Hello all! Let me first start with a big THANK YOU to my second readers for teaming up and reading 'Twisted Cord'. I'm getting some fascinating and thought-provoking mails and IMs right now, and they're really helping me tighten up the book! Thank you so much for giving the novel a read-through!
I thought I might show you some of the artwork that I've been creating on the side while thinking about the Folded Earth and its characters and environments. To begin with, I've created about 14 photo-manipulations that show settings in the world of the Folded Earth, and one of these is sure to pop up in this blog as I talk about the book. They look like this:
They're good at showing the contrast between the realms of the Fata and Elves, and the lands of the Londs and Scinan. There's definitely more mysticism involved in one space than there is in the other. But both are beautiful. The difference in habitats is also the difference between the races.
But aside from compiling these sorts of photographs, and creating photo-manips, I've also done some small watercolour paintings about events in the Folded Earth.
They aren't very large, these paintings, but they did help me to think outside of the story a little. For example, this is a time during which the Fata King is travelling down to Bridge Township. The painting made me realize how much patience he had to expend just to get through his lands, and the Warp, and down to where the Township lay. He must have enjoyed journeying through his lands like this, though. He hadn't done it in a long time. It's also very idyllic in this little expanse of river. Pretty as a picnic!
Less peaceful was my painting of the fire salamander that struck the Township, and also, the final look that the King gives Township as he departs in Book 1 (which is actually a little sad)! Btw, the painting looking back at Kessian's twin warehouses was done before I managed to find the photograph I use for Bridge Township, but that turned into a happy accident indeed!
I've since moved on to some paintings of the King himself. But... representative artwork is really still underway in my head! Considering that he's recorded in many books as 'An Bealteinn' (or The Beautiful One), which is a burden in his life, at the same time it lets him get away with all kinds of mischief, he's really lovely. And no end of trouble.
Knowing me, I'm likely to create more artwork going forward from here! Thanks for taking a look at these Folded Earth inspired photo-manips and paintings, digital and otherwise! And Happy Reading!
