Midori Snyder's Blog, page 31

Material Creations: Writing and Handwork

I have added an additional section to the website: Handcraft and the Craft (a link can be found on the left-hand sidebar). I have been weaving lately, knitting like mad and have a couple of embroidered projects to be finished soon. Handwork slows everything down and I find in this age of too much news, too much on facebook to run from, and too much noise, returning to the old arts is a meditative activity. I spent about a two years restoring my loom and this year I am joining in a challenge to knit one pair of a socks a month for a year (along with more small sweaters for my grandchildren and socks for my friends! ). I have a scarf on the loom now that I hope to finish today -- and in the quiet, rhythmic repetition of the shuttle, I will organize the five pages of writing I also want to finish later today.

Working Through Pain

For the last three years I have been dealing with chronic mechanical back pain that has given me good months and bad months; months where I am doing a pretty good job of healing and getting stronger, followed by a month or two of terrible almost incapacitating pain. It's really frustrating -- but I am still moving as much as I can. This is shaping up to be a good month -- lots of extra walking along the Rilliato River and I have added a longer bike ride. Averaging about 3 miles a day walking every day and about 4 miles a few times a week on biking. Starting a Whole 30 paleo food transition -- it's time for me and my sugar monster to part ways, and I am hoping it will also help to lower inflammation in my back. Change is good.

And More Faces of Oran: Mixed Medias

I dug this out of my original this National Geographic, April 1982 photograph of a young Bedouin girl who was the early model in my imagination for Lirrel -- although I based her and her family structure on one of the matrilineal nomadic tribes in India that made their living through performance of song, dances, and acrobatics. Next, is a recent find by artist Dent Niggemeyer which had overtones of the Vaggers, a class of Oran travellers whose faces are tattoed with tree-like whorls and last a wonderful small watercolor by Australian artist Cherry Hood which reminded me of a younger Jobber.

And More Faces of Oran: Mixed Media

I dug this out of my original this National Geographic, April 1982 photograph of a young Bedouin girl who was the early model in my imagination for Lirrel -- although I based her and her family structure on one of the matrilineal nomadic tribes in India that made their living through performance of song, dances, and acrobatics. Next, is a recent find by artist Dent Niggemeyer which had overtones of the Vaggers, a class of Oran travellers whose faces are tattoed with tree-like whorls and last a wonderful small watercolor by Australian artist Cherry Hood which reminded me of a younger Jobber.

The Faces of Oran in Modern Photography.

The Oran Trilogy like most book series has a fairly large cast gathered from the streets of the city of Beldan, the waterways and the shore, the Islands, and the rolling hillsides of the countryside. And over this last year as I have been re-editing the books in preparation for publishing them in e-book editions again, I have also been delighted to find images of their faces come my way -- not perfect, but suggestive, something in the expression that resonants. When it happens, I am always astonished to see that spark of recognition, as if it were proof that somewhere in the world, the characters are enjoying a life of their own.  These are pretty glamorous photos, a little too "clean" perhaps, but there is something about them that feels right to me. Jobber, Lirrel, Kai, the three most important characters in New Moon. 

 Photo Credits: "Luca" by Agata Serge,  "Girl With Green Eyes, by David Lazar, Still looking for the photographer of this one. 

Visual Nutrition: Finding the Satyrs of The Innamorati

Every time I work on a book, I spend almost as much time looking for evocative images as I do the right word or phrase. I never know exactly where I will find them -- though heaven knows, Pinterest has provided me with much joy recently. And I now keep all the found images from my past (when I used to spend the day collecting xeroxes from the Art section of the University Library) and the newer ones now available in internet searches on my pinterest boards, instead of yellowing and cracking on my bulletin board. (See the full photograph of this pair here.)

Here are two favorites -- These were part of an article on a fashion shoot, photographed by Annie Leibovitz and featuring a young designer, Matthew Barney who created a myth-inspired event with these remarkable satyrs. The first time I saw them, I had only just finished introducing the satyrs in my novel of 16th century Italy, The Innamorati, and my head and heart jolted at the familiarity of what I had written and what I was seeing in a fashion magazine in a doctor's waiting room. Here's how they first appeared in the novel when the young heroine Zizola discovers herself pulled into the thickets of the great maze and carried away by a rough crew of satyrs:

 "...Her head was bouncing up and down, but she couldn't help noticing that the abductor was only partially man, naked to the waist and flocked with patches of light brown hair. Below the small of his back the smooth skin became a pelt of shaggy brown fur. A short, scraggly tail flicked with excitement and two long spindly legs terminatng in black hooves cut deep grooves in the dirt as he ran...Following close behind her captor were three other creatures, prepared Zizola thought, to relive this one if she prove too heavy. Their faces were squat and ugly, with protruding wide brows that hung like balconies over their deep-set yellow eyes. Horns burst through the skin of their forehead and curled back over short manes of thick hair. Their noses were lumpy and their lips were thick and red..."

