A word on the myth of the Fae, taken from www.ancientspiral.com at http://www.ancientspiral.com/faerie1.htm :

The Beginning

In the United Kingdom, faerie legend mainly began in Celtic Scotland, Ireland and Southwest England, with its roots leading back to Paganism. The peoples of ancient Ireland were split into two races; the visible race (Celts) and the invisible race (Faeries or Sidhe). In Irish legend the Tuatha de Danann branch of the spirit race, or Sidhe ("shee"), were forced to take refuge from the Milesian people to the land of Tir na nog (Land of Eternal Youth), a place few mortals escape from alive. In fact, the Tuatha de Danann knights were said to be giant in size, but over the course of time, legend has dwindled them into diminutive beings, but with huge power and beauty. Finvarra, king of the Sidhe and thought to be King of the Dead too, still holds court in his palace, Tara, in the Hill of Knockma, the Tuatha de Danann world."

This painting was started as a sort of tribute to the inspirational gothic Fairy art created by Jasmine Becket-Griffith, of course painting here with my own psychotic contemporary cubist twist. However, I painted in studio listening to Mozart's "Requiem" and visited the cemetary where my uncle, who was like a father to me, is buried. So the piece took on another meaning to me as I painted it and the symbolism of farewell and death to my dear Uncle crept into the composition although the painting was begun in a different, almost lighthearted vein.