At the Crossroads of Fantasy and Reality

Mervyn jones

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been structuring my illustrations around a central thought about fantasies and storytelling bleeding into personal realities. I think of this process as embodying a sort of “crossroads” between fantasy and reality. 

This crossover is a concept that I’ve more or less grown up with since my early years. Being born and raised in the northern forests of Michigan, the deeply-wooded setting of most familiar fairy tales was practically the same as what was in my backyard. In the un-bound spirit of childhood, I was no less a part of these stories as they were a part of me. 

Naturally, these same stories have always been paired with illustrations. Art has always been an integral part of conveying the ideas of fantasy authors and storytellers, which if used correctly can unlock windows and doorways into a story. These entry points can almost become literal sometimes, and in that moment exists what I think of as one of the deepest connections a viewer can have with a piece of media. The story begins to feel more alive, and draws the viewer in on a deeper level than before. 

These points make up the main inspiration for my work. All of the settings I use are places where stories circulate, either through other people or with the environment itself. Travelers around a campfire can exchange their tales just as easily as one could envision their own fantasies playing out through the spaces around them. Being in these situations can feel surreal and meditative, walking through the deep forest, or around a creek, or just being up late at night when the world feels almost like a different place entirely.