Alice and the Cheshire Cat

"Lewis Carroll's "Alice" books, "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass" left a big impression on me when I was a child. I still derive a lot of inspiration from those stories, as do many artists. There is something about stories about little girls who stumble into magical worlds that really appeal to me. I'm often a little depressed about the mundane world, and I always try to bring a little magic into it with my paintings, and illustrating the Alice stories is a great excuse to do so. The Cheshire Cat is such an enigmatic character, and I had a great time painting him! I gave Alice the wide-eyed look which is a stylistic component and a trademark of much of my artwork, and it helps show a combination of both doubt and wonder in her eyes in this piece. In this 3-d version - the Cheshire Cat seems to "disappear" at times, leaving only his ubiquitous grin. The original painting is acrylic on canvas."

Jasmine Becket-Griffith