Welcome to my December journal feature.  Since I failed to do a November feature due to overwork, I will likely put up a mini-feature up later next week.

So now, with no further ado, I give you my journal feature.


Deviant One:
This deviant is one I ran across quite by accident, but who has become a bit of a staple for me.  His cheeky, fun, and sometimes dark sense of humour comes across wonderfully in his comics and thanks to him a few pokemon have been ruined forever for me.
[Featured Works: “Cloyster,” “Tangela,” “Seaking,” “Porygon,” and “Kabutops.”]

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Two:
Though this artist is one that I’ve only recently met and started talking to, ~iAes is a positively lovely artist and a fantastic person to talk to, and I’m not just saying that because of out mutual passion for Sherlock Holmes.
[Featured Works: “The Empty House,” “Watson Reclines,” “Affection,” “The Reply,” and “Glorious in Form and Function.”]

A Few Choice Pieces:
The Reply Holmes,

I received your letter at half past eight in the morning on the 21st of September. It has taken me perhaps nine months to reply to you, almost to the very day, perhaps because I could not fathom the proper response. Your subtle references to the difficulty of your situation at Baker Street residing with myself is, to say the least, slightly insulting, and for more than one reason (which, I am certain, you have already deduced). I shall begin with the most obvious.

For one, you assume that I would reveal our personal correspondence at all. I am humiliated to think that I have yet to demonstrate my loyalty in your eyes when in mine I

Deviant Three:
This artist is fascinating to me in that much of the art in her gallery is made entirely of one sheet of cardstock paper with nothing more done to it than cutting and folding.  In doing that, ~ldhenson makes beautifully intricate (or deceptively simple) pieces of artwork based on several different sources.
[Featured Works: “Rock Paper Salt No. 2: Castiel,” “Inception Paper Sculpture III,” “Inception Paper Sculpture,” “A Study in Paper No. 2,” and “A Study in Paper.”]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:


Topic One: BBC’s Sherlock.
This was a series that, despite my great love for the wonderful minds of Steve Moffat and Mark Gatiss, I went into prepared for potential disappointment.  However, much to my happiness, the series was and is, fantastic.  I absolutely love everything about it.  Everything.
[Pieces are by: ~ViaEstelar, ~mortmere, ~pakost, *Nero749, ~livia-carica, and ~madtenka.]

A Few Choice Pieces:


Topic Two: Jeremy Brett.
Does this really need more explanation?  He was a wonderful actor and a complete darling.
[Pieces are by: ~meguru000, ~ShErLoCkAh0LIQuE, ~Mandioca, *Duncan-Eagleson, ~Windfreak, and ~Sportakook.]

A Few Choice Pieces:


Topic Three: Jurassic Park.
Without a doubt one of, if not the number one favourite movie of my childhood, Jurassic Park encouraged my childhood love of dinosaurs (which still persists to this day) and gave me my first thing to want to be when I grew up.
[Pieces are by: ~Rennox, ~Blue-Fox, *IsisMasshiro, ~O-O-P, ~EuchridEucrow, and =Culpeo-Fox.]

A Few Choice Pieces:



Ten Featured Deviations
1. by
Too Much Good Stuff - What can I really say?  It’s a Sherlock Holmes – Iron Man crossover with a steampunk Iron Man.  What’s not to love?  Really though, I adore the style, and I especially love the way RDJ!Holmes’ personality comes across.

2. by
The Ruinsed Me - An incredibly creepy, almost Lovecraftian take on the Pokemon, Unown.  I’ve always thought there was something odd about them, but this is just incredibly spooky.

3. by
Leslie Nielsen - A lovely portrait of the late, great Leslie Nielsen.

4. by
ArtWaffle - What’s not to like about a waffle with a goatee and a beret?

5. by
Machine Gun Kelly - A portrait in red pencil of mobster and Alcatraz-denizen Machine Gun Kelly, whose rather distinctive shit-eating grin just happened to give me a chuckle.  Also gloves.  GLOVES.

6. Not Female, Just Shiny I am a shiny male Nidoran.

I am called "shiny" because I am a member of my species who is differently colored from normal. Most members of my species are violet-colored, but my fur is blue.

Before people could tell the difference between male and female Pokémon, my species was classified as two, because males and females differ so much in our species. Females are smaller, with shorter ears and horns. As females grow up, they learn different things and evolve differently. The coloration between males an females is also different, which is extremely rare for a single species. The females are blue, while the males are violet.

But, someti by
Not Female, Just Shiny - An excellent explanation of the transgender experience using Pokemon as a metaphor.  Really it’s beautifully written and simplifies the situation without downplaying the impact it has on the transperson involved.

7. by
Thanator - A sleek, if somewhat intimidating piece of creature design with a detailed ecology in the artist’s comments.

8. by
Puss and Boots - What began as a still-life of a pair of boots, but turned into an interesting character study of a feline that is clearly more than he appears.

9. :thumb186521404: by
Here Comes the Sun - A fun, colourful little sketch of the Beatles to celebrate their availability on iTunes.

10. by
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - An interesting tribute to the two after a reading of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.  I’ve always liked the play and I do like this drawing of them.


Older features can be found here: Journal Feature Archive

2007
October 2007
November 2007

2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September/October 2009

2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
December 2010

So let's support each other, guys!

Be one of the first 20 people commenting on this journal entry, and I will add you to the Featured List!

For each of the 20 first people answering this journal I will put his/her avatar and the 3 deviations I like most from his/her gallery on the list.

If you answer, you'll have to do the same in your journal, putting me on the first place, completing the list with 19 other people. The idea of this is not to get a free feature, it is to spread art around for everyone.
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Welcome to my October 2010 journal feature.

So now, with no further ado, I give you my journal feature.


Deviant One:
A deviant who I consider a very good friend, ~Tsurumaru has the kind of style that is right up my alley when it comes to people.  His angular, long-legged men are dazzling to look at, and the way they are often portrayed as interacting with each other can only be described as playfully seductive.  He has a bit of costume photography in his gallery as well, and he pays matriculate attention to detail in his costuming.  So here's a feature for a fantastic artist and a positively lovely friend.
[Featured Works: "Eames x Arthur – Close, Darling," "Haters Gonna Rotate," "Ahren," "The Only Difference – Alone," and "Snow."]

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Two:
While I haven't personally made the acquaintance of this artist, *KoniraThax is one that I have been following for some time, and who I've found rather fascinating.  Her style ranges from realistic and semi-realistic portraits to wiry, almost terrifying characters, and her comics are on the hilarious side.  There tends to be a bit of something for everyone, and she is definitely worth a watch.
[Featured Works: "Fearless," "The Wall," "Smoking Habits – One Sixteenth Scale Model," "Wearing a Silver Suit," and "The Romantics."

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb125109358: :thumb183175791: :thumb180220906:

Deviant Three:
I've decided that it is now my policy to not exclude the funny, funny people I follow from features, which I have apparently done in the past.  Mr. ~Exzachly is not only incredibly funny, he is witty as well, and his comics benefit from it, with a blend of wit, pop culture reference, and just plain humorous shenanigans.
[Featured Works: "Kissy Lips 5," "Greeting Cards," "Illiterates Anonymous," "The More You Know," and "Mr. DNA."]

A Few Choice Pieces:



Topic One: Andy Warhol.
Andy Warhol…what is there to say about dear old Andy that hasn't already been said?  I mean, really.
[Pieces are by: *Mlle-Relda, ~bangbangbazooka, ~Stenopee, ~azrael1984, ~Ikrus, and ~killxyourxlover.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
The Factory Silver silver Factory
Candy Darling Baby;
Joe’s gotta show tonight
But that ain’t stoppin’ him –
Bang Bang Andy got shot
By that crazy bitch Solanos.
Crazy shit happens in The Factory –
Days are long and the boys are gone
But Candy Dah-dah-dahling is still here
Doing the same old thing, my dear.
Freddie darling don’t you feel no shame
Icarus’ wings on your shoulders baby,
One more day and you’ll fly away…
Fifty feet onto Cornelia Street
But baby it’s ok,
We all love you baby, just wish you’d stay.
Paul America ran away to god knows who
All over nowhere and across the USA

Topic Two: Skulls.
Well, it is the Halloween season, so I figured I might as well be seasonal.  Besides that, it does take a certain skill to create a good representation of a skull, be it human or otherwise.
[Pieces are by: ~Zombean1138, ~SilverWynd, =LazyBonesStudios, ~Burke-and-Hare, =Culpeo-Fox, and ~Ernst666.

