About Selina
Born in 1981 to Australian and Maltese parents, Selina lives in Australia with her husband, unnamed cat, and a lorikeet who’s far too clever. During her life Selina has found ancient Roman treasure, survived cancer, had knights joust at her wedding, earned a living from her art, written a novel and eaten every bizarre and wonderful food put in front of her.
Once upon a time, on the night of a full moon, in a small country town in Australia a girl was born with a vast imagination. She was given the name Selina, meaning “Moon”, named after the moon that shone that night.
As a child Selina loved to read. Her favourite stories were those of myth and magic, princesses and fairies. She soon learned she had a greater love than reading when she would spend countless hours staring at the illustrations in these books, ignoring the stories told in words in preference of the stories shown by the artworks. She would study each brush stroke, marvelling that any human hand could create such beauty. The images enchanted her, bewitched her, and filled her head with magic and romance.
Having always enjoyed drawing, Selina began to create artworks of her own ideas of fantasy inspired by the illustrations in her fairytale books, with goddesses, fairies and enchanted creatures. She grew up continually trying to improve her art and create that same magical feel and sense of adventure she knew as a child.
Many years later, Selina’s artwork has been warmly received by lovers of fantasy all over the world. Selina still resides in Australia, being self employed in painting her ideas of fantasy and selling her own artwork and handcrafted gift designs through her website www.selinafenech.com.
Her art has been published in books and magazines worldwide, and is available on licensed products ranging from t-shirts to stationery, figurines to jewelry. Her art has been purchased by customers and collectors in over 35 countries around the world, and she has lived off her art since she was 23 years old.
Selina’s artwork is mostly mixed medium, as she always tries to choose the best medium to match her painting concept, and is always experimenting. Normally her paintings are based in either watercolour or acrylics on paper, to which she also adds inks, pencil, pastels, and even digital elements to create whatever effect she desires.
“I want to live my life like it’s a fairy tale, and I want my artwork to make other people feel the same. I love that for a person of any age my fairies can bring back the magical memories and feelings of adventure from their childhood. I hope that they also create new memories and dreams of magic!”
But all fairytales have a villain, a curse, a conflict to overcome. Not long after her 26th birthday, Selina was diagnosed with cancer. Luckily her prognosis was good. The cancer was caught early and is believed to have been completely removed. But the treatment and healing process of this life changing event was indeed a hardship and challenge Her body, her mind, and her art underwent great changes and growth during this time, and it is her hope that some of that journey, strength and magic can be passed on to everyone who shares her art and magical dreams with her.
“As an artist, I paint because of a true, driving need to create beauty and magic. It is an inner need which I fulfill by putting brush to paper. But there is no magic there until it is shared, no joy to be found in the forms and colours until it is seen by another. So I want to thank you, for looking upon my artwork and allowing its magic to become real, for making the image I have captured in paint and pencil come to life in your eyes and mind. I hope that my artwork can be an inspiration to you.
Thank you for being a believer and lover of all that is beautiful and magical. Love and Magic,
Selina Fenech”
Selina Fenech also has galleries and accounts at-
Elfwood - Epilogue - Deviant Art - Fantastic Portfolios - Art Wanted - Live Journal - MySpace - Enchanted Folk - Twitter - Facebook
www.fairiesandfantasy.com Main and largest site and retail store for Selina Fenech Fairies and Fantasy and other artists.
Selina’s Author Page on Amazon
Selina’s Author Page on Goodreads
www.wholesalefairy.com Wholesale store and catalogue for resellers
See all of Selina’s artists friends websites at the Fairies and Fantasy links page-
http://www.fairiesandfantasy.com/pages/links.php
Want to hear Selina talk about herself and her art? You can download a Radio interview with Selina for Melbourne SBS Maltese Youth Show
from 07/08/2006
Click here to download and listen to mpga file
DOB: 4th November 1981
Place of Birth: Kurri Kurri, NSW, Australia
Current Residence: Central Coast, NSW, Australia
Marital Status: Married
Professional Artist Since: 2001
Education: Bachelor of Graphic Design, Visual Communication, The University of Newcastle
Interviews
Australian Spellcraft Magazine, Autumn Issue 2007 -http://www.spellcraft.com.au/
US Faery Magazine “5 Questions”
An Article on Selina’s cancer journey in Spellcraft Magazine
Maitland Mercury, July 2004
Radio interview for Melbourne SBS Maltese Youth Show 07/08/2006 Click here to download mpga file
Publications
The Wild Wisdom of the Faery Oracle by Blue Angel Publishing (all artwork by Selina Fenech)
Oracle of the Dragonfae by Blue Angel Publishing (some artwork by Selina Fenech)
Memory’s Wake – 2010 Novel by Selina Fenech
