For this month's Watercolor Wednesday, I decided to finally paint a picture I've been stewing over for months (since before Christmas, actually). Another Tow'rs-inspired piece, this picture takes its cues from their song "Swelling Sea".
The main images I wanted to include from the song were the Moon, larger than life and pulling on the singer and the sea, and the swinging "pendulum clock".
The rough sketch
Both of these made it into the rough sketch (although I did have to move the Moon to the right because it wound up too close to the pendulum at first). As I added some waves for the swelling sea, an abutment of land introduced itself, along with a lighthouse. Since the opening line of the song mentions a keeper (who I'd always envisioned as a gatekeeper or door guard), I decided the lighthouse was a fitting addition. It ended up being one of my favorite elements.
The finished product
I'm very pleased with the way the Moon and the lighthouse turned out. I was worried I wouldn't get them right (especially the lighthouse, which is presented in miniature compared to the overwhelming Moon). The pendulum clock turned out well too. But yet again, I'm finding backgrounds are far more challenging than I expect them to be. I'm not sure if this is due to my color choices, or the brushes, or just plain ineptitude on my part. Perhaps next month I'll find one of the paint-along videos on my favorite watercolor channels on YouTube and follow along with it to see if that improves my background.
Currently Writing: Merlin Book 2 Currently Reading: Dune by Frank Herbert The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (reread) The Woodcutter by Kate Danley (Kindle) The Slippery Slope by Lemony Snicket (audio) For the purposes of this post, I'm not considering any instrumental tracks, but I will mention some of my favorites. "Heart of Courage" by Two Steps from Hell was the trailer music for the Walden version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe , and it still gets me excited for Narnia. There are various tracks from the LWW and PC soundtracks that evoke the longing for Narnia, such as "Narnian Lullaby," and the themes "One Day" and "Reepicheep's Theme." The Narnian Lullaby from the BBC Narnia films is also a favorite of mine. Now, without further ado, here are some of my favorite Narnian songs: " In Like a L
Since I talked about my favorite heroic magic-users in fiction last month, I thought I'd tackle the other side of the aisle this time. Again, I'm using the term "wizard" to refer to anyone using magic. Saruman the Many-Colored Saruman begins life as a Maia (or angel) of Illuvatar, the Creator of Tolkien's legendarium. Selected as the head of the Istari (wizards) sent by the Valar (archangels) to Middle-earth, Saruman soon abandons the proscription laid on him against taking up leadership over men by establishing himself in Isengard, an abandoned fortress. In his attempts to study the work of Sauron, initially to help the forces of good defeat the Dark Lord, Saruman becomes corrupted by his own fear, bitterness, and longing for power. Changing his name from Saruman the White to Saruman the Many-Colored, he betrays his closest ally and one-time friend Gandalf and eventually becomes little more than a wizened old man whose only power lies in his voice. (S
If you've been around me for any length of time, you know I'm usually always late to the game when it comes to keeping up with pop culture. Movies are no exception, even when it comes to movies I'm very excited to see. All of this is to say I've finally seen Disney/Pixar's Coco (and much sooner than I usually see movies after they've left theaters). There are spoilers ahead, but I've done my level best to keep them vague in regard to BIG TWISTS out of respect for those who (like me) are late to the game. If you're unfamiliar with the movie, Coco is about a boy named Miguel whose family has forbidden music for generations -- all because his great-great-grandfather (a musician) left town and never came back. Not to be undone by his betrayal, his wife, Imelda, decided to support her family by becoming a successful shoemaker, a business the entire family continues to operate today. There's only one problem: Miguel loves music, especially the
Very nice!
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