A Few Choice Pieces:
Love in the Eyes of Death I danced upon your bed of skulls
as they seemed to laugh
empty-eyed
staring
without
seeing

For whenever you are near
I am so far away
and I melt
when I see the look within your eyes
but the shadows
are paralyzed
ghosts in a
smoke-filled room.

Why is it that I choke
upon the words you speak
there is no escape
from those grinning skulls
left among the ashes
we gaze across
Elysium
but this is not our place.

And when we hold hands
I disappear into you
and watch the world pass by
through death's eyes.

Topic Three: Frogs.
Frogs are probably another one of my favourite animals.  There's really nothing bad I can think of to say about frogs.  To quote the late, great Mitch Hedberg: "Frogs are always cool."
[Pieces are by: *AngiNelson, ~TheAfterWhys, ~lissa-quon, ~neodox, =tuftedpuffin, and =Diablomako.

A Few Choice Pieces:
The Saucer-Eyed Frogs If you asked the saucer-eyed frogs about the moon,
they would tell you instead of its reflection upon their glassy pools,
and recite to you their favorite sonnets, in chorus,
should you so choose.

They sing out of rhythm,
out of rhyme, out of tune:

Shimmer, glitter, sparkle,
and twinkle
Our darling, our sweetheart,
our dear.
We love you more than raindrops,
and fireflies, and Lilly pads
big enough for two.
You kiss our windows, our roofs,
and our doors
Dance, play, weep,
or laugh,

    we love you
          all the more.

The romantic,
the blind,
the saucer- The Frogs In the space between wall and door
The frogs grin
Paper death masks and spindly, clutching fingers
Jarring trespassers with their menacing absurdity

On the doorstep
The verge of confession, keyhole whispers
I stroke the tiny corpses
Defiance taut against my fingertips

I shall never die


Ten Featured Deviations
1. by
"Corruption of a Modern Moses" - The epilogue to a longer work that has not yet been written.  Upon reading it, I find myself incredibly intrigued to know the full story despite already being aware of the ending, which is, I think many would agree, somewhat of a feat.

2. by
The End - Though I know absolutely nothing about the subject, and didn't pay any attention whatsoever to the contest, this piece attracted my attention primarily through the angling of darkness in opposition to the brighter shades caused by the fire and lightning.  The image overall brought to mind an entirely different story from a book I read many years ago.

3. by
Wait for me at St. Elen's Cross - While not familiar with the series this piece is associated with, the imagery is simply gorgeous, and the colour scheme tells the viewer all they need to know, whether they know the series or not.

4. by
Doctor Who – David Tennant - What can I say?  He's wonderfully drawn, fit to a smashing background and typeface, and just all around cool.  Actually I recommend you follow the links and look at all eleven doctors!

5. by
Pfffffffffffffffttttt - Again, I am not familiar with the character or series, but the execution of this piece makes me shiver a bit.  There's something foreboding about the young man in the image and the fact that his eyes are hidden prevents me from garnering too much about him.  I love the colour choices and the certain sketchy feel of it.

6. Morning, after wake And

He, half-awakened, Walked into the
Kitchen, on search,
 in need of breakfast.
    First, he grabs some bakery-made
      cinnamon rolls,
          thirty-five seconds microwave

   and grabbed some
         coffee, fix it up
   grab treats and
travel back to bedroom,
  right to his desk.
his desk stands in front,
            window
It's slightly crowded,
with last nights art utensils
    a by
Morning, after wake - A very interesting poem with a somewhat stilted feel to it.  It appears to detail something very simple, but one can not be entirely sure of what is or isn't significant in such a poem.  The quiet desperation that seems to permeate the character's (or the poet's?) morning is striking.  All in all, I enjoyed it.

7. by
Happens to the best of us - …….what can I say you guys?  It's a fucking unicorn being devoured by sharks.  It made me giggle.  Particularly the second shark's mouth.  Can't be deep all the time.

8. by
Waiting for the Sunrise - Most of you know by now how much of a sucker I am for silhouettes, and once again, ~jarrahzeff's work makes me shiver.  There's such a sense of intimacy in her work that I sometimes feel as if I were looking in someone's window.

9. by
Moonhead - Another little fun piece that just made me smile. I don't know much about vectors, but dammit, just look at those little eyes!

10. by
Andrew Ryan is a Paedo - All of my deep, burning questions about Bioshock explained succinctly.</i>


Older features can be found here: Journal Feature Archive

This exists primarily for my own memory, but also, I suppose, to let you all know what is and isn't going on up there.

Writing
Novels/Anthologies
The Duke
Summary: Follows the lifetime of Sydney Newlun, the youngest son of a duke who finds himself leading a very different life than the one he had planned on, and finds himself drifting from London to the United States, to Berlin and then back to London in a haze of sex, alcohol, cocaine, and depression.  Divided into five parts, partially determined by who his lover was at the time.
Status: Being worked on in segments.

Fiends of New York
Summary: An anthology of stories centred around a group of people, both supernatural and not, who, at various points, end up in New York.  Special focus is given to the Decross family and its various branches.
Status: Mostly on hiatus--character re-building.

Sadir
Summary: A multi-perspective story told from the points of view of the prematurely grey and perpetually ill Areth Sadir, his murderous elder brother, Aloysius, their blind, psychologically damaged younger sister, Alona, an F.B.I. agent, Aliza Revel, and Areth's police officer friend, Horatio Moore.
Status: On hiatus.

Sympathy for the Devil (anthology version)
Summary: An anthology version of the one-act play by the same name.  Follows, in more depth, the stories of Eckart, Adrian, Amalie, Dominik, Henrik, Felix, and Christoph, as well as a few characters who did not appear in the play.
Status: Brainstorming.

Throwing Darts
Summary: Follows a group of assassins who work for a mysterious organization.
Status: Remodeling.

Year of the Scavenger
Summary: It is the year 2035, and Manhattan Island has been cut off from the rest of the world after the fall of the atomic bomb.  While the rest of the world rebuilds into a semblance of its old self, Manhattan morphs into something very different that is thrown out of balance by the arrival of a mainland reporter.
Status: Hiatus.

Short Stories
The Dreamers
Part of: The Files of Rix Crow.
Summary: A third installment to the Rix Crow saga.
Status: Brainstorming.

Plays
The Spandau Prison Experiment
Summary: A one-act dealing with life for the inmates at the Spandau Prison.  The title is, of course, a play on words.
Status: Researching.

Project Whose Name Shall Not Be Uttered Here Until Much Later
Summary: A full-length play, about which I am not giving details quite yet except to say it will be interesting and will give me a chance to stage some scenes I have wanted to quite badly.
Status: Working on it!

Various Sundry Practice Scenes for the Above Projects
Summary: Various sundry scenes to help prepare for the plays.  Most of these will be me getting the hang of writing for the various characters.  Expect a lot of Goebbels as well as Fritzsche, von Schirach, Speer, Hess, Goering, and the rest of the Spandau Gang.
Status: Muddling about.

Fanfiction
Incognito
Based on: Harry Potter
Summary: What if Snape hadn't meant to kill Dumbledore? What if he decided to abandon both sides of the fight? What if he fled to the US & disguised himself, not as a wizard, but as a Muggle? I got bored and decided to muck about with the concept.  Keep in mind this was PRE-Deathly Hallows (which I didn't read anyways).
Status: Probably on hiatus forever.

