Some Real Characters (and Some So-Called Flowers)

Since the last time I popped my head up, I've passed the Series 7, and begun studying for the Series 66.   I am definitely understanding why some people feel the former is more difficult, and some find the latter more difficult.  I haven't decided yet which camp I fall in to... all I know is I'm quite tired and it's showing in my artistic efforts (or lack thereof).

Nia Sonome

Ah yes, another Consult-the-Grid evening.  It came up "original character", so here it is, a little illustration of Gwen's best friend, who is three-quarters Japanese, one quarter British, and 100% Californian.  Aaaaand then when I go looking for entries about Gwen to link to, I realize that there... is exactly one, and it doesn't really tell you much about the actual story.  Hoo boy.  Okay, long story short: the year is 1996, Gwen is a scientifically-minded teenage werewolf, and Nia is her fantasy-minded best friend, and of these two people only one of them is excited about werewolves being A Real Thing.  Their story has been in my brain for over two decades.  Good gods I need to finish it...

Moving on to what I did over the 16th, 17th, and 18th!

Head too squashy.  Oh well.

Recently in our campaign Severan got herself a wolf cloak back from the tanner.  I'd been waiting for this damn thing for over a year in real time (but less than a month in Game Time, apparently) so I was suuuuuuper jazzed about it finally materializing, and of course I wanted to draw it!  Which, to be honest, meant a lot of time staring at Jon Snow.

I was feeling pretty grumpy on the 19th, for no good reason whatsoever, so in an attempt to cheer myself up I decided to create a new D&D character entirely via rolling, and then challenge myself to give them a backstory that forced everything to make sense.

It was actually super fun, and the gods of chaos were obviously smiling down on me, because they gave me things I actually could work with.  When I immediately rolled a Drow cleric, I was a bit concerned, but then I rolled her as Chaotic Neutral, and like I said- it worked out.  And what it worked out to was Tytias Advyn:

I rolled for her features, too: round eyes, straight nose, small mouth.  And her hair (hip length: topknot).  And her coloring.

In fact I  had so much fun putting together Tytias (and her patron goddess, Skiffring) that I drew her mace last night (and a little sketch of her outfit, which, yes, I also rolled for):

I left off the scale mail... maybe tomorrow...

If you're interested in hearing how I made it all work, drop me a line in the comments and I'll post the backstory one of these days... maybe even tomorrow...  I'll probably just keep Tytias in my back pocket in case I ever play a one-shot that I can't appropriately bring my Level 5 Paladin to.

Today was a better day in terms of Grump, in no small part because of a lovely bouquet of daffodils.  So naturally, after a long hard day of eye-crossing studying, I decided I'd try my hand at painting said happy daffodils, really letting myself enjoy the bright yellow and the looseness of the medium...  I won't share the worst of my failures, but I will share the best of them:

Yep.  Those are yellow flowers.  Probably.

Turns out I have sort of regressed in terms of my ability to be patient, which isn't super surprising, given how little time I've been spending on these sketches, lately.  But I have to cut myself some slack- the time will come back, and then I'll be doing more complex/interesting/experimental things again.  And also: they're sketches.  They're not supposed to be perfect.  It's okay Owens OMG.  ::eye roll::

Also also, I'm really jonesing for some solid Writing Time.  ::sigh::  Too many interests, not enough time...

Potpourri Before the Pot

"Our flowers are really holding up well, considering they've been dead for a while.  They're very decorative."

"Yes, that's totally intentional.  It's not just that I'm a shit housekeeper."

not randomly fallen: ARTISTICALLY PLACED

On the Harlyquin Glorybower (in Autumn)

dark wings land
on the gnarled branch
of a half-dead tree
proprietary

i admire the way
his black gloss
is stippled by white
artistic

i imagine paint
flicked from the tip
of a flexing brush
careless

a new arrival
interrupts my thoughts
wings invisible
zephyric

quick brown kisses
for the bright pink buds
zipping in and out
earnest

i watch her flit
torn between delight
and sympathy
rueful

she'll find no nourishment there
they're seed pods
dressed up in sister's petals
masquerading

alone once more
my freckled friend hops
from one branch to the next
curious

his hauteur
shrugged off in an instant
turned to fluff
content

Just Peachy

Saw these lovelies on my afternoon walk today:

so gorgeous they didn't even require an Instagram filter

I have to admit: peachy-pink roses are some of my favorites.

bonus: they smelled divine, too

Rainbow Leaves

Purdy

Seen On a Walk

I try to take a walk every afternoon.  I generally see at least one interesting or amusing or lovely thing.  Today I got to see all of the above:

Given all the Pokemon GO action going on in the world, I halfway expected this to attack.

