Title:Into the Forbidden Forest
Fest: founders gifts on LJ
Gift for: peskywhisitpaw
Author/Artist: venturous
Characters/Pairing:Rowena/Godric
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Genres: mystery, romance

Author's/Artist's Notes: peskywhisitpaw, I enjoyed your prompts because they generated all manner of stories as I mused on who and what to draw for you. But the allure of a mystery was too strong for these two to resist! Thanks to Founders Gifts mods and participants for shedding light on wonderful, essential and oft neglected HP characters.

Art created in PS3 using a highly-processed iStock photo background (see below) and original figures. This was an experiment with light effects and I'm pleased and surprised with the direction it took.

Summary: Drawn by a mysterious light, Rowena and Godric are drawn deeper into the Forbidden Forest, until they have lost their way. Will Rowena's familiar be able to resist the enchantment and help them find their way?




here's the photo I started with:

Current Mood: pleased

yes, you read that right. put down your coffee and

click here

Agh!! My web skills are too poor for most of the jobs I'm seeing.
Fortunately I am a quick study!

Maybe you can help cheer me on... ( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

from deborak and littleblackbow :

The problem with LJ/IJ/DW: we all think we are so close, but really, we know nothing about each other. So ask me something you want to know about me. Something that should be obvious, but you have no idea about. Ask away. Then post this in your journal and find out what people don't know about you.

• Older dog Seneca survived her minor surgery successfully. Two bumps removed and clean teeth, no extractions. She came home a bit loopy and has stitches, but she is perking up.
• listening to a fun podfic via this podcast, called A Little More Time by Pallas, wherein Teddy rescues his parents and brings them into 2018. Not for the Remus/Tonks averse, but so far I love her Teddy and Tonks characterizations
• reading a fic I like in the rs_games , Common Woodbrown. AU, Remus raises baby Harry. It's a writing style I love, rich with mood and imagery, and it's filling in some of the mysterious years and Sirius' backstory, things I have always found baffling.
• as you may have noticed, I am taking a break from Snarry, post Games. Feel free to recc your favorite non-Snape, non-Harry fics: long, mysterious, angsty and full of magic and UST are love.
• submitted my FMLA paperwork and am on leave for two blissful weeks.
• made appointments for therapy, massage, gyn, MD for checkup. Already have dentist appt.
• made a yummy bean-rice thing:

Current Mood: amused

It seems after many months of feeling trapped at work, I've had two felicitous events that combine to give me two weeks  of leave and some relief from a desperately tight budget. I can hardly believe it, but I am so relieved!!!

Late bills have been caught up, Seneca's (minor) surgery is now affordable, I can invest in some interview clothes. And, I am looking at two weeks wherein under doctor's orders I am to rest, excercise, meditate, see the therapist, and experiment with how well my medication works without the stress of dealing with my hostile boss. Two weeks ago I couldn't imagine this... I felt like a hamster on a wheel. Two weeks from now I expect I shall feel like a different person.

My first mission will be to get my arse to the gym each day. Two weeks with my dogs! Two weeks at home! Cool, quiet, and time to think. ahhhhh.

Current Mood: grateful

clickee here for poodle!Snape

Yummy curry!

You can make it on the stovetop or slow oven:

Current Mood: chipper

3, 4 days of rain and the pleasure of damp and grey is getting to me.  I have not made it into the studio today.

but, art is happening in the form of sketches, ideas, and one project has become fic and is writing me. er, I am writing it. I think it shall be several drawings strung together by illustrations. watch hp_darkfest for more!

and, napping, yay!  I read and doze off until book smacks me on nose. Then I snooze more.

and then there is surfing for mere amusement. ah, it feels so good! Tribute vids, ficlets and drabbles, emails and stuff.

In defense of myself, I DID take the dogs out for a real walk in the windy cold rain. They have this curly wool armor, and could care less. In fact, Lily had a blast running through the tall grass after phantom bunnies. I am sure any real bunnies were snug and warm in their burrow.

It is nice weather for ducks... a huge raft of waterfowl that we never see in warm weather has landed in the mouth of Accokeek creek.  Likely it is grebes, canvasbacks and buffleheads.