The Order of Things
Based on: The Demon Ororon
Summary: The story as told by Azariel Celeste, Othello's second in command, who has an uncanny secret.  This one isn't half-bad, but not great.  The manga it's based on is positively gorgeous and heartbreaking though.
Status: On hiatus.

Poisoned Intentions
Based on: Naruto XD
Summary: For the lulz.
Status: On hiatus FOREVER.

White Reflection
Based on: Gundam Wing
Summary: More lulz, though the tiny bit I wrote was pretty awesome considering my age at the time.
Status: On hiatus.


Visual Art
Drawings
The Usual Suspects
Associated with: Sympathy for the Devil (one-act play version)
Characters involved: Adrian Dahl, Dr. Amalie Krüger, Dirk Richter, Dominik von Essen, Eckart Morgenstern, Elisa Roth, Felix Engel, Gideon Berkowitz,  Dr. Henrik Voss, Dr. Joseph Goebbels, Nikolai Markov, Oliver Ashworth.
Summary: A multi-panel police line-up of all the principles from the play.
Status: Not started. T_T

Berserker Noble
Associated with: Dungeons and Dragons
Characters involved: Duke Kaspar Farfarello von Heydrich.
Summary: My aristocratic half-balor high elf whirling dervish barbarian.  He's a haughty bastard, but damn effective with a nagaika (that's a bullwhip studded with shards of glass for the layperson).
Status: Not started.

Ghost Spider
Associated with: Dungeons and Dragons
Characters involved: Dineel Ana'Umenna and his familiar Lesnolcar.
Summary: My irritable szarkai (albino drow elf) Underdark stalker and his hunting spider familiar.
Status: Not started.

The Prestidigitator
Associated with: Dungeons and Dragons
Characters involved: Phineas Zarathustra Ophiuchus the Enchanter and his familiar Bubastis.
Summary: My flamboyant spellscale prestidigitator and his familiar/magician’s assistant, the krenshar Bubastis.
Status: Not started.

The Horror
Associated with: Dungeons and Dragons
Characters involved: Vvirajch and his animal companion Waer.
Summary: My hook horror wild monk and Waer, a fantastic cave snail.
Status: Not started.

The Moon Elf
Associated with: Dungeons and Dragons
Characters involved: Lycurgus Galanodel and his animal companion, Marduk.
Summary: My high elf lycanthrope ranger and his tracking wolf.
Status: Not started.

The Child Pope
Associated with: Dungeons and Dragons
Characters involved: Pope Ignatius V (Alaric Nilam Surya).
Summary: My human cleric of Pelor who is effectively a child pope.
Status: Not started.

Headshots
Associated with: Most all the stories
Characters involved: All of them
Summary: Random headshots of most all of my characters.
Status: Not started.


Paintings and Similar Mediums
The Fallen
Associated with: The Man Who Fell to Earth
Characters involved: Thomas Jerome Newton.
Summary: A grid portrait done in watercolour pencils.
Status: Partially gridded.

Photography
The WWII Summit That Wasn't shoot
Summary: Sadly we know that the WWII summit was canceled this year due to lack of time, however, I might still do a few shots of the costume I was going in.
Status: Have the blazer, but must have it altered into a double-breast and have it taken in a tad.

Halloween '10 shoot
Summary: My yearly Halloween costume shoot.  This year I might have company.  It shall be win, but for now, a secret!
Status: Working on pricing.

Comics and Such Things
I Am Disappoint
Associated with: True story.
Summary: A friend almost makes a terrible mistake on the train.
Status: Not started.

You Win This Time
Associated with: True story.
Summary: I attempt to crop an old adversary out of a picture because they made a derp face...but I am refuted.
Status: Not started.


Requests and the Like
Requests
None currently.

Trades
None currently.

Projects
Narrative Character Meme 2
Characters involved: Baskerville, Carmine Bellerose, Ian Wilde, Iven Pendrens, Nikolai Markov.
Summary: A character meme.
Status: In progress.

Narrative Character Meme 3
Characters involved: Cyric Decross, David Langdon, Dominik von Essen, Jaden McCaskal, Rix Crow.
Summary: A character meme.
Status: Not started.

Contest Entry
Characters involved: Not sure yet.
Summary: An entry for 's contest.
Status: Not started.


Archives
Journal Features Archive
Character Profile Archive
Quiz Archive


Clubs and Crews
Founder


Member












I'm T. J. Newton/Nathan Bryce in the deviantART Couples Crew!

I'm jumping on the bandwagon folks.  Draw me something with that nifty drawing tool, and I'll draw something back.  I'm limited until I actually hook my damn tablet up, so it will probably be amusing, but primitively charming.

Welcome to my September 2010 journal feature.

Now we're back on track again.

So now, with no further ado, I give you my journal feature.


Deviant One:
This talented digital artist is one that I have not actually had the pleasure of talking to.  His gallery, though relatively small, is rich in interesting artwork, both of fantasy and sci-fi work as well as very interesting (and often slightly eerie) redesigns of Pokemon.
[Featured Works: "Lickitung," "Poliwrath," "Sandslash," "Sea Behemoth," and "Phoenix."]

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Two:
This deviant, who I am rather thrilled to have made the acquaintance of, is a fellow writer who seems to specialize in historically-based prose, though she has also dabbled in playwriting and has written several good works of poetry.
[Featured Works: "Good Morning Vietnam," "The Chill" (Part I of II), "The Chill" (Part II of II), "The Altitude," and "My Secret Friend."]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb166025824: :thumb168372574: :thumb170292027: :thumb167425991: :thumb166027079:

Deviant Three:
This particular artist works primarily in traditional mediums and has a lovely, almost watercolour-ish look to her artwork.  Her elegant figures have a dreamlike quality that makes them terribly lovely to look at.
[Featured Works: "The Virgin Queen," "Dark With Birds," "The Tie," "La Mascarade – Triptych," and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich."]

A Few Choice Pieces:



Topic One: Masquerade.
There's something about the concept of the masquerade that I've always found intriguing.  Having never been to one myself, I can't say whether or not they're as interesting as they're made out to be, but personally I rather hope they live up to their air of mystery.
[Pieces are by: ~theRGB, ~spectral-d, ~Eldemorrian, ~photodream, *Deepinswim, and *northgeorgiatattoos.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
Masquerade Masquerade

They soar across the marble floor,
with radiant smiles
and dazzling eyes,
the elegance--a great disguise--
and they speak; all are silver-tongued
who try to veil
and hide the trail
of their own woven fairytale.

Topic Two: Faust
Specifically, I'm referring of course, to Goethe's Faust (I'm less of a fan of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus for my own reasons).  I've always loved this particular story and am always interested to see interpretations of it.
[Pieces are by: ~Sharky-chan, ~Burkard-Benjamin, ~KitsuneBara, !Egao-chan, *windfalcon, and ~chilsong.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb70014152:

Topic Three: Owls.
While not my absolute favourite birds, owls are very high up on my list of favourite bird, or even favourite animal in general.  No matter what species, each individual owl always seems to have its own distinct personality and form of expression.
[Pieces are by: *n-a-S-t-u, ~Basia-AlmostTheBrave, ~birdsyoucannotsee, ^UnicornReality, ~creaturesfromel, and =Marker-Mistress.]

A Few Choice Pieces:



Ten Featured Deviations
1. by
The Raven - A quiet, almost thoughtfully morose piece featuring the title bird gazing at its own reflection, or perhaps not, as it is slightly difficult to tell.  Like the bird referenced in the artist's comments, this raven gives the viewer no clue as to its motivation—that is left entirely up to us.

2. by
Alien birth - A striking image with an eye-catching (yet not gaudy) colour palette, this is a gorgeous piece of body painting on a lovely model.  While one does not get the sense of the "visceral sense of childbirth" (to quote one critique), there is instead a sort of eerie serenity to the image which may very well by the alien part of the birth—the distinct lack of the primal feeling that marks human birth.