 

Only later, when the satyrs at last put her down, kicking and complaining and very afraid of them, does Zizola realize

that their intention is not to harm her, but to care for and protect her -- an unexpected opportunity for a girl who has grown up in poverty on the streets of Labyrinto. What was fearsome about them, becomes comforting as she is drawn into the wildness of the maze. 

"They gathered around her, their bodies close and pressing. She felt the warm breath of one on the nape of her neck, the touch of another on her hair. Even the one she had scratched caressed her shoulder. The largest satyr took her hand and turning it over, kissed the palm. He looked down, his yellow eyes gazing at her from beneath heavy brows...For all their wildness, their hands were soft. She was captivated by the ivory sheen of their curling horns and the pomegranate redness of their lips. Even their musky scent had a certain forest charm to it that she found more tolerable than the sour breath of drunks in the street. "

Edo Superstar! Fabulous New Game Illustrated in the Style of Ukiyo-e Woodblock Art.

For quite a while now. I have been a big fan of the stunning art work of Jed Henry and Daniel Bull, who used Kickstarter back in 2013 to showcase their remarkable art that combined the modern action figure with a 19th century Japanese woodblock style. I loved this work the moment I saw it! It begins with Jed's creation line art with a traditional calligraphy brush and then Daniel painstakingly carving out the woodblocks from the artwork. To have an appreciation of how enormously talented these two artists have a look at their process videos...it's pretty mind-blowing. 

And now I am super excited because Jed Henry has partnered with a group of game designers to animate these wonderful characters into Edo Superstar! a "lightning fast mobile RPG"  game that can be played on one's phone. It has all the artistry of the original work with the simplicity of an easy to operate handheld game. The story line as you can see from the video above is great -- and oh my goodness, the cast of characters, from villians to heroes, fox, tiger, wolf, octopus, rooster, crab, and best of all, the trickster Monkey. With lots of daring action and humor in it -- it should be a blast, and I hope a huge success. Stop by the Edo Superstar  website to get the full look at the wonderfulness of this new game. It is currently available for iPhones (downloads available from the website-- and the Android version is coming soon)  Can.Not.Wait. My thumbs are already itching to try it out. 

 

How I Will Spend Election Night and Maybe Even the Next Four Years.

Halloween Night When It's Time To Party Like the Dead

My favorite seasonal animations all in one place. I love these little films -- funny, poignant, and a reminder that even death cannot stop the desire for love. Enjoy these while ripping open all those little brightly packaged candies meant for the tricktreaters...

"Hasta Los Huesos" or "Down to the Bone" from director Ren�� Castillo, 2010 Hasta los Huesos (nstituto Mexicano de Cinematograf��a / Calavera Films). How to come to terms with dying -- which in true Mexican fashion involves drinking, singing, and remembering.

 

 "To Die By Your Side": I love this racy, charming little stop animation video created by filmmaker Spike Jonze and designer Olympia Le-Tan. For a bookish person who thinks all bookstores are magical places anyway, it is wonderful to see the naughty night romances of the cover illustrations.

 

And just because even in 1929, with the Great Depression hanging on the world, Disney skeletons still found life and music worth celebrating.

My Pet Skeleton: Vince Marcone's Gothic Art and Film

I am a big fan of the weird, creepy and beautiful goth-inspired art of Vince Marcone whose website My Pet Skeleton is the perfect place to visit during the spooky season. Gothic, skeletal, and awesome. He has also created terrific animated films, equally beautiful and haunting. Here is a recent film, "The Lady ParaNorma," searches for the dead whose voices whisper in her ears. 

 

 And do have a look at this wonderful interview with Mr. Marcone where he discusses the inspiration for his work -- fairy tales, the stories of his German grandmother. Here too he also talks about the making of this lovely,  spooky film.