Original Art Work by Fae Artist and Author Elizabeth Andrews

THE GALLERY

New for 2026

Original water colour and mixed media paintings by Elizabeth Andrews.

Artwork inspired by the magical landscape of the south west.

Hello and thank you for visiting my blog and for sharing my fascination for the 

enchanting realm of magic, a place of such exciting and wondrous things!

I grew up in rural Dorset where there was a wealth of local folklore and 

superstitions, When I wasn't engrossed in the tales told by my elderly

neighbours and relatives, I could be found exploring the great 

outdoors - climbing trees and burrowing through hedges, in 

search of the hidden places where faeries might dwell.

I believe these experiences and the tales I heard as a child have fueled my 

lifelong love and fascination for the folklore and flora and fauna of Britain.

For the past 30 years, I have devoted myself to creating watercolor paintings and 

illustrations inspired by the enchanting world of the fae. 

I like to think that my artwork has managed to capture the delicate beauty and magic of 

these mythical creatures.

 Alongside painting, I have written numerous magazine articles and books that 

explore faerie folklore.

As interest in my work continues to grow, I have been invited to offer original pieces for sale. 

This exciting opportunity allows collectors and fans  to own unique artworks that celebrate the landscapes that have inspired Britain's countless legends and folklore.

Here are just a few of my originals

Brisworthy Stone Circle on Dartmoor.

An atmospheric site and one of the many stone circles seen on the moor.

Painting size approx 31.5 cm x 16 cm. Frame size approx 45.5 cm x 35 cm.

£500.00

 

Guardian of the Moor- £500

Prints available

Watercolour painting of Wistmans Wood on Dartmoor.

This beautiful but eerie little wood is one of Britain’s last remaining temperate rain forests.

The name of Wistman derives from the local dialect word, wisht, meaning eerie, uncanny or pixie haunted.

Legends surround this ancient woodland; it is said that from here a demonic huntsman called Dewer leads his pack of Yeth hounds in a wild hunt across the moor looking for lost souls.

Picture size:Approx 28 cm x 14.5 cm Frame size approx 42.5 cm x 25.5 cm

£500.00

Becka Brook Clapper Bridge nr Hound Tor, Dartmoor.

This brook cuts through the beautiful valley between Greator Rocks and Smallacombe Rocks below

Hound Tor’s abandoned medieval settlement.

Painting size approx 19 cm x 12.5 cm. Frame size approx 30 cm x 25 cm.

£150

Dr Blackall's Drive - Widecombe-in-the-moor, Devon.

This scenic route above the River Dart was built by and named after Dr Thomas

Blackall a physician from Exeter who owned the nearby Spitchwick estate.

£150

Pictures supplied with ivory mounts and wooden frames.

If you are interested in any of these paintings my contact details are below

info@magic-myth-legend.co.uk

or

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100023483838477

Chime Child

"They that be born of a Friday’s chime

Be masters of musick and finders of rhyme,

And every beast will do what they say,

And every herb that do grow in the clay,

They do see what they see and hear what they hear,

But they never do tell in a hundred year"

I came across a reference to a chime child while reading a charming story, In Darkling Wood by Emma Carroll.  It tells the story of young girl who is chosen by the faeries to save their wood from destruction mainly because she was a chime child.

It’s not an expression I have heard of before, which is surprising as I have been researching         folklore for many years, so having an  inquiring  mind I decided to do a little digging!

On closer inspection the phrase ‘chime child’ seems to have been coined by Ruth Tongue 1898 – 1981- a well know Somerset folklorist albeit one with a bit of a troubled reputation. She claimed that she herself was a chime child, being born  during the chime hours on a Friday night but records indicate she was born on a Monday so this has been disproved.

According to Ruth a chime child is one born during "potent ghostly hours" which are from Friday at midnight to cockcrow on Saturday morning. 

Other sources suggests it is during the hours which correspond with the chiming of bells marking the hours of monastic prayer at 8pm, midnight and 4 am although according to the folklore society midday should also be included.

And according to Ruth

A chime child had special abilities being able to,

"see the dead and the fairies, and speak with them but come to no harm – such encounters must never be sought"

"have immunity from all ill-wishing, as many of the clergy have"

"love and control all animals – so chime children often become herdsmen or veterinary surgeons"; and

"have a knowledge of herbs and a way of healing others"

It was Ruth’s claim that being a chime child herself people would talk openly and freely to her about fairy  lore. It was this ability that allowed her to collect many stories and folklore from her acquaintances in Somerset. 

Unfortunately for Ruth critics have called into question the reliability of her ‘collected’ folklore, stating  much of it was fabricated

The term ‘chime hours’ originated in the north of England  not Somerset, giving rise to the tradition that a child born during this time would have special powers although what these were was unclear.

Whether she drew upon the many old legends surrounding the ringing of church bells to create the lore of a ‘chime child’  is anybody’s guess ... and why let the truth get in the way of a good story!