(Red Riding Hood, all images copyright Terri Windling)

“Fairy tales have much to say on the subjects of heroism and transformation; about how one finds the courage to fight and prevail against overwhelming odds. They are tales of children abandoned in the woods; of daughters handed poisoned apples; of sons forced to betray their siblings; of men and women struck down by wolves or imprisoned in windowless towers. Such tales were passed down through the generations by word of mouth, woman to woman, mother to child”using archetypes as a mirror held to daily life . . . particularly the lives of those without clear avenues of social power. Why do we continue to be enspelled by fairy tales, after all these centuries? Why do we continue to tell the same old tales, over and over again? Because we all have encountered wicked wolves, faced trial by fire, found fairy godmothers. We have all set off into unknown woods at one point in life or another.”

~Terry Windling, Women and Fairy Tales

(Rapunzel)

A Renaissance Man (or Homo Universalis) is a common term that refers to a person who excels in many fields of work and knowledge. If that is the case, then Terri Windling is a true Renaissance Woman. Essayist, editor, author, and artist…Terri Windling has excelled in and left her indelible mark on all of these areas. Her influence on the worlds of fantastic fiction, which includes all the areas we are exploring in the Once Upon a Time Challenge, cannot be understated. She is a woman whose very life is an exploration of themes we are all embracing with this challenge and I am thrilled to be bringing you her work as today’s Friday Favorite.

(Tea Time)

This Friday Favorite is a little unusual, in that I want to share with you as much or more about Terri Windling herself as I want to tell you what I love about her paintings and drawings. So I’ll do both, and I hope you come away from this experience just a little bit awed by this amazing woman.

(Bird Girls)

If the name Terri Windling is not familar to you, it certainly will be as you explore the realm of fantastic fiction. As I mentioned earlier, Terri’s influence on this realm of fiction cannot be understated. Author Jane Yolen has said,

“If there is a single person at the nexus of fantasy literature . . .
it is Terri Windling as editor, as writer, as painter, as muse.”

And this is true. As an editor for both Ace and Tor books, Terri Windling had a major hand in the mythic fiction (a term she coined with author Charles De Lint) revival that started in the early 1980s. She has had a hand in publishing many of those who are considered masters in the realm of mythic fiction today: Charles de Lint, Emma Bull, Jane Yolen, Sheri S. Tepper, Patricia C. Wrede…in fact, the list of authors who have benefited from her marvelous editorial work is quite large and includes favorites of mine like Patricia A. McKillip, Neil Gaiman, Charles Vess, Holly Black…the list goes on and on.

(Green Woman and Child)

In fact, she has published over 40 books, many along with fellow editor Ellen Datlow, including the well known anthologies: Years Best Fantasy and Horror, for the past 20 years, no less, The Faerie Reel: Tales from the Twilight Realm, The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest, the Snow White, Blood Red series, and many others.

(Kimberley Fairies)

There is little doubt that Terri Windling has been on the forefront of the movement to bring mythic fiction to adults, knowing just how rich with history and life altering knowledge these tales can be.

(Nap Time)

In addition to her prolific, ongoing editing career, Terri Windling has authored books of her own, including The Wood Wife, for which she won the 1997 Mythopoeic Award for Best Novel. Terri Windling has also won seven World Fantasy Awards and the Bram Stoker Award.

(Book Fairies)

Terri Windling shines in every creative area that she has put her hand to. One of my personal favorites is her essays, many of which can be found here. It was through her essays that I first experienced Terri Windling’s gift for writing and over the years I have done my best to point friends towards these essays. One of the ones I enjoyed the most is J.M. Barrie and Peter Pan. I had the good fortune of coming across this article a few days before Finding Neverland opened in theatres. It gave me a perspective on author J.M. Barrie that I would not have had going into the film and it made the whole experience of that very wonderful film much, much more rewarding. In fact it is an article I sent around to friends and family to read both before and after they saw the film because I believe it is that powerful. Terry Windling’s essays are well worth the time to read and I would highly encourage you to read one or two a week during the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Your lives will be enriched by the experience, I guarantee it.

(Cactus Nesting Fairy)

“And what about her art?”, you may ask. Well, its fantastic, isn’t it? Actually, it is more than that and one of the many things that I admire about her. At the height of her editing career Terri Windling took a chance. She left her full-time editing job to pursue her own artistic and creative endeavors. That took courage, a courage that I believe is a true inspiration for those who desire to express themselves creatively. Thankfully for those of us who are fantasy readers, Terri Windling has continued to do free-lance editing as we are not deprived of those talents in addition to her artistic ones.

(Rabbit Girls)

I would hope she would be okay with the comparison, but Terri Windling’s art reminds me of the work of Beatrix Potter. Not as a direct comparison, mind you, but in the sense of nostalgia that it gives me when I look at it. First glances at Terri Windling’s paintings always bring to mind images of the Book Mobile that used to visit our country school, a traveling library that was chock-full of many wonderful Beatrix Potter volumes.

(Rabbit Girls 2)

There is a touch of whimsy and magic in her work, especially her drawings, which excite me and fuels my desire to read the kind of work we are exploring in our reading challenge. Terri Windling’s art makes makes me smile, makes my heart glad. At the same time there are pieces of her work which evoke a deep sense of melancholy. Some of her work evokes thoughts of spring, others thoughts of fall and winter. Whether intentional or not, Terri Windling’s work conjures up the mood and the spirit of the seasons which, for me, gives it a very sensual quality (and I mean that in the ‘of or pertaining to the senses’ definition).

(Fairy Duster)

Perhaps it is the color palette, or the bunnies, or a combination of those with the spirit of rebirth that I sense in her work, but I found it blissfully serendipitous that I chose to feature the work of Terri Windling on Easter Weekend. It is a holiday that is synomymous with spring time and new life and Terri Windling’s work, both artistically and in the realm of literature, speaks to those same themes.

(Cuddle Bunnies)

I thoroughly enjoy her painting, collage work, and her drawings, but I believe it is her drawings/sketches that I marvel at the most. There is a deftness of touch and an airy quality to them that I really admire. I find that I am even more impressed with artists whose sketches are works of art in themselves than those who excel in one medium, but not others. Terri Windling’s sketches are wonderful!

For those of you who have been gracious enough to peruse my Friday Favorites for awhile now, you know just how much I like seeing the work spaces of artists. Perhaps it is the voyeur in me, but I love to see the spaces that inspire and give birth to the many works of art that I admire. Thus I was thrilled to find a picture of Terri Windling in her work space:

I am always fascinated by people who seem to be in the center of the pool of artists, authors, etc. that I like. Terri Windling is one such person and her life and work have touched many of us who embrace the mythic fiction genre, whether we knew it previously or not. I admire her for so many reasons, not the least of which is her part in the founding of Endicott Studio. In the next few days I will expand upon this post about Terri Windling by exploring Endicott Studio and its influence on my life and its inspiration for the Once Upon a Time Challenge.

That post will also see our first giveaways of this challenge! 🙂

I have barely touched the surface of who Terri Windling is and what her contributions to fantastic literature have been. To learn more about her, I suggest visits to:

A mini biography

An in-depth interview

An introduction to her art work (oddly enough titled: Once Upon a Time)

and check out more of her artwork here and here and here.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone!

(Bunny Troupe)