wangli (feimo) - Dynasty Declining

¤ "Dynasty Declining" is a piece done by wangli who is known as "feimo" on deviantART. She also has a blog on sina.com -- though that is in Chinese hosted a Taiwan server -- http://blog.sina.com.cn/feimo http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/1250749625. I do not believe the two sites are different.

This composition is made up of bluey-black echoes of darkness. I like the artist's technique and her realism within her art -- however the piece takes the life out of my soul. The only section worth a mention are the gems adorning this stony hearted figure. The arrow on the ring looks like it could do some real damage. The spikes on the brooch attached to the vest chain looks like with ease they could draw blood.

Although this piece of art doesn't make me tingle, if you want to go and check out the rest of this artist's gallery you will find her buffet of artistic cuisine on deviantART..

~ Mags

Is this dark figure dark in soul in an evil way -- or in the melancholy way of an Elven "Hamlet". Of course like author choosing a "dark and stormy night" the artist choses the colours they paint and draw with, and the shapes they use. Still this could be the sharp melancholy of a tragic figure. The name "Dynasty Declining" gives us some idea of what the artist is aiming at. "Dynasty" to me implies a long line of ruling or power of some sort and of course "Decline" means coming down from a height of some sort or down a slope. There is decorative artistry taken to an extreme in the weapon being held and the very delicate hints of lace at throat and cuff. How usable would this weapon really be? I realize looking again, that I hadn't realized how the skull in the corner fits in with the "Hamlet" theme. Has this Elven Prince lost his Father before expected?

~ Darrell

Michal Karcz (Karezoid) - World of Sleepers

¤ "World of Sleepers" is a Photo Manipulation by Machal Karcz -- known as Karezoid on deviantArt -- who has his own site Michal Karcz Portfolio where the piece is found in his portfolio section under "Artworks" in the 2007 section where you can see it was used for an album cover for Davide Caprelli's "Respiro".

One's first impression of this talented artist's offering of creativity, could be seen as "blah", and somewhat melancholy. But then I lean forward in my seat and I see the analogy between the bleak darkness and the overwhelming paralysing effect that one encounters when they have any form of mental illness.

On the other hand however, one also wonders if the Moon in the middle of the field is carrying some extraterrestrial visitors coming to take this adventurer home.

~ Mags

When I have looked into a piece of artwork -- I had to search a little to find the actual artist having found the piece without credit to the artist given -- and find that it was used for something like an album cover or book cover -- I wonder which came first, the chicken or the egg. Did the artist create the piece for the project, or did they have the piece already done and when asked to do the project say, "I have the perfect piece of art to use for that already."

Perhaps it doesn't make much difference other than if the artist was asked to create a piece of artwork for a cover, how much was the project driven by someone else's needs and desires? The talent and skill of course are still the artists.

In either case, I love this interesting composition of photos in a photo manipulation. I read somewhere someone putting a caption to it - "NASA, the Moon has Landed." I think with photo compositions as well as any paintings a limited pallet can provide for a powerful piece. All the colour in this image fall in a certain range, yet it does not seem limited at all and is a powerful composition.

An empty field under a moody sky can provide for a very lone and empty feeling -- almost similar in some ways to empty space and perhaps the Moon might be at home there. It also reminds me of some odd lamp lighting the field. Is the lone figure out standing in his field taking a picture of this moon he has found?

The Moon fallen into a field -- that's going to leave a bit of a mark... a bit of a crop circle especially if it starts rolling around.

~ Darrell

It might be interesting to compare this with Pauline Jones' "With a Soft Thud" (Image to left) reviewed earlier in Blended Realms.

Pauline Jones - With a Soft Thud

"With a Soft Thud" is from Pauline Jones' website "Images of Elsewhere". It can be found in the 10th Gallery there. Pauline Jones has another site where she has more recent works at "Pauline Jones: a painter"

A lonely beach, perhaps just after dusk and what do we find on the sands? Perhaps the crescent moon having fallen from the sky?

It makes me wonder if that makes the image even lonelier with the few lone pines a bit separate from the other trees farther back. I can't quite make out if those are the lights of a harbour town across the waves or people with lanterns in boats approaching? If they are people in small boats approaching, are they people who are approaching to help the crescent moon as if it were a beached whale needing rescuing?

The dark rows of thin yet still dark clouds and the flat waves on the water lend to a moodiness that is repeated by the blues of the pallet that the work is done in. It does remind me of some evenings I have spent on beaches with an uncertain breeze on water and in trees.

Pauline Jones puts a lot of feeling into her works and I enjoy what I have seen. There is a lot of variety in her galleries.

~ Darrell

I find this piece of artwork by Pauline Jones to be visually stimulating. My immediate response to this creative inspiration has this luminescent crescent moon fallen from another planet's solar system -- as it looks like it has haphazardly landed upon our shores. Maybe some other planetary creature is missing its home because it has now crashed down here.

~ Mags