In my interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood, I began with an innocent young girl wearing a red hooded jacket standing amidst the trees in the woods. As I painted, various wolves made their way onto the canvas. Unlike the perilous role in the original story, the addition of these wolves seemed to exude themes of protection rather than danger. It wasn’t clear whether the wolves were safeguarding the girl or if she was protecting them. What was evident to me, though, was that this version of the heroine clearly felt more at ease running in the woods with a pack of wolves than the traditional fairy tale character.

As I continued to layer paint onto the canvas, the wolves gradually receded into the background, shifting the focus of the piece back onto Red herself. Here, I aimed to capture elements of her competence, highlighting her as the central figure of strength in the narrative.