3. by
Condroni - Done as a commission for another artist, this eerie image features a moonlit edifice upon which perches an eerie, almost Lovecraftian creature.  The shape of the body, with its soft curves belying the muscle that clearly lays beneath the surface, and the unsettling colour pattern (what appears to be blue sparkles in the thumbnail turns out to be thousands of tiny eyes) lends this image a distinctly creepy air.

4. by
Grolled Cheese Sammich - Humorous and a little random, this piece is basically a typo and an inside joke gone terribly awry.  Whether you get the humour or not, one look at Groth's incredibly unamused face is more than enough to make you crack a smile.

5. by
Guess Who - A pitch dark background from which the angular, almost perturbed features of a Siamese cat emerges.  There is something at once ominous and elegant about this photograph.

6. by
It's Elementary - A beautifully sketchy ink drawing of Sherlock Holmes and the good doctor as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.  The variety of different types of shading and the overall looseness of the drawing are what draws the viewer in, while the tight detail in the faces and the washed shadows in the background hold the attention.

7. by
Leonardo - A strikingly shaded pencil portrait of the surprisingly (in my opinion, given his early work) talented Leonardo DiCaprio.  There is something in the intensity of the expression in this portrait that suggests, as one commenter notes, a young Al Pacino.

8. by
Our Nature - Though a piece of fanart featuring another artist's characters, this piece holds interest even for a viewer unacquainted with the characters involved.  The stark contrast between the black and white shades in this image, coupled with the mediating influence of the red and dark greys gives it a dreamlike (or I suppose nightmarish) quality.

9. by
Geisha - A beautiful, pastel-ish digital painting of a young Japanese woman.  The soft angles of the face and the detailing on the fan are simply lovely, as are the brushstrokes that appear in the hair.

10. by
A Writer is an Artist - Far too many times I have personally been informed by people that as a writer, I was absolutely not an artist.  This stamp is perfect for people who know otherwise.


Older features can be found here: Journal Feature Archive

Welcome to my August 2010 journal feature.

I know it's September, but I was being driven into the ground in August due to school starting.  September's will be up in a week's time.

So now, with no further ado, I give you my journal feature.


Deviant One:
This deviant is one whose work I have only recently been introduced to (thanks to one or two of my meddling friends—you know who you are), and who I've come to greatly appreciate, both for his quirky sense of humour and for the fact that he dressed up/is dressing up as Orin Scrivello from Little Shop of Horrors for a party.  His work leans towards political slash (Putin/Medvedev), which isn't for everyone, but he goes about it in a rather charming, let's-not-take-ourselves-too-seriously sort of way that I adore.

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Two:
Formerly known as ~CarmenStorm, *revolveroftheloom is someone who I ran into just this year.  Over just the amount of time I've been watching her, she has undergone a substantial style shift that is interesting to look at.  Her work leans towards the historical with a twisted sense of humour (think naked Churchill.  That kind of twisted), and is positively delightful to look at, be it her hilarious (albeit sometimes twisted) comics or her intricately stylized paintings.</ i>

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb172528447: :thumb172625898: :thumb178085422:

Deviant Three:
~MikiEwans is one of those deviants that I just kind of ran across and then seemed to almost instantly hit it off with.  I can't for the life of me recall exactly how we started talking originally, but I'm happy to call her a friend.  Her visual art tends to centre around her writing, so there are plenty of in-jokes and meanings that most of us don't get, but that should hardly stop us from appreciating them anyway.

A Few Choice Pieces:



Topic One: Pokemon
Well…there's not much we can say here, is there?  Pokemon Black and White came out in Japan the other day, so I suppose I thought I could do something in honour of that.
[Pieces are by: ~pokiesman, *ShadowKira, ~psychohazard, =Pyroluminescence, ~Thunderwest, ~questionthemajority.]

A Few Choice Pieces:


Topic Two: London
One of my top three (hell, top two) favourite cities on the planet, and a place that for various reasons will always feel like home in a way, London has always had a certain mystique, which is often seen in artwork and writing.
[Pieces are by: ~Spincia, !KJohnnyW, ~Tigermoth99, *aiiven, ~rosshammond999, !Moon-Hysteria.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb179546966: Abandoned Houses Glimpsed before they were salted with dusk,
each like a deserted scene from Chernobyl
or Three-Mile Island: breakfast tables
abandoned, family photos left behind,
jackets still hanging on the backs of chairs.
Cutlery slowly fossilising, turning the colour
of anchovies. Their undissovable memories
chirp like Geiger counters when the street
is silent, unspooling household wiring.
Sometimes you might see patches
of dandelions in the front gardens bend,
as if in the presence of breath. :thumb138669108:

Topic Three: Berlin
Probably my second favourite city in the world next to London, which I, unfortunately, have not had the pleasure of visiting, Berlin has a certain sense about it that always gives me the impression that I will never been completely at peace until I have set foot on its soil.  It is a city that has been through entirely too much, and has survived more than many might have expected.
[Pieces are by: ~mathis, *pink-gizzy, ~bupo, ~inphos, *BackupPanic, ~ALotusInThebes.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
The Wall We ran away from the wall
that night, drunk and afraid
of our own shadows.
We thought it would be
a cultural experience
a smart idea
like overly clever children
who think they knew the world.

Breathless, we had to stop
on that deserted boulevard
slick and gleaming from
streetlights and rain.
We both laughed for no reason
other than the senselessness
of it all, and I wrapped you
up in my arms, your legs flying
as we spun in circles,
happy to have survived.


Ten Featured Deviations
1. Nowhere In This Town Is Sacred When I feel alone I like to go and look at the sea,
         
            It looks beautiful at night.

The problem is,

                there are too many people already there

                                               
by
A succinct, but lovely piece, "Nowhere In This Town Is Sacred" is easily distinguishable by its effective use of spacing and small font detailing the downside of living by the people-magnet that is the sea.

2. That Four-Letter Word Perhaps in this mood it could be said what a single touch of the lips feels like from something as profound as human instinct, but there's a niche on which many are caught, on which you cannot see where you're going and suddenly the fog becomes too thick for you to be able to see. A spark of electricity, a simple coming together of atoms is something that saves us - we, they, you, me.

A kiss, they say, is a sign of affection.

Sensuality has a big part in this little act, even if we're not the ones to realise it until after the fact of it disappearing. The bearer of many a kiss has a strange sort of warmth, for it is not something anyone can by
An interesting little philosophical rambling (I do hope you don't mind me calling it that, mate) about the nature and implications of a kiss.

3. by
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what to say about this other than it's so…so…American.

4. by
A very cool work-in-progress inkwork done for an ongoing project.  For anyone interested in checking out more on this, expect lots of dark, surreal characters and things that go bump in the back of your mind.

5. by
Let's all be honest with ourselves---we all know it's all too easy for anthromorphic animals to be done terribly, but that's what makes it so wonderful when we find gems like this one.  The artist here shows a lovely grasp of what she is doing here, and the result is charming and not at all what people tend to expect.

6. by
Sometimes, there really are no words, but I think I would rather like a tank full of these things, but only if they came with a curtain, so I could cover the tank up if they started staring me down.

7. by
This artist always does lovely work, and this piece is no exception.  Despite being someone else's characters, she does a beautiful job of capturing their feelings and personalities.

8. by
A quaint, cartoonish version of the oft-beloved Harry Potter character, I personally find Mr. Moore's version to be refreshingly different and rather fun to look at.

9. by
As a long-time fan of Cowboy Bebop, I saw this in my inbox and immediately went "….could it BE?"—and it was!  A rather lovely rendition of Spike done in a completely different style.  The constellations in the background made this one all the better for me.

10. by
A rather interesting study of the dual nature of a single subject.


