As common as fairies may seem to us, their actual pedigree is not completely understood. Angels began in the Old Testament as anonymous messengers of God before evolving into immortal residents of the heavenly realm.

By contrast, fairies are often associated with pagan myths or religions and exist as anthropomorphic creatures in the world of humans, although most probably living in a somewhat different dimension.

Historically, fairies were considered to be suspicious creatures, mischievous and sometimes evil. It’s easy to see fairies as malevolent and part of culture’s larger historical plan to eliminate the positive influence of nature’s original goddesses.

Today’s fairies enchant us — especially when they are the work of UK sculptor Robin Wright, who creates magnificent stainless steel wire-winged fairies with a penchant for dancing in the wind.

Fairies can be tall, elegant and more beautiful than a ballet dancer in flight. They are typically dazzling — and yes feminine — winged and often waving a magic wand.

Wright’s creatures delight in their human-like forms complete with muscles, limbs, and skin. Inside each fairy lies a heart of stone, sometimes personalized with a message. Dandelion flowers dead and ready to spin their spores into the wind make high-drama divas of his artistry.

The Staffordshire resident found himself inspired by a photo he took in the woods one day, an image that captured a small, mysterious, enigmatic, fairy-like shape. Clearly, his muse took flight in the artist’s imagination, leaping in multiple forms of stainless steel magnificence from his mind and body.

You can see many of Wright’s pieces on display at The Trentham Estate Gardens in England. (Fairies). in almost limitless variations.