Princess Furball attends the royal festival adorned in her golden dress. 1921

Margaret Evans Price painted this illustration of Princess Furball, probably using watercolor and ink. What I notice is that the palette is reduced to just a few colours, like yellow and red, and the lines are crisp and clear. The light, bright colours create a sense of joy, like sunshine after a storm. I imagine Margaret in her studio, carefully drawing each line, thinking about how each element contributes to the whole image. The men bowing to the princess, her dress, the frills, the setting – all create a moment of anticipation. Maybe Margaret wanted to capture the feeling of a fairy tale, the kind that fills you with wonder and hope. There's something old fashioned about this painting, but it’s also so fresh. It reminds me that artists are always drawing on the past, finding new ways to tell stories with paint. Ultimately, painting is a way of feeling, thinking, and dreaming, all at the same time.