This cat literally did not even look up as I approached.  He was unconcerned AF.

A particularly nice collection of vivid colors

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

Neither Animal Nor Mineral

When I first caught a glimpse of this, I honestly thought it was an animal's rib cage.  That's how big it was.  I was maybe a little icked out, but couldn't resist getting close enough to see what kind of animal it was.

Vegetable, suckers!

Yellow is for Friendship

I know it's cliched, but I do so love roses.  And there are a lot of lovely ones in the neighborhood where I take my walks on my lunch breaks.

And the smell- glorious!

Climbing the Violet Stair to Heaven

Our clematis is going crazier than ever, and it's making me really happy.

Jack WISHES his vine has been so lovely

It's been really sunny lately, so the interesting thing is that the newest blooms are a much darker purple than the ones that have been open for a day or two.  Behold the intensity:

Glowing!

Here's to the One That Stayed

I've had a bit of a strange relationship with Mother's Day for the past few years.  Three years ago I was dealing with things that kept me pretty distracted.  Two years ago I was pregnant for the second time, and a select few people were wishing me a Happy Mother's Day, although I really wished they wouldn't.  Last year I was pregnant yet again, and happily hidden away in Scotland where no one wished me a Happy Day.  This year, however, I have the External Version of a baby, and I've received all well-wishes (and breakfast-in-bed) with joy and peace in my heart.

My husband (who, as you know, Wins at gift-giving) knocked it out of the park yet again, by getting me a star jasmine, which will bloom every year around this time, thus reminding me of my first True Mother's Day.  Nathan was inspired by the rose bush some friends gave us after the first miscarriage- he said he thought we ought to have some flowers celebrating the Child Who Lived, as well as those that honor the ones who didn't.

Roses Red

Look you guys, it's no secret that I kind of suck at gardening: that as much as I desperately want to be the sort of person who enjoys it, I really, really don't.  I find almost everything about it to be tedious and resentment-inducing, especially if it's a nice day out.

But!

Too bad you can't smell this.  It's wonderful.

I do have very nice roses, which I have managed to not only keep alive, but flourishing.  So maybe there's hope for me yet.

Good job, roses!  Way to bloom!

Dead Baby Roses

In fine form this year.  I think they like the forget-me-not we planted around their base.

and then I put them in a tiny vase to adorn the table

And Cherry Blossoms

I love that time of year when cherry blossoms get confused and think they're snow: falling softly on my hair as I walk, whirling in playful flurries on the passing wind, piling up in drifts so deep that the pavement is completely obscured, dreary gray giving way to optimistic pink.  Making things lovely, soft, and new.

Maybe I should have made a Blossom Angel

I Love Tulips

And there were so very many of them on my walk with Neeps today.

I think I'm going to plant a bunch in my garden this autumn, because they really do cheer me up.

That's For Remembrance

March is frisking about like a bloom-bedecked lamb, and my rosemary is a veritable riot of color and scent, not to mention buzzing with the song of many a contented bee.

Let us sing together, thou and I

Deadwood

The tree couldn't decide if it was dead or alive.

The bark was cracked and falling away in thick swaths near the base of the trunk, revealing a pale wood that was nearly rotted through.  All of the branches on the right side were dry and lifeless, gnarled and twisting black against the bright blue sky.  The branches on the left, however, had put forth dozens and dozens of tiny new twigs, all of which were struggling upwards towards that same sky, and beginning to fuzz with green.

Lady didn't know what to make of it, frankly.

Teasing Spring

I've actually done quite a bit of writing over the past couple of days, but unfortunately I can't share any of it here (yet) because it's all to do with a one-off game I'm planning for some friends.  I'm pretty excited about it, tho', so I do hope to share, eventually.

In the meantime, it is sunny and gorgeous in my neighborhood, and Neeps and I are taking plenty of lovely walks and learning all about things like how pretty crocuses are in the sunshine:

DID YOU KNOW, saffron is a spice derived from the saffron crocus?!

What We Leave Behind

husks

Seasonal Saturation

Now if only there was some snow to set it all off...

you can't handle the red

Hung Like Notes on the Boughs of My Soul

I could not have arranged a more seasonally-appropriate image if I'd painted it myself