Series of illustration for a famous Croatian fairy tale Šuma Striborova (Stribor's Forest) written by Ivana Brlić Mažuranić. It's one of the stories from 'Tales of Long Ago' which are based on folk tales, fairy tales and Slavic mythology. The story tells the tale of a young man who enters Stribor’s Forest to chop wood and instead comes back with a wife. Blinded with her beauty, he's unable to see what's hiding underneath – an evil snake who quickly takes over everyone’s lives. The couple moves in with his Mother and make her life a misery by turning her son against her. The reason I decided to choose this literary piece is because of the universal topics integrated in Ivana's stories - the conflict of fair and unfair and the metaphor that goodness always wins. Interesting characters, humans and magical creatures were a reminder that everyone of us still carries that playful child inside and enjoyment in these kind of tales are a pure proof of that.
Woman-Snake sending Grandma to bring snow from the top of the hill
Encounter with the Snake in Stribor's forest
The moment when everyone sees Woman-Snake's tongue
Grandma and 'Domaći' in the kitchen
Grandma and 'Domaći' in Stribor's forest
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