Born at the turn of the 20th century, Virginia Frances Sterrett simply drew the visions that came to her as a child. Others noticed the talent that she didn't, and persuaded Sterrett to enter her drawings at the Kansas State Fair when she was fourteen. She won first prize in three categories, and started to contemplate a life as a professional artist.
Sterrett's works were precise and studied, but also had a dreamy, ethereal quality befitting fairy tales more than anything else. She was commissioned to illustrate several fairy tale anthologies, and was offered the freedom to illustrate what she wanted in the way she wanted. But Sterrett was plagued with illness and the responsibility of supporting her family. It was fortunate that her talent was discovered when she was young, because her life was too short. Read the story of Virginia Frances Sterrett and see more of her lovely fairy tale illustrations at the Marginalian. -via Kottke