The Return of the King...and Elves!

Last Friday night I attended The Lord of the Rings - Return of the King viewing party at a friend's house. Long ago, my sister and I played hostess to the first Lord of the Rings party. It too was held on a November night, but the movie had yet to be released in the theater, so we shared what we had downloaded from the official movie website and went from there. When we finally saw it in the theater, it was an incredibly magical event!

But before the film came out, we had the joy of reading the entire series aloud with wine and cheese at the ready. The wine was from Australia because we couldn't find any from New Zealand, where the movie was being made. I bought a copy of the sound track ahead of time and listened to it while painting Merry Meet, a portrait of an elf and fairy sprite meeting in a green wood.

When I look back on that time I remember so much that was wonderful, I loved where I lived at the time and all the memories we created for our friends. Today I still cherish this painting, though the original found a new home the first time I showed it. There are still a few prints left to complete the limited print run of just 100, and now they are available in a larger size than before. I hope the future brings many more wonderful memories of fantasy gatherings as well.

Fools Gold

When I think of fairies, I often think of the old tales. One that comes to mind is a story I read long ago of a little girl who moved in down the road from what seemed to be a very poor family. The children of this family never went to school, and other people in town didn't talk about them much. The little girl decided to befriend these children so she went to play with them at their little run down cottage.

Their play turned into a real fairy tale, where the children were really a fairy prince and princess, and they were wealthy beyond measure. This was a secret that they asked the little girl to keep. As time went on and she played with them, they would give her treasures of jewels and gold for her to keep. Then one day she couldn't keep the secret any longer, she wanted to brag about her royal friends and their wealth, and all the gifts that they had given her.

When she went to show her treasures, she opened up her little bag she kept them in and found nothing but leaves. Her neighbors moved out and the shack fell into ruin a short time later, and she never saw the fairy prince and princess again.

As I look around our yard, covered in golden leaves from the maple tree, I think of it as covered in gold from faery. Today I'm featuring the Leaf Walker from my Wyrdhaven Gallery, and I must say that it's one of my favorites. It's a windy autumn day and the Leaf Walker is out and about doing what he does best, walking without a care in the world. Like the fool in the Tarot, he steps bravely off the leaf with the confidence that he will reach his destination. It's a painting about faith in yourself and hope for the future. A fitting tribute for our times.

Spiderwick Chronicles

Today the Spiderwick Chronicles is in the theaters, but I'll be busy working through the weekend so I don't know when I will have a chance to see it. Until then, I can play on the wonder-filled website created for the movie. It just whets my appetite for more fantasy, which is exactly what I need. My schedule is so very busy these coming weeks, but I do intend to see this one in the theater! Finally a fairy tale with real fairies, true to the Old Tales more than the fluffy glitter stuff that's all over the place.

Fairies come from deep within the forest and earth, they are not civilized, but have their own way of being. They are not safe in any way, though they can bring blessings. Even so, the blessings have their own baggage and magic never works the way you want it to. So be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Tithe

Oh this one is really choice. One of the boxful of slightly used books I got from my sister for Christmas/Yule, I have to say this is a lovely read, if rather quick, and I enjoyed it completely. Here is a bit of a teaser:

"They have brought back the Tithe, the sacrifice of a beautiful and talented mortal. In the Seelie Court they may steal away a poet to join their company, but the Unseelie Court requires blood. In exchange, those who dwell in the Unseelie lands must bind themselves into service."

So the story unfolds, and there even is a character named Janet, though her part is a supporting character. Written by Holly Black, this was her first novel. Her more recent claim to fame is the Spiderwick Chronicles, which she co-created with artist Tony DeTerlizzi. I finished and ended the book today, and I must say that I love her voice, and am looking forward to reading more of her work. It is technically a young adult novel, but entertaining to old folks like me anyway. I'll add tony's blog to the blogroll, just cause I met him at GenCon many years ago when the Spiderwick Chronicles were first released.

The rest of today will be spent getting supplies and sanding walls to prepare for painting. I've gotta get this house up to full fantasy art snuff! What's the point in having a house that's over 90 years old, has original woodwork, but looks like a dump? Never liked it in all the "fan" houses, and I won't tolerate it in mine either!