Swanhaven

Fanart blog. Prints available on my society6 store.

[imindhowwelayinjune]

Missed Connections

Dedication: A very warm and happy birthday to my dear @cygnete! I know it’s been a while since we’ve dabbled with these two, but I figure some ships never get old… And if once a year, on the celebration of your birth, I get to write another episode of these idiots’ correspondence, then I’m certainly not going to complain. 

Summary: The Lords of Nargothrond and Himlad exchange letters. And visits. And various bodily fluids. What they don’t do is coordinate. 

Notes: Here on Ao3. A direct sequel to Correspondingly So. 

Dear Finrod, Lord Felagund of Nargothrond, named Nóm by the smaller peoples, etc etc,

This letter may arrive no faster than I but I thought it only polite to inform you that following a period of protracted silence from your noble halls – and following an implied invitation during your last visit to Himlad – I have decided to take it upon myself to make the trek west. Perhaps you will argue that it would be even more polite to have informed you of this prior to my departure but to this I have a threefold rebuttal:

You did not ask me if you could stay last time, you simply appeared. This establishes a pattern I am comfortable replicating.

It was my understanding that at any rate – and given your enthusiasm for my company last we met – you had left the invitation to visit standing.

I knew you would say yes.

I shall see you in three days. Less, by the time you get this. Perhaps I shall already be drinking your wine by the time you receive it in which case: lucky you.

Sincerely,

Curufin, Lord of Himlad

Dear Curufin,

Hallo! It’s me.

I haven’t heard from you in months and while my advisors and sister have informed me – with regrettable enthusiasm – that this may simply mean that you are dead, I have decided to hedge my bets. I considered simply appearing on your doorstep, given this worked out so amiably last time, but after a day on the road I have decided it would be only gentlemanly to send a message ahead.

I do not know how swift this pigeon is – she is a merry sort but prone to diverting if a charming berry appears – but with any luck she will beat me to your front door and give you at least a semblance of fair warning that my arrival is impending.

My affection and apologies to you and your charming son – I would extend it to your brother as well but I have a feeling it would be treated as so many merry pigeon leavings.

Yours,

Finrod

(Read more)

[sanctaseraphina]

Happy Birthday to my lovely BFF and co-author of @thestoopgallants, @imindhowwelayinjune!! (everyone should go read that comic at once no excuses). 

Okay so I’m like two days late but it’s the thought that counts. 

Also the whole time while I drew this my brain kept calling Ru “Blond Jesus” and I am so, so sorry (that’s a lie).

[patreon] [instagram] [society6]

[sanctaseraphina]

“Canst thou be Virgil?”

So I finally finished an illustration for my Dante’s Inferno book, which features my own kitty, Dante. It’s not the first spread from the book, but it IS the first one complete, where Dante meets Virgil. :] The rest of the characters (who have been included, anyways) are also all depicted as animals as well.

On my Patreon, I have the old 2012 version of this picture, along with this new one and also the other half of the page, with the translated text from Dante’s Inferno that accompanies this spread. 

Most of the updates for this project will be posted on Patreon.

[patreon] [instagram] [society6]

[cygnete]

If anyone is curious about what I am currently working on, here is a preview of my book project. c:

[laurelsblue]

You have two cows: Silmarillion edition

Warning: has very little to do with economics (or anything really).

Feanor: You have three cows. Morgoth steals all of them. You vow revenge.

Maedhros: You have two cows. You give them both to your uncle.

Caranthir: You have two cows. You charge people a lot of money for the milk.

Fingolfin: You had two cows. You wish you hadn’t been so quick to eat them.

Turgon: You have two cows. No one else knows where you hid them.

Aredhel: You have no cows and you don’t care.

Finarfin: You have two cows. You decide to stay home to take care of them.

Galadriel: You have no cows. You leave home to find some.

Thingol: You have two cows. Your wife builds a magic enclosure for them.

Sauron: You have two cows. Both are were-cows.

[prackspoor]

Maglor: You have one cow. You throw it into the sea. Celebrimbor: You have three cows. You hide them away to keep them out of your terrible ex-colleague’s hands who’s coming after them with stakes and pitchforks. The Valar: You have an entire continent full of cows and people fighting over them. You sink the continent.

[cygnete]

#maglor: you stole two calves and were like guys look

(via @imindhowwelayinjune)

[sanctaseraphina]

Now that I have a Patreon, I’ve decided to do a post at the end of every month with all the sketches that never managed to make it out of Photoshop. Here’s the first one! 

