The Fair Folk

Oh, how happy this makes me.

One of the fun things about my rather niche interests are how they intersect with other sub-cultures. One of the most interesting is the fairy art hobby. There are dozens of incredibly skilled artisans producing beautiful recreations of all manner of little folk, from fairies to goblins. It's almost unbelievable how good some of their figures are in terms of anatomical detail, technical execution, and world-building.

There's just one tiny, niggling detail that I just can't bring myself to embrace about them- the cuteness. Don't get me wrong. I haven't traveled so far down Curmudgeon Lane that my cold, dark heart can't appreciate tiny wood spirits with rosy cheeks and cute little hats that are jauntily askew. No, I'm just ol' skool. Really old school, as in back when fairies were baby stealing, disease spreading, come-dance-with-us-until-you-die-from-exhaustion little monsters.  You left out a saucer of milk for the damn things not so much because they would cobble your shoes as to avoid them maiming or killing you for their amusement.

The gifted Tóbal has worked in both realms, sculpting both loathsome horrors and some delightfully cute little creatures. His latest is somewhere between the two extremes. I'll never be much for jolly little gnomes, but insectoid fair folk clad in an exoskeleton? That I can get into.