one vast, glassy desert of arsenic white
Jan. 31st, 2022 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reflectedeveThis has been an absurdly long month, even for January. I'm ready to move forward with this whole 2022 thing already!
Work is trying to eat me alive with busy--new job continues to be an adventure!--but I have finally convinced my boss to let me have (all of) one day of remote work every week, starting with this Wednesday. I'd have given anything to be able to do it today instead (10 degrees Fahrenheit, unshoveled sidewalks galore, and the buses running 20 minutes late), but she claims the Dean of the College is very against Monday and Friday telework (presumably because of the general atmosphere of suspicion the entire administration of the College has towards staff actually working if we're not under the gimlet managerial eye at all times, because this is such a healthy workplace). Whatever. It's a bit frustrating to feel locked in to this place for another 2-3 years, but I figure it's a reasonable price to pay for the soft career change I was able to make; moving from a purely administrative role to a creative/marketing role with nothing like that on my resume (except education), because I've been with this office for years and they knew I could do it. Now I just have to rack up enough portfolio material and solid career time and I'm out of here. Not sure where to yet, but somewhere else, and quite possibly our of higher ed altogether.
Er, anyway. On the fun and fannish side of things, I'm finally well into my Chocolate Box assignment (which is good, as it's due in a week) and pondering potential treats; I'm also really looking forward to![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
once_upon_fic sign-ups! Writing-based challenges are harder for me than exchanges where I can draw, but I had such a brilliant time adapting Bluebeard last year. It's such a delightfully small, niche exchange. This year I nominated an old favorite obscure story from my favorite class in college: Belle-Belle, ou Le Chevalier Fortuné, by the Countess d'Aulnoy, who is also credited with coining the term "fairy tale" (contes de fées). Also that creepy unattributed tale about the woman who wore a ribbon as a choker that she never, ever took off (you know the one; it's retold as "The Green Ribbon" in In A Dark, Dark Room, among other versions).
Also, today marks the end of my month of X-Men recs over atfanart_recs! These were my picks for this round (not easy to narrow down!):
Astonishing, Uncanny, and Amazing
Characters: Various
Why these pieces are awesome: It’s a neat concept (and well executed); a triptych of three X-book "covers" with different, limited palettes, showcasing various sets of X-characters.
Greetings from Chandilore
Characters: the Summers family (including Logan)
Why this piece is awesome: So many reasons! I mean, I generally love that the recent comics have tacitly made Jean/Scott/Logan canon, so I’m happy to see any fanwork reflecting that - and I love anything traditional-role-reversal-y with Logan especially, so Jean carrying him makes me really happy! Also I generally have all the Summers family feels. (And Rachel looks so butch!)
On a more technical note, love the simple, clear lines & coloring style, the bits of the characters that are visible underwater, and the donut innertube design. Good dynamic body language and expressions, too!
Phoenix Rachel
Character: Phoenix (Rachel Summers)
Why this piece is awesome: It’s a gorgeous piece in general--I love the texture of the traditional media, and the Phoenix effect is awesome--but it’s also a really cool blending of old school and recent designs for the character.
The Claw Catcher
Characters: Jubilee, Gambit, Shadowcat
Why this piece is awesome: So cute! Love the stylistic touches, like the ben-day dots and the classic 90s patterns in the background. The identifiable costumes on the stuffed cats (and the fact that Gambit’s holding a Rogue cat, and Jubes of course has a Wolvie cat).
Hellfire Gala designs: Marrow, Siryn, Threnody and Blink
Why these pieces are awesome: The flawless combination of high fashion extravagance with representations of the characters’ powers and/or superhero uniforms is just deeply impressive.
(Sexy) Wolverine
Characters: Wolverine (Logan)
Why this piece is awesome: Kind of in the spirit of the Hawkeye Initiative, in that Logan is drawn in the kind of sexy pin-up pose more often reserved for female superheroes, but he retains his classic musculature, proportions and hairiness. The parody element is there, but it’s also believably the character in a way I find delightful.
Warlock Loves …
Warning: moving/flashing .gif
Characters: Warlock, Cypher, Magus
Why this piece is awesome: Deeply, delightfully in character. Also, I love Warlock’s appropriately protean form and the way the (very simple) animation plays with it!
A Storm’s A-Brewin’
Character: Storm
Why this piece is awesome: I love how dynamic it is (the hair! The flying coffee - and the way it forms her codename! The chair and table flying away!) and all the little details (Wolverine and Jubilee apparently being very annoying on a call or text! The Black Panther keychain!)
I'll be doing a month of Sailor Moon fanart recs for February!
I could ramble a bit about the end of The Expanse, the cover reveal for Nona the Ninth, and so forth, but this endless pile of work is calling, so I guess I will leave it there for now. Egad.
