#happytravelsartchallenge2020 Each week in August is a different country, and I'm creating an Illustration based on a myth/ legend from each country. . . This week's prompt is England, and I've taken inspiration from 'The Chained Oak of Alton' I'll be revisiting this idea next year, I'm planning a big project inspired by local folk tales and I just wanted to get the bones of this down to use for future reference while I had it in my head. . . Those who have visited Alton Towers theme park are likely to be farmiliar with Hex, a ghostly ride inspired by this very tree. . There's a few variations of the story. I've edited a version from Wikipedia for your delight: . . The chained oak is an ancient and mysterious tree. It's branches are wrapped in chains to prevent them from falling. You see, a curse was put upon the tree when, in 1821, the 15th Earl of Shrewsbury refused a woman’s pleas for money. In retaliation she put a curse upon the nearby oak: For every branch that falls from the tree a member of your family will DIE! Later that night, one of the Earl’s relatives died suddenly under mysterious circumstances. Convinced that the curse was true, the Earl ordered that the branches of the oak should be chained up to prevent more from falling. . . I've always loved the story, though I have to admit the first time I visited the tree I was a little undewhelmed. That's why I want to capture a bit of extra magic in my illustration when I rework it. Somewhere halfway between reality and how I imagined it would look when I first heard the story... . . This drawing challenge was set by @daphxine_art_challenges @daphsam @segalcreatives -Thanks guys! You inspired me to get this idea down on paper. Looking forward to bringing it fully to life one day! . . #happytravelsartchallenge #igartchallenge #trees #treesofig #woodland #woodlandart #folktales #alton #oaktree #treeillustration #chainedoak #chainedoakofalton #fairytaleart #darkart #locallegends #staffordshire #storytelling #enchantedart #fantasyart https://www.instagram.com/p/CDop71Kl51r/?igshid=sjcoyoro0hym