Older features can be found here: Journal Feature Archive

Stolen from


So basically, will be the first slot, and the other ten slots will go to the first nine people who comment on the journal. The catch is that you must continue the feature, putting me in first place and then feature nine other people after (I'm doing ten for shits and giggles). This is a great way to spread art around, so please do participate.


1.
:thumb177567739::thumb169322626::thumb167599078:

2.


3.


4.
A Letter to D_____ D_____,

You're a silly ass of a man,
thinking you can fly away
on a lark, a moment's notice
anytime you please.

Until, of course,
the landlady stops taking
flirtations for payment
the grocer yanks your credit
and you can't even pay
for your weekly numbers game.

I'll be here, waiting
for you to come back
and maybe I'll even
open my wallet for you.

With love,
Your G_____ The Apologia of the Lover To my wayward B___,

You must excuse my impatience
with your constant flirtations with freedom
chasing a dream, a shadow,
down paths you keep, selfish.
I just worry you stray a little too far
for far too long
and I wonder just what…fascination
those empty places hold for you.

It's all right, I suppose
as long as you come to me
before home, the dust
of the road, sap on your fingers
and the scent of the forest
still clinging to your clothes.

Your ever faithful,
E____

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Stolen from out of some sort of boredom.

Choose ten of your OC's:
1. Sydney Newlun
2. Griffith Armand
3. Dominik von Essen
4. Louie Visconti
5. Roderick Doyle
6. Vladimir Carpathia
7. Horatio Moore
8. David Langdon
9. Cyric Decross
10. Henrik Voss


1. If [7] were arrested for anything, what would it be?
Probably for being drunk on duty.  It's very uncharacteristic of him, but I could see it happening.

2. [4] walks into a strip club. (Just for the sake of argument, let's say he/she was bored and not looking for...erm, excitement.) They see [5] surrounding by big-breasted women. How does [4] react?
He might be a bit surprised, I suppose, since Roderick comes off as exceptionally flamboyantly gay and whatnot (though he's bisexual).

3. OMIGOSH!!! WAR HAS BROKEN OUT IN YOUR LITTLE IMAGINATIVE WORLD! [2] has been drafted to be an Air Force pilot. How does he/she handle flying the plane?
Not particularly well.  Griffith is, as some may recall, albino, and as a result has positively horrid vision, which makes him not exactly ideal as a pilot.

4. Growing on the war thing, let us fantasize: [6] is a brave soldier on the front lines, fighting for...er, whatever cause he/she finds suitable to fight for. Anyway, everyone knows that war enforces rationing. [6] realizes that--gasp!--his/her war ration has been changed from mundane victuals to absolutely indigestible SPAM! How do they react?
First off, the idea of Vladimir as a soldier, werewolf or no, is absolutely laughable.  For heaven's sake he's a Russian history professor.  On a serious note though, he would be absolutely horrified.

5. Would [3] be psyched to meet Ke$ha? Or would they rather get into the acquaintance of Rihanna?
Neither really.  Dominik would probably find them both....not to his liking.

6. Oh no! [5] is on the verge of death! How did this happen? [5] gets to meet the Grim Reaper. How does that pan out?
This, I can actually tell you about. xD  He goes blind and has an accident on stage involving a misplaced amplifier.  I have a funny feeling it would be something like this:
Grim Reaper: Your time has come, Mr. Doyle.
Roderick: Well aren't you cheeky?  You'll have to catch me first.
Grim Reaper: ..........................................seriously?

7. All of a sudden, [10] has been sucked into a pocket of space/time that has no reason for existence and has been catapulted back in time to their childhood. [10] watches some parts of their childhood as a spectator. Does [10] experience a nostalgia of sorts? Pain? Hilarity? Indifference?
Somehow I think Henrik would view his childhood with maybe a little nostalgia, but I could see him being completely disdainful towards his upbringing and the way other kids sometimes treated him in a kind of "Look who's laughing now" kind of way.

8. Let's warp things a little in the sci-fi direction! A replica of [9] has been built as an evil robot hell-bent on wreaking ultimate havoc on the civilized world. Where would Robot [9] strike first? Would the real [9] try to stop their metallic twin?
Well, Cyric is a devil to begin with, so I'm not sure a robotic version of him would be all that much of a challenge to him.

9. [1] and [6] are turned into animals. Which ones?
Sydney would probably be a tiger, Vladimir would probably be a black dog, probably a Great Dane.

10. [8] has abruptly been endowed with the vexing responsibility of keeping the world safe from certain doom. (Robot [9] perhaps, if living [9] failed to stop it) What fate will befall the world, and how will [8] stop its demise?
The world is pretty much fucked, I'm going to say.  Unless, of course, saving the world involves lots of sex.

11. Uh-oh. [3] is in trouble with the Mafia! What for? How do they handle the sudden prospect of being chased by pinstripe-clad men wielding machine guns? (If [3] is a Mafia character, he's betraying his Family.)
Somehow I don't think Dominik is overtly worried with being chased by hitmen--he was in the first World War, and isn't easily impressed by much of anything.

12. [2] discovers that he/she is a god and has billions of worshipers in a parallel dimension. Do this find this good? Weird? Funny? Horrifying?
Somehow he would find this amusing in a sick kind of way.

13. Characters [1-5] all go out partying at night. Where do they go, and what do they do? Or do they even agree on anything?
They would inevitably end up at a pub.  Griffith would drink and sulk alone as per usual.  Louie and Roderick would flirt with anything on two legs.  Sydney and Dominik would likely drink some wine and discuss classical music.

14. In the meantime, characters [6-10] decide to travel overseas. Which country do they go to, and why? For food? Romance? The intrigue of mystery surrounding foreign deodorant scents?
See, it's complicated because almost everyone's from somewhere else.  (Vladimir and David live in England, Horatio is a New Yorker, Henrik is from Germany, Cyric is native to hell and lives in Italy and New York).  I suppose they might all go to Paris for the lulz.  Cyric would be right at home, he usually is.  David would flirt with EVERYTHING.  Henrik might as well, actually.  Vladimir would want to visit historical sites, and Horatio would drift aimlessly.

15. Cue an Anne Frank-like scenario: [7] is locked in an attic for five years and must write a diary in order to document their affliction. What do they write about? How do they survive with only limited food supplies? How do they occupy their inordinate free time?
Horatio would probably write about his dead wife, Susan pretty much non-stop.  He doesn't eat overtly much anyway, so he probably wouldn't be too worried.  As for his free-time.  A lot of reading. xD

16. Thanks to a strange nuclear accident involving radioactive waste and slime that smelled oddly like chicken noodle soup, [1] now has psychic abilities unrivaled by man. What abilities are they specifically? Does [1] use them for good or evil?
Knowing Sydney it would be mind-reading and he'd probably use them accidentally and it would make him mopey.

17. [9], [10], and [5] are a singing trio that embarks into the daunting world of Hollywood records, cocaine parties, and plenty of boyfriends/girlfriends. How do these three characters handle the fame?
Roderick handles it how he always does--lots of sex and wine.  Henrik enjoys the whole multiple girlfriends thing. xD  Cyric is all about drugs, sex and rock and roll, so I think they'll all cope well.

18. [7] and [2] fall madly and irrevocably in love. Unfortunately, [7] is actually a flesh-devouring zombie! What does [2] do to combat this?
BOOM!  Head-shot.

19. What is the dream job of [3]?
Concert violinist, actually.

20. [9] and [4] are forced to compete in the Olympics together. Which country is either representing? Which categories do they qualify to participate in? Do they medal? Or fail miserably?
Cyric would probably represent England out of nostalgia (that and his hometown in Hell apparently resembles London in summer), and compete in...I dunno...ice dancing?  He'd probably be killer at it. xD  Louie would obviously represent Italy, and I suppose would compete in riflery.