Work is trying to eat me alive with busy--new job continues to be an adventure!--but I have finally convinced my boss to let me have (all of) one day of remote work every week, starting with this Wednesday. I'd have given anything to be able to do it today instead (10 degrees Fahrenheit, unshoveled sidewalks galore, and the buses running 20 minutes late), but she claims the Dean of the College is very against Monday and Friday telework (presumably because of the general atmosphere of suspicion the entire administration of the College has towards staff actually working if we're not under the gimlet managerial eye at all times, because this is such a healthy workplace). Whatever. It's a bit frustrating to feel locked in to this place for another 2-3 years, but I figure it's a reasonable price to pay for the soft career change I was able to make; moving from a purely administrative role to a creative/marketing role with nothing like that on my resume (except education), because I've been with this office for years and they knew I could do it. Now I just have to rack up enough portfolio material and solid career time and I'm out of here. Not sure where to yet, but somewhere else, and quite possibly our of higher ed altogether.
Er, anyway. On the fun and fannish side of things, I'm finally well into my Chocolate Box assignment (which is good, as it's due in a week) and pondering potential treats; I'm also really looking forward to
once_upon_fic sign-ups! Writing-based challenges are harder for me than exchanges where I can draw, but I had such a brilliant time adapting Bluebeard last year. It's such a delightfully small, niche exchange. This year I nominated an old favorite obscure story from my favorite class in college: Belle-Belle, ou Le Chevalier Fortuné, by the Countess d'Aulnoy, who is also credited with coining the term "fairy tale" (contes de fées). Also that creepy unattributed tale about the woman who wore a ribbon as a choker that she never, ever took off (you know the one; it's retold as "The Green Ribbon" in In A Dark, Dark Room, among other versions).Also, today marks the end of my month of X-Men recs over at
fanart_recs! These were my picks for this round (not easy to narrow down!):Astonishing, Uncanny, and Amazing
Characters: Various
Why these pieces are awesome: It’s a neat concept (and well executed); a triptych of three X-book "covers" with different, limited palettes, showcasing various sets of X-characters.
Greetings from Chandilore
Characters: the Summers family (including Logan)
Why this piece is awesome: So many reasons! I mean, I generally love that the recent comics have tacitly made Jean/Scott/Logan canon, so I’m happy to see any fanwork reflecting that - and I love anything traditional-role-reversal-y with Logan especially, so Jean carrying him makes me really happy! Also I generally have all the Summers family feels. (And Rachel looks so butch!)
On a more technical note, love the simple, clear lines & coloring style, the bits of the characters that are visible underwater, and the donut innertube design. Good dynamic body language and expressions, too!
Phoenix Rachel
Character: Phoenix (Rachel Summers)
Why this piece is awesome: It’s a gorgeous piece in general--I love the texture of the traditional media, and the Phoenix effect is awesome--but it’s also a really cool blending of old school and recent designs for the character.
The Claw Catcher
Characters: Jubilee, Gambit, Shadowcat
Why this piece is awesome: So cute! Love the stylistic touches, like the ben-day dots and the classic 90s patterns in the background. The identifiable costumes on the stuffed cats (and the fact that Gambit’s holding a Rogue cat, and Jubes of course has a Wolvie cat).
Hellfire Gala designs: Marrow, Siryn, Threnody and Blink
Why these pieces are awesome: The flawless combination of high fashion extravagance with representations of the characters’ powers and/or superhero uniforms is just deeply impressive.
(Sexy) Wolverine
Characters: Wolverine (Logan)
Why this piece is awesome: Kind of in the spirit of the Hawkeye Initiative, in that Logan is drawn in the kind of sexy pin-up pose more often reserved for female superheroes, but he retains his classic musculature, proportions and hairiness. The parody element is there, but it’s also believably the character in a way I find delightful.
Warlock Loves …
Warning: moving/flashing .gif
Characters: Warlock, Cypher, Magus
Why this piece is awesome: Deeply, delightfully in character. Also, I love Warlock’s appropriately protean form and the way the (very simple) animation plays with it!
A Storm’s A-Brewin’
Character: Storm
Why this piece is awesome: I love how dynamic it is (the hair! The flying coffee - and the way it forms her codename! The chair and table flying away!) and all the little details (Wolverine and Jubilee apparently being very annoying on a call or text! The Black Panther keychain!)
I'll be doing a month of Sailor Moon fanart recs for February!
I could ramble a bit about the end of The Expanse, the cover reveal for Nona the Ninth, and so forth, but this endless pile of work is calling, so I guess I will leave it there for now. Egad.
(no subject)
Date: 2022-01-31 08:37 pm (UTC)Once_upon_fic sounds like great fun, I hope you get another good year with that :D
(no subject)
Date: 2022-02-01 02:27 pm (UTC)I hope so too! Fairy tale retellings are one of my favorite things.