There are intriguing details such as Dorothy's shoe, discarded tin, burnt straw, bucket, telescope (the witches eyesight was so strong it was like a telescope - perfect for spotting her prey), fire, shadows and an umbrella that she favoured to protect from water). When I am creating such pieces I prefer to leave enough open to change and adapt to how it evolves and build in new additions that come to me from being immersed in the concept and the scene itself. The scene shows the scenario once all characters have gone, where fires still burn but light fills the room. The title for the piece 'An Eye For An Eye' represents the little known detail that the witch actually only had one eye (and wasn't green!) whilst also representing the fact that Dorothy accidentally killed the witch in retaliation for having her dog hit by the witch and having her beautiful shoes stolen by the witch (another attempt to gain more power and control). Where does this fear of the dark come from? Could it be brought from past experiences as a child, is this why she is so full of hate and determined to inflict pain and obtain control through her winged slaves and terrifying killer black bees, wolves and crows? Through subtle objects and scrawled detail within the scene it make you question this, is she rotten it the core or just damaged?

I have explored the witches character within the piece, referencing her evil traits contrasted with childlike fears of darkness and water, although we learn that the real fear of water is the fact that being so rotten and old her blood has dried up causing her body to melt when coming into contact with a liquid so pure as water.

My intention was to construct a stone pillared room that creates two opposing sides to the room and allows for a good vs evil set up to the piece where the two meet in the middle and ultimately is where the witch melts away. The piece is set within the witches castle with an open window (from where the witch spies for intruders - in this case Dorothy, Toto, the lion, tin man and scarecrow.) The window has a striking view across the landscape and towards the emerald city in the distance.

This piece depicts the scene that involves the Wicked Witch of the West melting after having water thrown on he by young Dorothy.

An Eye For An Eye (Wizard of Oz) - Original

The magic faraway tree original