Poll results
Added 2020-02-01 09:33:00 +0000 UTCI asked the Union of Maedhros tiers and up to help me choose my next piece - and it seems that the Prophecy of the North, the death of Fëanor, and “Utúlië’n Aurë" are hot on the list! I had some fun with my body-kun figurines yesterday again. My daughter fell about laughing at the dramatic death scenes playing out on my desk. This, by the way is THE best use for those dummies - figures interacting! You can quickly get one person to pose for you, but for several to pose, and get what you want of them, and interact the right way (and not grumble) - that's hard.
The death of Fëanor is one of the pieces I haven't drawn since the infamous 1995 comic, and I now feel up to the spirit fleeing as well as the burning. (I think.) I also want to portray the aftershock of Fëanor's last command, to keep the oath. The sons don't know that that Fëanor realised it was impossible; but we do. :( Having re-listened to John Garth recently(ish), I couldn't fail to see the parallel to a First World War general dooming a younger generation to be slaughtered in a battle he knew could not be won.
I have a few good things coming up - wallpapers and linearts for the higher tiers! The pins, in the meantime, will be delayed - they are being produced in China, and the factories are all closed until 10 February because of the corona virus.
Comments
I find the PPP to be both extremely accessible and extremely profound. These guys know their stuff - both their Tolkien, their HoMe, their secondary literature (Shippey, Flieger, Anderson, Olsen, ...) AND their theology and philosophy. There's such an incredible lot of insight there, I could listen to it all day (and in fact, I am...)
Jenny Dolfen
2020-02-01 22:03:50 +0000 UTCI am super excited!!! Ahh, I can't wait to see new sketches and lineart!!! I could dive into a deep rabbit hole about the subject matter myself, but I ought to stay on the ground! XD I very much agree, such a parallel is absolutely very depressing, yet in some way potentially hopeful (depending on the choices made by the next generations to come). This topic really encourages me to undergo a further in-depth book study on the Silmarillion now! I'm definitely going to check out the Prancing Pony Podcast, it sounds really fascinating. As much as I love Tolkien, I'm not the greatest reader as I get distracted way too easily (thanks ADHD). I think this podcast would make a great reading companion for myself.
Emily Sheldrake
2020-02-01 20:11:27 +0000 UTCOooh, great topic! Shaun and Alan of the Prancing Pony Podcast actually bring that up a lot, so it's quite on my mind. I think their take on it is that there is free will (in humans more than in Elves), and that it has to be exercised in order to bring Ilúvatar's plans to fruition. Even if it is exercised in a way that feels directly contrary to the will of Ilúvatar, other things will happen in roundabout ways that bring his will to pass - "he shall prove but mine instrument". I do think there is free will here. Fëanor certainly made a lot of use of it.
Jenny Dolfen
2020-02-01 19:12:25 +0000 UTCAnd yet. And yet. The Calvinists and Arminians have argued for centuries about whether we fallen human beings are even able make ultimate choices without the direct gracious intervention of God. Tolkien, good Catholic that he was, I think would have held that God / Ilúvatar holds us accountable for our choices even when it seems we have no choice. That certainly is how it plays out in the Silmarillion and LOTR.
Steven Tryon
2020-02-01 18:57:46 +0000 UTCYou know, rethinking this scene (drawing it for hours and hours will do that to you) - I don't think he had a choice. He foresaw that no power of the Noldor would ever overthrow Thangorodrim, but how could he have broken that to his sons? He did not have the power to absolve them of the oath they had sworn to Ilúvatar. If he had allowed them to rescind it, it would still have been binding, dooming them to everlasting darkness. I think this was Fëanor's final curse - to understand that his children were either doomed to die in battle, or face the everlasting darkness. Maglor alone was willing to face that rather than spill more innocent blood. Fëanor would never have demanded it of them. It doesn't make the moment any less heartbreaking, but it actually makes Fëanor's final command slightly less damning.
Jenny Dolfen
2020-02-01 17:46:11 +0000 UTCOne of the saddest scenes in the entire corpus. Given the chance to choose between redemptive and damnation for his sons, Fëanor chose the latter.
Steven Tryon
2020-02-01 17:37:37 +0000 UTCOooh can't wait to see the Death of Fëanor! It's going to be emotional, but I'll love it still. Anything with the Fëanorians is great!
Sophie JC
2020-02-01 11:27:25 +0000 UTCOh, John Garth is one of the nicest, and smartest, people on this planet! I spent a lot of time with him in Birmingham last year. :)
Jenny Dolfen
2020-02-01 11:26:11 +0000 UTCI hope to finish shipping by mid-February! And yes, Maedhros will be the one to hold his father. I went back and forth with it, obviously wanting to put him in a prominent place, but I think that, though he wasn't dearest to his father, it would have been his place.
Jenny Dolfen
2020-02-01 11:25:03 +0000 UTCI live with them, basically. When they get really nasty, I pop in an ibuprofen and go on... Being productive is more important to me right now!
Jenny Dolfen
2020-02-01 11:23:43 +0000 UTCOh my, this one is going to make me cry, but I asked for it, didn't I? (and that's definitely a print I'll get for one of my walls <3 ) Btw, I thought about you last week as I went to a conference during which John Garth made a fantastic presentation ; you would have loved it! (and I'm proud to say that this kind man accepted to sign my example of Tolkien and the Great War!). Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing this Silm scene which, btw, is one of my favourite! take care xx
Litsen
2020-02-01 10:15:16 +0000 UTCThese figurines look funny, but the painting itself will be sooo difficult to look at. :'( I guess the one holding Feanor will be Maedhros? ... I'm so excited for the pins! The hobbit one will be a perfect gift for Easter for my cousins. ... By the way, have you already finished shipping all the "Friends in need" paintings?
Anjuschka
2020-02-01 10:12:09 +0000 UTCI can't wait to see you tackle that scene. And can I just say how awesome it is you're so productive again? I only hope your eyes will be nice and refrain from giving you any further trouble...
Ninchen
2020-02-01 09:44:08 +0000 UTC
