FADNAT – WaspKing’s Dilemma, 2023

Oil on panel

16 x 20″

All Hail the WaspKing! He’s mostly human, but has yellow skin & a wasp coming out of his face. He, through an arranged marriage, married the Queen of Flies. This joins their 2 armies in case a Bird invades. She’s 100% Fly & human sized. She’s taken many etiquette & human English classes in preparation for this matrimony. Unfortunately, things aren’t going well. She lives in the WaspKing’s Castle & is very unhappy. She hears the vicious whispers of MaggotChildren & of her terrible breath. The Queen then tried to ingratiate herself by wearing a wasp cap & said she was part wasp. To no avail. More whispers came saying she was crazy & dance’s erratically at every window. It’s described as a frantic, bumping & buzzing. She angrily started to wear the same outfit as the King in order to remind everyone her status. WaspKing was grossed out by her & is one of the whisperers. Today he found her under the peasant outhouse feasting on a mound of their excrement, again! She says buzzingly, in soiled, identical clothing ,”It’s my favorite & the only thing that is making me happy!” She sobs as she’s sent back to etiquette class. At dinner, the king was pleased to see they had new entertainment. A beautiful Cuban dancer on a small round wooden stage. She wore a dress identical to the King & Queen’s clothing that included their faces. He was mesmerized by her. Not even the smelly Queen, hopping on guest plates & creepily staring at them, while frantically rubbing her hands, could phase him. The dancer sauntered to the King and put a fun, ruffled clown hat, with her face on it on him. Everyone gasped, until the unhappy King burst it into laughter. Everyone cheered! Oh, no, a drunken WaspGuard has stung the dancer in the head, twice! She was sent to the WitchDoctor, Hazel. The bumps have grown into wasp nest! The King asked her how she is & she replied sarcastically,” Oh great, more round mounds on me for drunks to pinch!” They both laughed, & the King was in love. He needed a human. Oh no, the FlyQueen has collapsed while doing her Bump & Buzz dance at the window! WitchHazel said,”She’s dead!” The King said he asked her eat better. She replied, her diet was good & she lived a full life. Flies only live around 30 days. She was solemnly buried next to her favorite outhouse. The King soon married on a beautiful Cuban beach, where everyone honored the FlyQueen by dancing the “Bump & Buzz.”

( Tiny mourners of the FlyQueen are still known to visit this Portrait )