Current Mood: lethargic

Artist: venturous
Title: Nice Wandwork, Young Man
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Minerva/Severus
Media: Pastel and a bit of PS
Warnings: teacher/student, explicit penetrative het sex
Summary: Severus found he could enhance his education with extensive private tutoring in Transformations
Artist's Notes: Drawn for the 2009 HP Beholder fest on Insane Journal, for my giftee, the irrepressible tripperfunster . Inspired by the drawings of french erotic artist Louis Jaugey.

( click for NWS art )

for a little project I am working on, your ideas, pleasePoll #4468 where are they buried?
Open to: All, results viewable to: All

Where is Remus Lupin's grave?

Where is the Sirius Black 'grave'?

I'm participating for the second time in a little fest called Founder's Gifts on LJ, and my gift posted today.

The fest gives the Hogwarts Founders some time and space... characters that have left a powerful legacy, but of whom we know so little. Here we get to explore them a bit.

My gift is a comic, dreamlike and mysterious, that hints at matters of the heart, shows a close connection between Salazar and Rowena, and touches both the triumph and tragedy of the Founders' legacy.
go take a look!

Drabble/Drawbles from SlashRetreat

(read here)

DC Slashers want drabble prompts now!

first five who comment with slash pairing and a few prompt words gets a drabble from our talented team!

hah! the obligitory event post that says "Squeee! I'm hanging out with lesyeuxverts , r_grayjoy , la_dissonance , and entrenous88 ."

Picspam later. we are well fed and lazy.

Professor Sprout, Sluggy, Snape, Lucius and others get interviewed for San Francisco's Eye on the Bay tv:

I made this Big Bold Decision to leave my job this past weekend, hired a coach, got a new Goddess spirit guide and all. So since then work has been anticlimatic, wait-and-see, and calm. **iz confused** Well, maybe not really. I have Things to Do, like a graphic design web site and a resume. So, it's one step at a time. I'm on my way. Somewhere.

Meanwhile, I am getting excited about Slash Retreat DC 2009!! Fabulous fangirls are convening from the north, south and west on the Holy Unpredictable Manor for the weekend. I am getting ready for some serious fun!

And, I stumbled upon a quirky little movie called Bruno, and no, it's not THAT one. Imagine a brilliant schoolboy who wears dresses, played most articulately by a young Alex D. Linz, Kathy Bates as the mother superior, Shirley McLain as his butch grandma (and director), and lots of other charming performances. It's all about being who you really are. **is heartwarmed** And, it has a wonderful last line!

Oh, and, I just go this nice shiny medal! **beams**

Here are some of the menus for the weekend.

• black bean chili
• baked potato
  
• salsa
• avocados
• cheese
• sour cream

• ginger tofu stirfry
• szechwan green beans
• brown rice

• roasted veggies
• pasta with marinara
• garlic bread
• salad vert

• veggie chowder
• spinach salad
• bread
• cheese

• pumpkin muffins
• scrambled eggs
• breakfast potatoes

• blueberry wholegrain pancakes
• veggie sausage

• oatmeal with raisens and apples

...has settled into my head for the weekend. Ugh. **sneeze** I guess I need the down-time, and the weather is cooperating: cool and grey. No chance of The Tyranny of Good Weather today!

The TV gods have been supportive: I am watching Brazil, and have forgotten how much I love this movie!! It's dystopian! It's dark yet hilarious! It's critical of our fucked-up work culture! And Tuttle has to be one of my favorite characters ever, the subversive repairman: he who can actually fix things.

Then there is my lovely housemate, who went to fetch me hot n sour soup. And my critters, glad to have someone to curl up with. Who needs get-up-n-go?

I hope your ductwork is all in good working order!

over and out for now
(achoo)

Here's a step by step of how I made my painting for the Snarry_Games. One of my prompts was Literary & Historical, and the Historical part is the technique I used to make the art.

Pre-sketching, I looked at paintings by Rubens and lots of St George and St Michael paintings. Fortunately I live near the National Gallery of Art! Here are links to a few of them.
The Fall of Phaeton, Peter Paul Rubens this one in particular inspired me.
St. George and the Dragon, Raphael
St. Michael defeating Satan, Raphael

Please enjoy the tutorial!

( Read more... )
And please click here and VOTE on my Games art! the 2009 Combined Games have finished posting, and Team Cauldron is still reaching for the Gold!

Current Mood: accomplished