21. Well, guess what? For some reason that defies logical explanation and perhaps the laws of an apple falling on Newton's head, [6] is now a stealthy super ninja. [10] is their arch rival. They engage in a duel to the death. How does that go? Who wins? Do any of the other characters inconveniently show up and turn the fight into a battle royale?
That would just...not go well.  Seriously.  Vladimir would probably win though, on account of the whole werewolf thing.

22. [8] has decided to write a play, so he/she does. What would the play be about? Which of the 10 characters would most likely be in it.
The play would probably be about the sordid secret lives of New Yorkers.  I think Sydney would be in it, because when you sleep with the playwright, it just happens.

23. Do any of your characters have anything to say now that this meme is over?
Sydney: Was this...necessary?
Griffith: Are we done now? >_<
Dominik: Can I go now?
Louie: This was a waste of time, man.
Roderick: Lovely time! <3  Let's do it again sometime.
Vladimir: ......no.
Horatio: If you'll excuse me, I'll be going.
David: Nice seeing you and whatnot.
Cyric: Always a pleasure.
Henrik: I'm off.

I was asked to keep a running tab of characters available for profiling within my journal.  Here they are.  Let me know which ones you would like to see profiled.  Any characters that have already been done are crossed out.

The Duke
Alexandra Langdon
Ariana Boquist
Carmine Bellerose
Charlotte Newlun
David Langdon
Duncan Langdon
Sanya Langdon
Sydney Newlun

Throwing Darts
The Boss
Gaspard “The Wild Goose” Bernadette
Gin “The Nighthawk” Tousseau
Ian “The Starlet” Wilde
Jaden “The Jackal” McCaskal
Louie Visconti
Misato “The Dragon” Tachibana
Mischa “The Amazon” Lupei
Sophia Catalano

Year of the Scavenger
Baskerville
Faustus
Jackal
Jackdaw
Janine Carlton/Kestrel
Any other member of the Dogs (Magpie, Inigo, Hyena, Coyote)
Any other member of the Vultures (Loki, Peregrine, Arin, Nixon)
Any other Alpha (Agnew, Ibis, Sig, Albatross, Terrapin)

Fiends of New York
Algernon Starling
Belial Decross
Cyric Decross
Cyril Decross
Daniel Tern
Gena Isaacs
Griffith Armand
Iven Pendrens
Rix Crow
Swanson
Any other Decross family members (Morwen Decross, Faerinaal Siofra, Sophia Nagendra, Shara Lamya, Domielle Semele, Erathaol Decross, Raziel Decross, Sealtie Decross, Viola Pendrens, Lyra Pendrens)
Any others (Lupe Kanan, Isabael Celeste, Luciel Morningstar)

Sympathy for the Devil
Adrian Dahl
Amalie Krüger
Christoph Stark
Dirk Richter
Dominik von Essen
Eckart Morgenstern
Elisa Roth
Felix Engel
Gideon Berkowitz
Henrik Voss
Hilde Wechsler
Nikolai Markov
Oliver Ashworth
Any others (Gretchen Hildebrand, Hermann Gorman, Hannah von Essen, Fritz von Essen)

Sadir
Aliza Revel
Alona Sadir
Aloysius Sadir
Areth Sadir
Arri Revel
Charles Crodel
Horatio Moore
Jack Diego

Ayesa
Daniel Point du Loc
Edward Caldecott
Elucindia de Fatana
Jack Ayesa
Kyan Navarro
Mephistopheles
Nicolae de Fatana
Pandora Hargreaves
Vladimir Carpathia

Schwanlied/Deimos Rising
Arri Hemming
Aubrey Milton
Evelyn Harding
Jack Webster
Leonardo Rigby
Maxwell Carter
Roderick Doyle
Rosaleen Blake

Dungeons and Dragons
Dineel Ana’Umenna and Lesnolcar
Duke Kaspar Farfarello von Heydrich
Vvirajch and Waer
Lycurgus Galonodel and Marduk
Phineas Zarathustra Ophiuchus the Enchanter and Bubastis

Fanfiction
Amethyst Peacecraft
Aurora Kapranos
Azariel Celeste
Onyx Faustnoir

Story Appearances: Sympathy for the Devil.

Full Name: SS Obersturmführer (1st Lieutenant) Adrian Bertram Dahl.
Aliases and/or Nicknames: Adi.
Birth Date: August 25th, 1907.

Species: Human.
Gender: Male.
Blood Type: AB-.
Height: 5’10” (177.8cm.).
Weight: 128lbs. (58.1kg.).
Eye Colour: Prussian Blue.
Hair Colour: Dirty Blonde.

Birth Place: Berlin, Germany.
Home: Berlin, Germany.
Languages Spoken: German, Russian.
Occupation: Artist, SS Officer.

Western Zodiac: Virgo the Virgin.
Chinese Zodiac: Fire Sheep.
Vedic Zodiac: Uttara Phalguni the Bull.

Likes: Fine art, classical music, warm baths, red wine, good books.
Dislikes: Authority, difficult choices, violence.
Hobbies: Reading, painting, thinking, curling up with Nikolai.
Trademark Personality Traits: Frazzled, troubled, broken, tired, and soft-spoken.

General Appearance: Tall and slender, Adrian appears to be a pale and almost sickly man at first glance.  His frail appearance is only slightly offset by his deep, luminous blue eyes and carefully combed, dirty blonde hair of which he is slightly vain.  He is most often seen in his black uniform, which always appears slightly ill-fitting, as though he had recently lost weight, but on occasion he is seen in his usual wardrobe, which consists of a flimsy button-down shirt in muted colours and slender-legged black trousers.
Rough Background: Born and raised in Berlin, Adrian was born to a middle-class family who were not overtly fond of his decision to become an artist, though he also kept a job as a clerk.  It was while at university that he met and became involved with Nikolai Markov, a Russian music student who had fled to Berlin to avoid military service in Russia.  However, in the early 1940s, Adrian, now an officer in the SS, is forced to directly disobey orders in order to protect his lover, and even goes so far as to enlist his older sister, Klara to do so.
Family Relations: Klara Maria Dahl (sister).

Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu Litmus Test Score: -4 (The Anti-Sue).
Trademark Song: "I Will Follow You into the Dark" by Death Cab for Cutie.
"In Catholic school, as vicious as Roman rule,
I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
I held my tongue as she told me,
‘Son, fear is the heart of love’
So I never went back."

Creator Notes:: I really like Adrian.  Really I do.
Pictures: None currently.

Welcome to my July 2010 journal feature.

Now we're back on schedule!

So now, with no further ado, I give you my journal feature.


Deviant One
I'm not sure why I haven't featured ~ultimateduofan before.  This artist has been one of my best friends since kindergarten and has always been artistically inclined.  I feel honoured to have watched her progression over the last sixteen years or so.

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Two
This deviant is a good friend of mine whose artwork leans towards the historical and whose humour leans towards the viciously dark.  His work, largely done in either pencil or ink, but almost always in black and white, usually has a sort of stylised cartoonishness to it, though he also excels at realism.

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb167339806::thumb156324831:

Deviant Three
Many of you guys know how crazy I am for art that uses silhouettes to delightful (and often risqué) effect, and this Latvian artist uses them to produce nearly any effect imaginable, evoking everything from sorrow to lasciviousness though the use of just outlines and shadows.  In addition, much of his work (done almost exclusively in pen and ink) resembles wood-block printing, which is not always an easy effect to achieve.

