Incredibly Ugly Woodland Fairies from Coastal Maine
So we’ve already drawn Pukwudgies and had fun with em, so I figure why not go with a similar Native American legend only this time, smaller and quirkier! The Nagumwasuck are tiny woodland spirits or fairies (only about 7 inches tall) who live near Passamaquoddy settlements along the coast of Maine and into Nova Scotia. They are said to be incredibly ugly, with sad twisted faces, tiny beady eyes, long pointed noses and random tufts of hair… They are often clothed conservatively in softened bark and leaves though occasionally they are told as wandering nude…
Generally peaceful, the Nagumwasuck’s are quiet creatures and tend to hide from humans except on rare occasions where tales tell of them helping lost hunters or fishing tribesmen, and have therefore become a symbol of luck. But most importantly, if one is to run into said Nagumwasuck, it’s imperative to remember that they are incredibly self conscious of their less than savory appearance, and there are many tales of travelers who have laughed at them or ridiculed their size, stature or features who have then going missing or fallen ill or even worse…
Our Judge this week was Intellectual Property Manager, Rachel Beyler! Back in the Playboy days Rachel had the task of keeping track of who signed enough waivers to allow me and the team to use their pictures to market subscriptions with but for this purpose let’s just say she’s one hell of a beast judge as I think she did a very nice job! Plus she’s the only person I know possessing a deep seated mistrust of Maine and it’s residents! here’s a lil in her own words
The most difficult aspect of judging the submissions to this challenge was the variety in interpretations …. as a Judge, do I have an obligation to provide a level of consistency in my completely subjective choices so the artists can identify a common thread in what I rewarded? Alternately, do I have an obligation to make my choices with a conscientious effort to recognize the varied interpretations on the theme of the Nagumwasuck?
This was a tough call, my friend, a very tough call.
