Once Upon A Dream In The Land of Ardithian….
Sometimes the wind shifts in your direction, and other times, well… it sweeps you off your feet and carries you to a different time and place all together. Imagination is like that and I often think to myself that there must be a little critter wielding a bit of magic wind most days and if I am paying attention, I catch a glimpse of him. The Land of Ardithian is one of those worlds where the wind is laced with color and dreams and characters that make no sense at all and all the sense in the world. 10 years ago….it became alive for me.
My hubs and I are fortunate to have 42 acres of a magical bit of forest that we call our own, Dulcinea. Just arriving on the property and stepping foot on the soil transports one to a different time and place, of peace, of solitude, of connection. For me, it would also be described as one of my ‘Knowtaytive’ spaces because it offers me an instant connection to a deep knowing of place and time along with unbridled creative inspiration. Finding one of those spaces in life is golden and I am forever changed by it.
My journey to art was a wild one, and there will be other moments to share more directly what that path looked like. For today, knowing that I was on a mending path for my body and spirit, had no studio to speak of except the almighty outdoors, and felt a deep desire to paint my version of anything and everything imaginative is all you need to know in order to grasp how Ardithian came to be. You see, I have a way with words in my world, but my hubs, he quietly spins his own magic as well.
One afternoon as I was painting under the trees, swatting no-see-ums like a mad woman, and sweating buckets, he walked up to me and said you are painting the Land of Ardithia. He is a retired 5th grade teacher and was one of those that loved sharing great literature with kids, especially stories that grabbed your heart and held it. We had a laugh about the name ‘Ardithia’ and for some reason, I just felt inclined to embrace “Ardithian” instead and the word existed. That afternoon I took some time to really consider that and gave my imagination time to wildly exist in the idea of a creative world with all of my characters living in it. You see, I am a painter. I was first a writer, back in the day when I taught the littles and loved painting with words. But on this day, painting took precedent and characters were contrived much faster than words flowed.
A seed was planted though, and an idea of a nonsensical, beautifully imaginative world that existed in my own head and heart, caught fire. For weeks after I started to name the characters, write the poems and lists and lists and lists of words that flowed freely. It was energizing and held me captive with the potential of it all….until life got in the way and business doused the flames of my imagination’s abandon. I started working and teaching and building my business and The Land of Ardithian was put on pause.
For years I kept tinkering with it though, painting characters and adding them to my lists much faster than I could ever write. But quietly that itch of desire kept tugging at my back like a whisper in that wild wind I was meant to never forget. And a few months ago, I simply knew. I knew it was time and that I would shift from putting everything in front of this project to now allowing The Land of Ardithian to really grow, and thrive, and develop not only in the images that flowed, but in the words that would move my art. It would no become my most important passion.
This website is the home of my conceptual project, The Land of Ardithian. It is a culmination of 20 years of painting people and critters and fantastical beings in the way that I love. It is also home to what will now become a rather enormous project as I begin to showcase my character sets, write the stories of their adventures, world build, and launch my book paired with a solo show in October of 2024. If you pull up a chair with me, you will have opportunities to witness this project as it begins, builds, and comes to fruition. There will be a membership to get behind the scenes access to how the story is created, how the paintings are constructed, and with creative content and interactive events for you to become a Wooglian or Porg in The Land of Ardithian. There will also simply be a chance to watch a crazy, creative woman imagine and dream up some oddly delicious characters, places, and stories in a world that needs a lot more unpredictable, nonsensical wonder and joy.
Pull up a chair beautiful human, grab a beverage, and go on this journey with my into The Land of Ardithian and its Wild Words!
If you are new to my world, you can find a bit about my background over at www.ardithgoodwin.com and follow me on my socials: www.instagram.com/ardithgoodwin or www.facebook.com/ardithgoodwin. I only post public so you can follow along without having to friend me, and wave occasionally if you are passing by. I do ADORE connecting with my followers so if you feel inclined, spin some words with me as well. The Word Spinners in The Land of Ardithian would welcome you home for that!
