It is now established beyond even the echo of a ghost of a shadow of a doubt that The Usual Suspect is a raven fancier. A lot of people are saying (heh heh) that he’s a whimsy fancier, too. And when it comes to whimsy, there’s no whimsy like dark whimsy. And surrealistic dark whimsy with a booster shot of nuance? Anything with those qualities crosses the border into Fascinatia territory.

This painting (Harpya, the artist calls it) touches all the bases, but so does virtually all of Nicoletta Ceccoli’s art. She is a nonesuch. So if you’re planning to be in St Petersburg, Russia this fall, be sure to stop by the Erarta Museum. Her show is called Scary Fairy Tales. Wear your Big Person Pants and be very brave.