Enchanted Creators: Jim & Nat of Elfenwild

An Interview with Kristen Baum DeBeasi

Many of us have long been fascinated by creatures of other realms. And while we may collect them, read stories about them, or even watch movies in which non-human creatures are the main characters, there are some folks who spend time bringing them into our lives and enriching us all in the process. As part of our celebration of The Troll Issue here at Fairy Tale Magazine, we have interviewed a couple who do exactly that. As they say it, they "predominantly bring to life trolls in various forms." We think that is pure magic!

Jim & Nat with their mentors and friends Brian & Wendy Froud with Brian Froud's Troll Witch, which Jim & Nat created with the Froud's blessing.

Welcome to a land of wonder and fantastical beings created by Jim and Nat of Elfenwild! Here you'll meet a powerhouse couple who work together to bring magical beings into our world. These two have complimentary skills that, when combined, have everything needed to draw, sculpt, paint, and clothe the creatures they create. Read on to see

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your backgrounds. What first drew you to trolls and when did you began creating these wonderful trolls?

We have both always had a love of nature, fantasy art and creativity, Jim has a background as a mural artist and illustrator and Nat studied fashion and textiles with a love of sewing and fabrics from a young age. After having had various roles within social care and education we decided to follow our dream of using our creativity and love of the beings from other realms. In 2023 with the blessing of the Frouds, we began creating The Troll Witch, a being from the front cover of Brian and Wendy Froud’s book “Trolls.”

With the guidance of the Frouds, she fully manifested in her life size form in March 2024 and, following her completion, The Elfenwild started to unfold. Jim began sketching images of various beings from our travels to Dartmoor, Devon and Somerset that we had met upon the land and we felt that the images and beings were of the Fae realm. When sketching, Jim found himself being drawn quite significantly to the Troll realm where more and more Trolls began appearing!

Tollin and Potterdawn pause on a bed of moss to say hello

We feel the Troll Witch has brought us closer to the Fae realm unlocking a flow of creativity to bring the Elfenwild forward. The Fae realm is around us all, they are ever present, always near, glimpses out the corner of your eye and quiet whispers in your ear. We believe they are here to interact with and connect with if you are open to them.  

We listen intently, we create what comes forward and sometimes these beings may not have an appearance that’s seen as appealing to humans with their warts and wrinkles and dirty clothes but we believe it is important to honour what comes through. We aim to bring them into the human realm as accurately as possible. The Elfenwild are our interpretation of the realm between spaces, as we see it and feel it.

The unfolding of The Elfenwild also has a human aspect to it, we are extremely grateful to the support, inspiration and mentorship of both Brian and Wendy Froud and William Todd Jones. The Fae realm and the realm of an artist needs grounding at times and guidance, which we thank them for in our journey.

These trolls can be playful, soulful, or serious. Here, Odhan says hello to the Hellebores.

What is your artistic process when creating something new? Do you see it in your mind’s eye then sketch it before beginning to create each creature in the three-dimensional human world?

Our process, not always, but often is to visit locations mostly in Somerset and Devon. We spend time there connecting with nature and gaining inspiration from the land. Jim will then sketch the beings that come to him. Sometimes we may meet these in our home or at a friend’s house. Recently Jim sketched along to a composer friend of ours as she played Fae inspired music and playful pixies appeared from the pages of Jims sketch book.

Those that come through loudest with most clarity are then created. They don’t all arrive at once, sometimes a few days will pass before we fully connect with a being. Often the Trolls come through slower in comparison to speedy little pixies or playful elves.

Once sketches are here, Jim will begin the sculpting of each being and whilst the sculpting takes place, stories start to be heard. The character starts to manifest in our hands. Nat will then dress each being, sometimes from sketches and other times through a knowing of what they’d choose…. Some beings can be quite indecisive! But not the Trolls, they come forward clearly with grounded energy they don’t flit about with different preferences of colour or texture.

A sketch by Jim, including an image of The Olde Troll Mother at the bottom

The Olde Troll mother first appeared in early 2024 and her face was different from the other Trolls we had met previously, but we knew she was wise and we honoured the form she wanted to be seen as.  She was sculpted soon after her sketch but then sat waiting. She remained patient as many other faeries, pixies and trolls manifested before her.

The call to fully create her didn’t come until June 2025 when we began creating for the Widdershin’s exhibition in Dartmoor. We knew instantly that this was the time the Olde Troll Mother would manifest as we believe she had been waiting for the exhibition. Once we began working with her, her presence grew stronger. She was a joy to bring through; her energy is gentle but solid as stone. Each trinket created and sewn on had meaning and added roundness to her being.

The Olde Troll Mother, photographed in Dartmoor

Is there a particular troll tale or fairy tale that you return to again and again? Are you inspired by other folklore or fairy tales beyond the realm of trolls?

We are inspired by all the realms of Fae, but the Trolls do appear to us with the most clarity. We love to read the folklore of the land we are closest to: Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. We have a personal connection with these lands, having either been born there, lived there or spent long periods of time in them. They are full of magical tales of Dragons protecting hillforts filled with gold, Pixies dancing in woodlands and enchanting tales of faeries. But there are few tales of trolls in the folklore of the British Isles that we’ve come across. Their presence here is mainly from the old Norse lands. However, in the far north, the trows of Orkney and Shetland keep their place in local legends and stories. They are kin to the trolls, beings of stone and earth.

Our Trolls, we feel, are born from that lineage and the inspirational art and spirit of Brian and Wendy Froud’s book Trolls. Their work reminds us that the trolls were never simply grumpy beings beneath bridges but they are part of the living land itself, the strength of the hills, and stones of the land.

We believe the Trolls want their stories to be heard. Just as the faeries have been given voice, so too must the Trolls.

The Taleteller and The Wanderer being regaled by Odhan, who is telling a fantastic tale!

Note: With the exception of The Olde Troll Mother, all troll images in this article were taken in the Froud's beautiful garden, where the Troll’s very much felt at home.

Where can people find you and your creatures of Elfenwild?

We are 'Elfenwild' on Instagram and Facebook, we are hoping to start sharing more to YouTube in the next year. There's more information on our website www.elfenwild.com 

Kristen Baum DeBeasi is Editor in Chief of The Fairy Tale Magazine. She has loved faeries and fairy tales for as long as she can remember. She is a poet, writer, and composer with a Master of Music in theory and composition. The marriage of storytelling and music guides her creative expression. Visit her at: https://www.kbdebeasi.com/