Goldilocks and the Three Bearskins
Gouache, 7.7 x 7.7 inches, 2004.
This picture went through a number of transformations in my head, until it got onto paper, by which time Goldilocks had grown from a child to a sort of ‘femme fatale’ figure. I wanted a view through the window to the right, and eventually in the garden a set of beehives developed - the suitability of honey with porridge, and the famous enthusiasm, too, of bears for honey were probably the initial inspiration of the idea of Goldilocks as beekeeper, but the strong sexual undertones that were also developing almost lent this picture the title of ‘The Bears and the Bees’. There is also something of a fetish element in this painting which is enhanced by the sandals and fur, which is why I included this painting in my 'Fetish' selection in the gallery.
'Goldilocks and the Three Bearskins'
Interestingly, when I looked briefly at the development of Goldilocks as a character, I found that she wasn’t originally a child at all. Apparently she may have been an old lady, or a more anthropomorphic version has her as a female fox. At some point later she became a child, and the name also changed, being ‘Silverhair’ in an earlier version.