A portrait ...

It is a strange thing, but, what is perhaps one of my finest drawings, I can only take some of the credit for it, not all. See, I have never, try as I might, been able to draw a good close-up of a face. I was never able to. Until I cheated. A trick I learned from an old friend.



I found an absolutely beautiful picture on The Internet, put my piece of paper against the screen, and traced along the outline of the profile. I also traced the facial features. After that I just looked at the picture to draw it.

I actually used two different versions of the same picture. One was dark and closely cropped, the other was clear and you could see more of her.

I would like to link to both o them but that wouldn't work, so, here is a link to the first picture:

http://www.warofthering.net/quintessential/movieshots/galadriel_closeup.jpg

I am not sure exactly when I drew the picture, but I believe it was sometime around February or March. I think.

It is the only one of my drawings of it's kind, and I am rather fond of it. Forgive me if I sound smug, but, I think my picture even better that the original. Only a little though, only a little.

Have a glorious day.

The Shepherd

Here is another one of my drawings. It is called The Shepherd, for reasons I need not explain.

It is a bit different from my other ones, in a few ways, actually. First, it is in an open field, my pictures are always in forests. And second: his clothes. He is wearing a simple tunic and sandals. The men in my drawings are always wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, boots and sometimes a jerkin, and, from time to time capes. Basically just very medieval. But I like this picture very much. It is one of my favorites.


Perhaps, 'tis partly because I like shepherds so much. I admire so greatly the qualities needed to be a shepherd. I have herd that that sheep are the second stupidest animals there are (The first being turkeys, so I've been told.), so he must be very patient, and extremely watchful, as they will eat poisonous plants. He is also very gentle and caring, and strong. A man is only truly strong when he is first gentle. I could be wrong or something...


...but I doubt it.

Have a glorious day.

A Drawing

I am an artist. All of you, my dear readers, know this. But, sadly, you have seen precious few of my drawings. I decided to do something about that. I couldn't before, seeing as how our scanner was not very good. We have a new, wonderful, scanner now, and it works beautifully! My dear sister, Kae, scanned a few of my pictures for me, cropped out close ups, re-sized them and put them on my computer. For this I am extremely grateful.


I chose to to do this one first, as a sort of a thank-you post for my sister: this is one of her favorite of my drawings. You can click on them to make them larger to get a better look.


It is of a fellow and his friend beside a little waterfall and pool. His name is Ariel, Ariel Anavah. Please don't think of Ariel as a girl's name. It was first masculine, Hebrew, "Lion of God". Anavah is also Hebrew, meaning "meek", for such is the lad. I do not know the name of the girl.


I started the picture on January 16, and probably finished it within the following weeks. I always amused that, since their clothes were so nice, they had gone out for a walk before a feast. Being young and merry folk, this walk broke into a run and she scaled a tree.

Have a wonderful day.

My Dear Mother...

I wish I had a beautiful poem to recite, but I have none. I even wish that I had words fitting and dear, but these are far from me. All I have to say is this: I love you my dear Mother more than any person I have ever known or ever shall. Let all the world become as darkness to me if I should ever stop loving you.


This wretched world does not deserve you, and those who know you are the most fortunate people there are because they do.


This post is for you, on the anniversary of your birth. I shall always remember it because you are dear to me.

I love you My Dear Mother.

Remember...

On this day, and always, Dear Reader, remember those brave and loyal men who fought and gave their lives for their country and your freedom which you now so peacefully enjoy. Remember them and be grateful for them, that is the least we can do for our brothers and fathers who gave so much.

God bless America

The Plivice Lakes

I know, I know: I've all ready done a post on the Plitvice Lakes. But I felt the need to do another one, for a few reasons. First, that post was only the second I had ever done (i.e, it wasn't that great) and second, the lakes are so pretty and I wanted to share with you how awesome this place is.


Really, the other day I was looking at pictures of them and thinking: wow these are awesome, I have to do another blog post on them. Well, more or less.

In case you were wondering, this is the only picture, so far, to appear twice on my blog

The Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, hast to be one of the coolest places; I would absolutely love to go there and see them for myself. Do you know what's really cool? Years ago, when I was a little kid, I saw a documentary on The Plitvice Lakes. Of course, I had no clue in a million years where they were, or what their name was. So, all these years later, I was looking up stuff about Croatia on The Internet and I discovered The Plitvice Lakes. And, even though I hadn't previously known the name, it wasn't long before I realized that this was the place that I had seen in the documentary.


Croatia has such an interesting color to it. No, no, not a historical color or cultural color (Well, it has that, too.) I mean an actual color, an odd, blue-greenish-gray chalky color. The trees, the rocks the grass, the water, all seem to have that color that I see only in Croatia. (In pictures: I've never been there.) It is not a color that I am fond of, but no other place is really like it an any way so I do find it extremely interesting.


I have thought, from time to time, that at The Plitvice Lakes, in some places, it looks like the plumbing is broken, like there is a leak somewhere with water just randomly gushing out.



I have been reading a bit about Croatia lately and it really does sound like a neat place. It is really a dreadful shame that my geography book made it sound so dull, as dull as you can make something in one little paragraph. I really can't forgive it for that: I, generally, forget about things that are, or at least, sound dull. It is my opinion that geography books should be interesting and well written and that people should be well informed on the subject: NO one should have to ask where a country is. I speak from experience, Dear Reader.


My first Plitvice Lakes post had some great links to places that had lots of information and pictures. So if you are interested in more than my jabbered opinions, you can look there.


You probably read several posts ago how much I love water. Well, The Plitvice Lakes to a person who is obsessed with waterfalls, streams, lakes, springs etc., is like a car junkyard to a person who is obsessed with rusty metal. In other, more poetical words, a dream come true. Really, this place is awesome! Extremely AWESOME.

All of these glorious pictures are from

Bruno Monginoux /
www.Landscape-Photo.net
(cc-by-nc-nd)

Thank you so much for your glorious site of beautiful, free, pictures.

Citadel and Fortress...

Greetings, my dear Friend.

I am now the proud authoress of two blogs. Fear not: By Castle and River is still my favorite and my main blog; the other, called Citadel and Fortress , is going to be all about castles.

If I do a post about a particularly interesting or beautiful castle, (The term for the two together is cool.) I will do a post of it here.

Now you might think, "But your Blog is called 'By CASTLE and River'! Why don't you just blog about all of your castles on it!?" And I have an answer: the word "Castle" in my title does not necessarily imply that I am blogging about castles, but rather, a world where castles are not ruins, museums, and places for people to visit but mighty structures where great kings rule and powerful armies defend.

If you are not impressed, just wait: it will soon improve.

Julie