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb82368361:


Topic One: Inglourious Basterds
Though not for everyone, Quentin Tarentino's recent film, Inglourious Basterds is a brilliant film that turns the typical war story on its head by portraying a world where (as is the truth in war) there are no good guys as the supposed "good guys" turn out to be just as brutal as their enemies.  Of course it helps that it features both Christoph Waltz and Sylvester Groth, two stupendously underrated actors.  Eli Roth's special brand of crazy is also a welcome sight.
[Pieces are by: ~Melfoo, *chilli-villi, ~Moyayuki, ~Czaritsa, ~nyyrikk, =Pretty-Angel.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb145173893:

Topic Two: Nikola Tesla
Without question, the most underrated, fascinating, brilliant mind of the last century, and one of my personal heroes.  Also, not to be confused with a character from a television who apparently shares the same name and is a vampire.
[Pieces by: ~MyTrueWorld, ~thisismyboomstick, ~painter-misic, ~SimonLee, ~doomiest, ~Pyro-The-Maniac.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
Tesla Tesla

Tesla’s cold eyes of bronze
Stare at us through the glass walls
Of the prison of his bust.
The forgotten hero stands alone
An old plaque proclaiming his deeds
In his corner of the vestibule.
People walk by through the day
An anarchical procession of banality
Not one notices.
Burning lights stave off the darkness
Within the hall between the rooms
The passerbys think Edison.
To the brutes Tesla is but a name
To be heard in some physics class
Not a man, nothing more.
O Tesla inspire us with ideas
Of science and innovation
So that we may live forever
As forgotten busts of bronze.

Topic Three: Violins
By far one of my favourite instruments, the violin has a sort of mystery and elegance that others seem to lack.
[Pieces by: ~ABitMadInTheHead, ~ViaEstelar, ~kumaslide, ~Demon-Lionka, ~taylorsijan, ~TangibleAlibi.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
The Coming Madness: Violins At first there was only one
One note
Staccato, sharp, sour
Then came a measure of notes
Flowing seamlessly into one another
And the measure became another and another,
Rich, dark sound
Pouring out into the night
Rising and falling only to rise again
Higher and higher
And then there were two
In unison at first
Perfect rhythm
Harmony
Two as one
But then they diverged
One mimicking the other
Then changing completely
Different tempos
One a slow steady drag
The other lively, ominous rapid notes
And then three
No, four, FIVE
All indifferent to the other players
Unmoved, unaffected and unchanged by the others
All in their ow


Ten Featured Deviations
1. by
A startlingly detailed and realistic digital painting of a naval battle.  I won't even ask how many layers it took.

2. :thumb169910382: by
The Kuta Gate in Bali, Indonesia shot in front of a gorgeous, if strangely ominous sky.  Beautiful shot of stunning architecture.

3. by
For those of us who enjoy mucking up the binary (any binary really).

4. by
The toned-down greys and soft (digital) brushstrokes are what gives this digital painting the feeling of serenity that it portrays.

5. by
Even though this piece is titled "A Woman's Back," it rather reminds me of a line that Al Pacino delivers in the film The Devil's Advocate: "A woman's shoulders are the front lines of her mystique, and her neck, if she's alive, has all the mystery of a border town.  A no-man's land in that battle between the mind and the body."

6. The Gospel of Ore  It came from the sky, bearing great gifts.  It was the most special of days; the arch of the rings refracted the light from the brightest stars into the air, lighting everything with an ethereal halo, especially the idol, polished just for this occasion of Light Day.  The dancers swayed around it, imitating the jerky movements of when it first came.

It came, taught us the ways of metal.  Now they could dig deeper in the ground, build steady settlements because now they could till the hard earth with ease.  The pieces they had taken from the idol originally had been lovingly replaced with replicas ble by
"The Gospel of Ore"—A short story, half science fiction and half holy text, inspired by the discovery of the possibility of life on Titan.

7. Hermit crabs and shag carpet on mondays i have dreams of being eaten alive by you. i have balls of wool in my mouth and i cant breathe, the air is being sucked right out of my lungs and it burns. there are cobwebs in the corners of my eyes and im trying my hardest to drown the baby spiders with my tears. you rip a hole inside of me so huge im sure my intestines are hanging on the floor. my fingers feel like steel wool when i grab at my chest, im bleeding poison all over the place and my fingernails are flaking off. i cant fight back, my muscles have turned to liquid and im boiling at your touch. every inch of my skin is crawling and im screaming at you to stop. your mout by
"Hermit Crabs and Shag Carpet"—An almost absurdist, rambling stream-of-consciousness narrative involving two friends/lovers, taking place in a week and revealing both the mundane and profound.

8. by
A lovely drawing done to a poem (which is well worth the time of translating) featuring a woman whose features are concealed by a deer mask.

9. :thumb169376039: by
A very interesting and poignant take on a rather bleak photograph.  The message is clear to anyone willing to see it.

10. by
A seductive, but somehow intimidating woman watches from over her shoulder while her hair snaps around in tendrils as if to ensnare the viewer in a trap that the woman's eyes dare them to step into.  A gorgeous piece of work utilizing multiple mediums to superb effect.


Older features can be found here: Journal Feature Archive

Eight Things About A Character Meme
tagged by

Rules
1) Pick a character!
2) Tell eight things about them!
3) Tag someone else!

I'm going to go with Carmine Bellerose from The Duke.

1.) Contrary to popular belief, Carmine is actually a natural redhead, although he does use dye to enhance the colour.

2.) He is known for being almost recklessly promiscuous, even going so far as to settle bar tabs with hand-jobs.  He has had one or two relationships that he considers to be serious, but on the whole, he approaches romance very cynically and isn't prone to long-term commitments.

3.) Carmine first wound up in London after being forced out of his family home by his mother after she caught him putting the moves on a college girl in her kitchen.  Since then, he considers older women (and older men) bad luck and refuses to have anything to do with anyone more than one year his senior.

4.) As part of his work as a lounge singer at the Thursday's Child Lounge in Soho, he taught himself piano after his pianist died in a mugging.

5.) Though he eventually had surgery on his chest, Carmine never underwent hormone replacement therapy due to the effect it would have on his singing voice.

6.) Despite his flippant attitude towards relationships, once he claims someone as "his," he has a tendency to become jealous very easily.

7.) For a time when he first arrived in London, Carmine ran with a mod gang and lived with a drag queen named Armand/Amanda until he broke off after a friend was killed in a knife fight.

8.) While Carmine tends to show a seemingly unshakable confidence, he secretly has a deep-seated fear of being discovered by the public or of being betrayed by one of the few people who know his secret.

I tag:

I've always found those "What [insert book/movie/television show here] Character are You?" quizzes fun and entertaining, so I decided to make some of my own.  Right now they'll all be held on QuizFarm (QuizFarm only lets you have nine results and I usually have more than nine characters, hence the splitting of some quizzes), but if anyone finds a better quiz engine, by all means let me know.  Until then, enjoy and be sure to let me know what you get as a result.  I'll post more as I make them.

QuizFarm Quizzes
What Major 'Sympathy for the Devil' Character are You?
What Minor 'Sympathy for the Devil' Character are You?


Quizilla Quizzes
What 'Sympathy for the Devil' Character are You?  (With ALL the characters)

Welcome to my June 2010 journal feature.

I know it's July, but I was a busy/lazy fuck in June (sometimes simultaneously), so here's June and July will be up in a week's time.

So now, with no further ado, I give you my journal feature.


Deviant One:
This deviant is one who I have only recently had the pleasure of meeting, and who is wonderfully talented—especially for her age.  Her grasp of both art and humanity is beautifully captured in her artwork—she's also delightfully friendly and thoughtful despite any claims she might make to the contrary.

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Two:
Though not someone I have had any personal interaction with, ~HodariNundu is a deviant that I have come to greatly admire for his artwork.  As a lover of prehistoric life, the realism and detail that he puts into his renderings of these creatures (many of them favourites of mine) warms the cockles of my little intellectual heart.  A tip of the hat to you, sir.

A Few Choice Pieces:


Deviant Three:
~ViaruTarkin is another deviant whose acquaintance I have only recently made, but whom I would like to say I've become friends with.  His artwork ranges from almost psychedelic bold lines and flat, posterized colours to detailed digital paintings with gorgeous colour palates, and his entire gallery is worth checking out.

