Amanda’s painting treads a fine line between fairytale illustration and fantasy art. On one hand it’s beautifully stylised; the patterns on the dress and around the circular border frame and formalise the composition. On the other hand it’s a different spin on the idea of Red Riding Hood: older, with a sword in her hand and a wolfish grin on her face - not to mention the wolf sitting tamely at her feet. Painting an instantly recognisable subject from a different angle is always a rewarding exercise for both the artist and the viewer; it always provokes thought. What I love most about this image are the facial expressions - this Red Riding Hood is perfectly capable of walking through the woods alone (in fact, the wildlife ought to be afraid of her), and the Big Bad Wolf would evidently rather be chasing sticks than eating little girls. The composition is lovely too - reminiscent of Wen-Xi Chen’s circular-themed, red-toned Opium piece. And note how paying attention to value and tertiary tones has allowed Amanda to combine two colours that we’re often advised to steer away from mixing: red and pink. Keeping both colours orangey-toned and working with shading means that they match well and add to the richness of the overall colour harmony.

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