“The Princess and the Unicorn” (22×18) by Patricia Lipe   
Jacksonville Branch

Artist’s statement

This is a painting that literally came on its own. Surrealism, perhaps? I was painting landscapes in southern France and wiped the extra oil paint with a palette knife onto an empty canvas. Later, I looked at that canvas, turned it upside down, and there they were – the princess and the unicorn.

I had seen the original unicorn tapestry in Avignon, but this rendition was not planned. I did add the dragon, however. The painting depicts good (the unicorn who represents creativity) and evil (the dragon). The princess holds up the mirror so the unicorn cannot see the “evil” lurking in the woods.

I used this painting on the cover of my book “Myth, Magic and Metaphor: A Journey into the Heart of Creativity.”