A Few Choice Pieces:



Topic One: Stamps
Stamps.  Why else should we get paid accounts?    Here are a few of my favourites.
[Pieces are by: ~schematization, ~genkistamps, *TheMysteriousK, *KoniraThax, ~Silvre, *ajCorza.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb162221295:

Topic Two: Tarot
Tarot reading is something I've always been interested in and have a certain measure of skill in, and I've always appreciated those who make their own customised cards, so here are both some custom tarot cards and art related to tarot.
[Pieces are by: *SSfromM12, ~hillriegel, ~Lakandiwa, !Meowko, ~Mirrazh, ~AriBach.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb169485553:

Topic Three: Hermit Crabs
One of my favourite, most endearing sorts of pets.  For more hermit crab art, information, and advice, check out , a swell hermit crab community.
[Pieces are by: ~JadaFitch, *KotoriK, ~maumanga, ~Ninja-Ralph, ~Veromorte, ~Animal-Stamp.]

A Few Choice Pieces:
:thumb168791492:


Ten Featured Deviations
1. by
A lovely mixed-media piece loaded with symbolism.

2. by
An awesome (if I do say so myself) piece of lineart featuring the shapely robotic villainess Sariel and and an equally menacing and shapely fairy lady.

3. by
The shades of grey in the feathers and blinding white emanating from the staff in this image gives it a distinct feel that seems right out of a Dungeons and Dragons sourcebook.

4. by
A twisted, lonely figure sits alone, dragging a rusted bow across a cello of broken glass.  A stark, unsettling sculpture that stirs the imagination.

5. by
There's not a lot else to say that isn't said in the first comment: "Fuck YES snails."

6. by
"Waga Aibo Death-kun" caught my eye with its sheer WTF-factor at first, and then discovered that not only is the art hilariously awesome, but the story behind it is amazingly hilarious.

7. by
Vivid colours with an Escher-esque twist.

8. by
A damn impressive piece of pixel art.

9. by
A strangely haunting photograph featuring an almost frighteningly expressive model and a beautifully made costume.

10. :thumb165136712: by
Even though we already covered Inglourious Basterds within the topics, I couldn't help but feature this gem as well.  The flame-like background and the fluid greys are what make this portrait of Christoph Waltz's Hans Landa into a sort of tragic beauty.


Older features can be found here: Journal Feature Archive

List of Characters

Carmien Marie Bellerose (The Duke)
Rix Hyperion Crow (The Files of Rix Crow and Fiends of New York)
Jaden Nila McCaskal, a.k.a. The Jackal (Throwing Darts)
Areth Basile Sadir (Sadir)
Jack Damon Ayesa (Ayesa)
SS Obersturmführer Adrian Bertram Dahl (Sympathy for the Devil)

EDIT EDIT EDIT EDIT: Yes, new icon.  I wanted something more minimalist that wouldn't blink at me. >.>  That said, the other may resurface someday.

EDIT EDIT EDIT: I swear I'll do a more substantial post later. >.>

EDIT EDIT: The A.P.M. is GO!

EDIT: I have picked up my new technology child, The Amazing Propaganda Machine, from Best Buy, who promises to be LOVELY.  However, I must wait until possibly tomorrow night, as things must be installed and whatnot.  Until then, I must hope that Tesla behaves.

I am terribly depressed.  It looks like Tesla (my laptop) isn't going to make it for too long. :/



(Stolen from under 's nose.)

First 10 people to comment get five works featured.

1.


2.
The Tea Party “No thank you; I just ate my husband this morning.” Violetta waved away the proffered plate of hors d'oeuvres and sat back, discreetly massaging her midsection.
“Third one this week, I’d be stuffed too!” the hostess barked a gleeful and entirely false guffaw, moving down the table to her next guest.
The girl next to Violetta peered at her shrewdly, blinking four of her eyes. “Are you feeling all right, dear? You look absolutely haggard.”
“Oh, I’m fine, really.” Violetta reassured her, twirling a thin strand of silk around her hairy finger. “I just think I’m coming down with a bi

3.
Fault Lines  He’s washing dishes, loading them with almost exaggerated care into the machine.  I never saw much sense in using it, really; you have to rinse them anyway, so it really wasn’t much more effort to scrub them completely clean.  Besides, there was something deeply satisfying about using hands and muscles and body to do the mundane.  But he is frail, and I am not, and he does the dishes, so it’s his choice.

I think we’re sleeping apart tonight, but I’m not sure.  We fought and made up, but sometimes its just easier to sleep away from each other until the hurt goes away almost co Girls Like That  “He saw me again.”  The voice came from the lighted end of the empty warehouse where they met every day, and there was Addison dressed in grey wool and too long jeans, leaning against one of the supports and frowning.  He never changed, the only concessions made to the changing of the seasons was to substitute cotton for wool and a neatly shorn head at the first of May.  In other words, he dressed like all the other men in town-utilitarian clothes, drab colors. But there was a wariness deep in his reflective eyes, a nearly invisible wall keeping everyone else out.  Everyone else had a dull sh Sound The pages rustle
you’re reading Brecht again.
The room is still
so quiet, I hear
the quick flirt of your tongue
on your lips.
There’s the crinkling
of sheets as you settle into bed.
So are my last lucid moments. The Wall We ran away from the wall
that night, drunk and afraid
of our own shadows.
We thought it would be
a cultural experience
a smart idea
like overly clever children
who think they knew the world.

Breathless, we had to stop
on that deserted boulevard
slick and gleaming from
streetlights and rain.
We both laughed for no reason
other than the senselessness
of it all, and I wrapped you
up in my arms, your legs flying
as we spun in circles,
happy to have survived.

4.


5.
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6.
:thumb161231073::thumb156324831:

7.
:thumb163351006::thumb145034284:

8.

Story Appearances: Ayesa.

Full Name: Jack Damon Ayesa.
Aliases and/or Nicknames: None.
Birth Date: December 21st, 1974.

Species: Semi-Human.
Gender: Male.
Blood Type: B-.
Height: 6'2" (133cm).
Weight: 168lbs. (76kg).
Eye Colour: Greyish Blue.
Hair Colour: Black.

Birth Place: London, England..
Home: London, England.
Languages Spoken: English.
Occupation: Occultist.

Western Zodiac: Sagittarius the Archer.
Chinese Zodiac: Wood Tiger.
Vedic Zodiac: Mula the Dog.

Likes: Booze, sex, cheap cigarettes.
Dislikes: Clingy girls, steady relationships.
Hobbies: Boozing, fucking, getting into trouble.
Trademark Personality Traits: Roguish, nonchalant, fickle, angsty, and pragmatic.

General Appearance: Of medium height and build, Jack Ayesa is generally not extraordinary in appearance, though he describes himself as being "a handsome bloke."  His eyes are a greyish blue in colour and are generally seen with dark circles set in the pale skin around them; and his black hair is ill-groomed and rather roughly cut.  As is his appearance, his clothing style is rather simple, consisting of whatever solid coloured shirt he threw on that day and a pair of dark pants covered over by a khaki rain-coat.
Rough Background: Orphaned at a young age, Jack Ayesa only briefly knew his mother, and never knew his father.  Eventually he was taken in by a priest, who he repeatedly ran away from, and eventually developed a talent in occult studies.  Today he lives in the dark heart of London, associating with "ordinary people" (if you consider a defrocked priest, a vampire, a witch, and a werewolf professor ordinary) by day, and hunting demons by night.
Family Relations (SPOILER ALERT): As of now, all of his family is deceased, these being Susan Amanti-Ayesa (mother), Matthew Ayesa (father), and Nicolae de Fatana (half-brother).

Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu Litmus Test Score: 10 (The Anti-Sue).  Considering he pretty much has a fail time, yeah.
Trademark Song: Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by The Damned.
"Me...I'm on the side of the angels,
but the devil is my best friend.
Sin is a way of life,
saints are for suckers.
Welcome to the underworld."

Creator Notes:: You know...I'd really like to go back and completely write that story...it really was shit, and Jack had way more potential than I let him have. XD
Pictures: None currently.