So today I am posting a piece that literally took me years to finish. I started in 2008 and finally got around to finishing it late last year. I suppose that is a cautionary tale about the dangers of putting a project down.

Actually, this piece was inspired by a fairy tale I found in a book when I was doing a series of fairy tale illustrations. The tale goes something like this. A poor peasant makes a deal with a odd stranger and pledges his future child. Eventually the stranger returns and the son is taken away and made prince of a distant land. He is given wonderful gifts, one of which is a magic sword. When the sword bearer shouts “head’s off” the sword works it’s magic and pops the heads off of the intended persons the way a kindergartener pops the head off a dandelion. At some point the prince decides that he’d like to return home. He is informed that while he can keep his magic gifts, once he leaves he can never return. And so he returns home to his parents who are shocked by his appearance. Once he sees that his parents are still okay he decides to return to his land across the sea. The prince arrives to find he is treated as a stranger, even his wife, the princess no longer recognizes him. So in an odd, fairy tale turn the prince storms the castle, magic sword in hand. He shout’s “head’s off” as the guards swarm him and make his way to the throne room. There, the royal family is waiting for him. He again shouts “head’s off” and installs himself as king. THE END.

How could I NOT do an illustration of that story, it was so deliciously odd, it made for a fun challenge.

If anyone would like the story I referenced I will happily point them to it.

~Greg