Lost Lands by Lucy Cavendish – Cover Art
Faery Magic by Cavendish and Connelly- Interior Art
Fairytales by Ken Young (album)- Interior Art
Finding and Embracing Soulmate Love (CD) by Karina Godwin- Cover Art
Spheres Magazine Issue 27 – Cover Art
Wychwood Brewery (UK) Goliath Beer 2008 Label Design
Fairy Figure Drawing Bible by Linda Ravenscroft- Interior Art
Pentacle Magazine UK Issue 28- Cover Art
ImagineFX magazines “FXpose” Feature Issue 43
UK FAE magazine issue http://www.thefaeryshop.co.uk/faemagazinespring2008.htm
Art Scene International Magazine Issue 58
Fantasy Babies 2009 Calendar by Ellen Milliong Graphics
Legends of the Sea 2008 Calendar by Ellen Million Graphics
Faeryland Calendar 2010, 2011, 2012 by Silver Lining Publishing for Barnes and Noble
Moonshadow Magazine- Interior Art Oct, Nov, 2005
Renard’s Menagerie Anthology Issue 7- Cover Art
500 Fairy Motifs by Myrea Petite http://www.amazon.com/500-Fairy-Motifs-Myrea-Pettit/dp/1843403021
Curvy 4, 2007 - http://www.yenmag.net/
Visions of Atlantis - http://www.ellenmilliongraphics.com/fantasyart/emggroup.php?id=7
Awards
Lyn Farrelly Memorial Award: Visual Art Category 1998
Kurri Kurri Youth Art Award- 1997, 1998, 1999
Artwork exhibited in Art Express- 2000
World of Froud- Froudian Artist of the Month- May 2004
A message from Selina-
“During February of 2008, I noticed some changes to my body, and after a number of tests and visits to doctors I was diagnosed with early breast cancer. I wanted to make this public both to explain some changes and slow down of my business that this will cause, and also to help spread awareness of this disease. I will try to keep this page up to date with my recovery news. Thanks to everyone for their support and understanding through this time. This is a life changing thing to happen to me, but I also know that people suffer from much worse every day. But life isn’t about what bad might happen, it’s about living, loving, and laughing through the bad times and treating every day as precious.
Love and Magic,
Selina”
Selina’s Journey and Treatment Updates-
Selina was diagnosed with early breast cancer on the 25th of February, approximately three weeks after first noticing symptoms of pain and a distinct lump and undergoing tests.
She had the tumour removed in breast conserving surgery on the 11th of March. The surgery went as well as could be hoped and Selina is already recovering very quickly.
After surgery pathology confirmed no cancer cells found in Selina’s lymph nodes or the tissue margin from surgery, meaning it is unlikely the cancer will have spread at all, and was caught just in time. However, the cancer was tested as a Grade 3, being a more aggresive form, and doctors recommended a series of treatments to make sure Selina remains cancer free.
Following surgery, Selina underwent fertility conservation treatment, followed by six three week cycles of TAC chemotherapy, and then thirty radiotherapy treatments which overall took from March until October of 2008. It was a hard time as these treatments had many physical and emotional side effects, but was the best way to make sure Selina lives a long and with the best chance of cancer not returning, so she can keep painting for as long as possible!
Selina has completed her last chemotherapy treatment as of 22nd August! Over the course of her treatment, Selina lost nearly all body hair and experienced the usual nausea assosciated with chemotherapy as well as many other side affects, but overall tolerated the treatment remarkably well.
Selina completed her radation treatment, or radiotherapy as of 31st October 2008. With all scheduled treatments now complete, Selina is on the slow path to recovery. Her body and spirit has taken a great beating, with many side affects of the treatments expected to take months to fade away, but she is now looking forward to getting back to a better kind of normal!
Selina would like to thank everyone who has kept her in their thoughts and passed on kind wishes during this time, it has meant the world to her and gotten her through many hard times.
Awareness and Information on Breast Cancer-
Selina is hugely grateful for the Australian free health care system and how quickly and easily this has been dealt with, and the care and professionalism of all doctors she has dealt with so far in her journey (there have been a lot!).
She also wishes to spread awareness of this disease to help others understand it and if needed also benefit from early detection. Selina has no known risk factors such as family history of breast cancer, and is much younger than the normal age for breast cancer cases. It just goes to show this can happen to anyone.Statistically as many as 1 in 8 women will have breast cancer during their lives. All women over 20 years old, and even younger, should perform regular self examinations. If you’re unsure how, ask your doctor, or find an online tutorial (eg http://cms.komen.org/komen/AboutBreastCancer/Resources/InteractiveTools/BreastSelf-Exam/index.htm)
Breast Cancer these days is very treatable, but the best results come from early detection. The sooner it is discovered the easier it will be to remove and with fewer complications.
For more information about Breast Cancer, please visit the very informative Cancer Council website at- http://www.cancercouncil.com.au/editorial.asp?pageid=37
