I know what you mean about life - I had a couple of years there where I was barely able to do, like, anything. But hey, you made it back!
Someone had told me - Kaitlyn, in fact - but this gives me a chance to talk about it! I've always liked Diaz's art style, and seeing someone work through the Silm like this is thrilling. I like a lot of the pictures - though, being me, I do object to some things:
-Melian has horns. Wut.
-Yavanna-the-deer. While technically she is the patron of wild animals, the deer is more associated with Orome the Hunter - or Nessa, who specifically associates with them. I do like the linking of the antlers with tree branches, though.
-I think he's made Melkor too dark. He has devil horns and a dragon tail - why, exactly, did the Valar think he'd repented? I like the linking of his appearance with that of the balrogs (he was the Vala of Darkness and Fire, which they are spirits of), but I think it's a bit... eh. I suppose the argument could be made that the 'devil' association is because of Melkor - that, assuming our world = Middle-earth, those aspects were originally non-evil, but have become so because of him - but it's a bit too blunt, I think.
And since it's a constitutional requirement on the Board to discuss the Sons of Feanor when they come up (isn't it? Can we get that put in?), I think he's hit Cel'n'Cur dead on. Caranthir I can get behind. Amrod and Amras... don't have personalities anyway, so I can't comment either way. Maedhros I guess, though it's playing up the 'tragic' a bit much. But I don't much like Maglor.
That's not true. I think he looks just fine - but his expression is too evil'n'angry. Remember, he's the only one who ever said 'Silmarils... yeah, can we not steal them?'. He wrote the Noldolante - the song about how rubbish all their decisions were. I don't see him as being that angry-looking.
My favourite pictures are probably Feanor making the Silmarilli, and the Two Trees. Oh, and the Lamp. I guess I just like light. ;)
Right, should I talk about something else? Heeeeey, New Cal crows! Why do I suspect they're actually escapees from the PPC City, and that's why they're so smart? (Probably because the alternative is too terrifying for words)
Speaking of writers' block, I have a fairly ridiculous way of getting around that - randomised stories. They're often easier to tell verbally than write down, but it works both ways. The way it works is to take... something. Anything, really - I have a set of Story Cubes which are quite fun to work with (and I think there's an app), but I've also used the semi-precious stones I have around the house to cobble together a lithomancy set, not for fortune-telling (because it's a ridiculous method), but because it tells great stories. I'm sure you can think of other things to work with - illustrated playing cards, for instance. Then, rather than trying to write a story, let the thingies do it for you; you just have to add the words.
(I'm actually doing a full-on random version of this: with the plot decided by story cubes, the characters by a combination of Dragon Dice and tarot, names by random letter generation, and places by litho'mancy'. It's good fun, if a little surreal - my protagonist is a blind Ent)
HOW 'BOUT THEM TELERI. Man, all that hanging about by the seashore, mucking about in (very pretty) boats - it's a good life, in't it? Not to mention the truly vulgar number of pearls they get - and the high collars, if the Silmarillion Project is to be believed.
hS
PS: You're a Baron! If you want to come down and join the fun, we'd love to hear the Epic Tale of Baron VixenMage. ~hS