Art Hop, St. Francis, and a Wolf

Hello Dear Friends of Bluebird Fairies,

Oh, Art Hop was a dream! I love those days of prepping the studio, filling it with life and sparkle — and then getting to meet so many of you in person. Thank you to everyone who stopped by (or thought about stopping by!). I heard the sweetest stories of how the fairies have nestled into your lives — as mantras, companions, and tiny agents of joy.

Lately, I’ve had wolves on my mind — maybe because my friend Christopher is on another St. Francis pilgrimage in Italy. Last time, he carried nine St. Francis fairies to share with fellow travelers. This year, we translated eleven of them into Italian (since he’s walking through a very remote region). Two new fairies joined the deck — one for the rugged landscape, and one for the town of Gubbio itself, where St. Francis famously befriended the wolf. (click here to find the fairies in our store)

Christopher does everything as a collaboration, so I’m happy to say that my friend Damiano and Christopher’s friend Francesco helped with the translation from English to Italian. We even added Damiano’s birds to the backs of the Italian fairy cards — a beautiful finishing touch.

The story goes that the wolf, old and hungry, had been attacking the townspeople. St. Francis spoke with him, learned his truth, and brokered peace — the people fed the wolf, and in return, he left them in peace. They lived that way for two years until the wolf passed away, much loved by the town. Gubbio is celebrating the 800th anniversary of that story this year!

Of course, we all have our own “wolves” — the fears within and around us. This year, I also shared my Demons series in the studio and invited visitors to draw their own. The results were amazing! You can see them here.

I’ll be doing more of these workshops soon — exploring how we meet our inner wolves and transform them through art.

Oh, on we go!

Be well, and I’ll be in touch soon.

Emily & the Bluebird Fairies

p.s. a New style of Fairy Art is still on in the Innovation Center on Lakeside avenue. Five pieces are in the western entrance and two pieces are still available for purchase. Click here to see one and here to see the other.