Kristen Donoghue- Standford- The Forest Path (The Woods Aren't Only Scary at Night)
The image of the red cloak and the wolf is instantly recognizable, iconic, and familiar to those of us that grew up with fairytales. Speaking directly to my own experience as a woman, the tale of Red Riding Hood changed quite drastically for me the moment everyone stopped viewing me as a child and I was taking on the responsibility of womanhood. Red Riding Hood went from a story you read about to real life threats, hidden meaning, and warnings to stay "out of the woods at night". Seeing this cautionary tale presented to me in Susan's painting didn't offer up the typical story the way that I had always known it. The open plain in which we can see Red Riding Hood and the Wolf to the backdrop of the forest had me thinking about our visual perception and how we interpret things that hide rather than being visible. The juxtaposition in the colours of her encaustic painting emphasized a feeling of dread and despair for me as we witness these two familiar beings. I wanted to go inside the woods. To see what else was there. Turning the iconic red of Red Riding Hood into the forest floor, watching the world grow up, in, and around her. Remnants of different elements of the story - the forest, the clothing, the fangs - to be found as part of her. The lingering impact upon all that we do, all that we see, and all that we live as women becoming a part of us.
See the work by Susan Wallis that inspired this piece here, part of the Pairings show 2025.
16 x 8 x 17 inches
Tree branches, epoxy, possum jawbone, acrylic paint, bronze.
The image of the red cloak and the wolf is instantly recognizable, iconic, and familiar to those of us that grew up with fairytales. Speaking directly to my own experience as a woman, the tale of Red Riding Hood changed quite drastically for me the moment everyone stopped viewing me as a child and I was taking on the responsibility of womanhood. Red Riding Hood went from a story you read about to real life threats, hidden meaning, and warnings to stay "out of the woods at night". Seeing this cautionary tale presented to me in Susan's painting didn't offer up the typical story the way that I had always known it. The open plain in which we can see Red Riding Hood and the Wolf to the backdrop of the forest had me thinking about our visual perception and how we interpret things that hide rather than being visible. The juxtaposition in the colours of her encaustic painting emphasized a feeling of dread and despair for me as we witness these two familiar beings. I wanted to go inside the woods. To see what else was there. Turning the iconic red of Red Riding Hood into the forest floor, watching the world grow up, in, and around her. Remnants of different elements of the story - the forest, the clothing, the fangs - to be found as part of her. The lingering impact upon all that we do, all that we see, and all that we live as women becoming a part of us.
See the work by Susan Wallis that inspired this piece here, part of the Pairings show 2025.
16 x 8 x 17 inches
Tree branches, epoxy, possum jawbone, acrylic paint, bronze.
The image of the red cloak and the wolf is instantly recognizable, iconic, and familiar to those of us that grew up with fairytales. Speaking directly to my own experience as a woman, the tale of Red Riding Hood changed quite drastically for me the moment everyone stopped viewing me as a child and I was taking on the responsibility of womanhood. Red Riding Hood went from a story you read about to real life threats, hidden meaning, and warnings to stay "out of the woods at night". Seeing this cautionary tale presented to me in Susan's painting didn't offer up the typical story the way that I had always known it. The open plain in which we can see Red Riding Hood and the Wolf to the backdrop of the forest had me thinking about our visual perception and how we interpret things that hide rather than being visible. The juxtaposition in the colours of her encaustic painting emphasized a feeling of dread and despair for me as we witness these two familiar beings. I wanted to go inside the woods. To see what else was there. Turning the iconic red of Red Riding Hood into the forest floor, watching the world grow up, in, and around her. Remnants of different elements of the story - the forest, the clothing, the fangs - to be found as part of her. The lingering impact upon all that we do, all that we see, and all that we live as women becoming a part of us.
See the work by Susan Wallis that inspired this piece here, part of the Pairings show 2025.
16 x 8 x 17 inches
Tree branches, epoxy, possum jawbone, acrylic paint, bronze.