97-year-old subscribers. "I think the need is there ­ in children, and in adults," said Avril. "Particularly today, people really are looking for something nice to happen. People are hoping there's a better place out there." They've had orders for their magazine from universities, lawyers, and fairy fans from all over the world, including England and Scotland. "Once you start talking to people about fairies, it's amazing," said Avril. "There's all these stories and legends." Frances, who dreams up most of her fairy characters, draws inspiration from those legends, and also from her garden, the faces of children she knows, places she's visited and more. "It's a combination of my interior and exterior worlds," she said of the fairy world she creates, which she calls "both elegant and ethical." It's a world Avril says is very similar to ours. "They do everything that you do, except they do it fairily," she said, smiling. Midsummer Magic 2006 runs Saturdays July 8 and 15, Sundays July 9 and 16 and Wednesdays July 12 and 19 from 1 ­ 4 p.m. at Sovereign House, 7 West River St. Refreshments will be served Sunday from 1 ­ 4 p.m. For more on Frances Tyrrell, The Fairy Gazette and her other work, visit www.francestyrrell.com -- Krissie Rutherford can be reached at krutherford@oakvillebeaver.com. LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER FAIRY TALES: Frances Tyrrell, with her dog Tippy, sits in her garden with one of her paintings and prints that will be featured in Midsummer Magic 2006, an exhibition of fairy paintings and prints opening at Sovereign House on Saturday. For all your landscape needs visit us at 2082 Queensway Dr.