This original artwork is a journey into a romantic world of knights, maidens and castles, inspired by the timeless stories and legends of the medieval imagination.

A lone knight makes his way through the fantasy forest towards a distant castle, where he comes upon a fair maiden beside a mystical lake. Her horse waits nearby as she pauses to admire the still waters, creating the sense that the knight has stumbled upon a scene from a much older tale.

The setting is deliberately timeless and imagined rather than based on a particular place. Ancient woodland, the distant castle and the mysterious lake provide the ingredients for a story that the viewer can complete for themselves. Who is the knight? Who is the maiden? And where is he travelling?

Perhaps there is a quest ahead, perhaps a romance, or perhaps the story has already begun.

For me, this is nostalgic escapism – an invitation to step away from the modern world for a while and lose yourself in a landscape where legends still seem possible.

Subject: Fantasy forest, knight, maiden and castle

Medium: Ink pen and ink wash

Surface: Ampersand archival hardback Claybord

Image size: Approx 60 x 45 cm

Framed: No

Original: Yes

Certificate of Authentication: Yes

Artist: Graham McKenzie-Smith