Click here to see them on Patreon!

[patreon] [instagram] [twitter]

[sanctaseraphina]

I am happy to announce that I’ve completed my first goal of 2017: launching my Patreon Page!

For those who have seen this mysterious word floating around the artist side of tumblr, Patreon is an internet-based platform which allows creators to build their own subscription content service. So that means that patrons (you!) can pledge a monthly amount to not only get access to additional art and rewards, but also support your favorite creators (and, in my case, my cat).

So, what I am doing on there? 

Well, my current project for 2017 is to rework and complete a book which I started four years ago in college: a re-telling of Dante’s Inferno featuring my beloved cat, Dante. I chose to work on this project first due to it already having a solid base, although entire spreads need to be redrawn and reworked. 

In addition, I have multiple novels (whose characters have already started infiltrating this blog) and other illustrated books which I plan to begin working on. I also have illustration projects planned for future years, such as a full set of Tarot Cards (78 total, 22 major and 56 minor), and I am more than happy to collaborate with other artists and writers on future projects and take commissions.

Please consider supporting me so I can bring you strange and interesting books, and Dante & I hope to see you in our Patreon feed!

<3 Silje.

[patreon] [instagram] [twitter]

[sanctaseraphina]

I am happy to announce that I’ve completed my first goal of 2017: launching my Patreon Page!

For those who have seen this mysterious word floating around the artist side of tumblr, Patreon is an internet-based platform which allows creators to build their own subscription content service. So that means that patrons (you!) can pledge a monthly amount to not only get access to additional art and rewards, but also support your favorite creators (and, in my case, my cat).

So, what I am doing on there? 

Well, my current project for 2017 is to rework and complete a book which I started four years ago in college: a re-telling of Dante’s Inferno featuring my beloved cat, Dante. I chose to work on this project first due to it already having a solid base, although entire spreads need to be redrawn and reworked. 

In addition, I have multiple novels (whose characters have already started infiltrating this blog) and other illustrated books which I plan to begin working on. I also have illustration projects planned for future years, such as a full set of Tarot Cards (78 total, 22 major and 56 minor), and I am more than happy to collaborate with other artists and writers on future projects and take commissions.

Please consider supporting me so I can bring you strange and interesting books, and Dante & I hope to see you in our Patreon feed!

<3 Silje.

[patreon] [instagram] [twitter]

[cygnete]

look at all of these paintings i never finished :’D

[cygnete]

2016 Art Improvement Meme.

Differences from last year? Everything got  d a r k e r . Where’d all the pastels go? Why so much chiaroscuro??

[cygnete]

look at all of these paintings i never finished :’D

[silmarillle]

Merry Christmas, tumblr! I drew these elves in ugly(?) sweaters for you. Only Finrod and Tyelko cooperated. Curufin is a grump and won’t wear anything fun.

And happy holidays to everyone who has already celebrated/has yet to celebrate. uwu And warm wishes for those who don’t celebrate anything this time of year, too. <3

[cygnete]

Back in September, I binge read Goethe’s Faust and Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, so of course I had to draw my own version of Mephistopheles.

[cygnete]

tfw you are trying to put together a 2016 improvement meme, but your ability to art died halfway through the year :)))

[heliochronometer]

I’m so happy I could cry.

[cygnete]

Look, look, guys, I did a thing. :3

[cygnete]

My contribution to the Ages of Arda Anthology, when Oromë discovers the elves at Cuiviénen. c:

You can purchase the book here!

[aoaanthology]

AGES OF ARDA ANTHOLOGY is now officially available for you to purchase!

The anthology contains: - 154 pages of art - 81 artists - Full Bleed - Perfect binding - 8.26 x 11.69 

Ages of Arda Anthology is a collection of illustrations and comics by 81 artists of their own original designs and interpretations of Middle Earth and its inhabitants.

Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic support and we truly appreciate your patience for this anthology’s release. We are especially grateful to our contributing artists for all the hard work they have done to create such a wonderful book.

All proceeds from the anthology will go towards charity (Book Aid International).

The anthology will be available until November 30, 2016.

Purchase your copy HERE!

[imindhowwelayinjune]

death & the maiden

for @terrifyingtolkien day 1

“Be not afraid,” said the woman. Well she might, for her kirtle was thick with blood and Níniel could see the trunks of the trees behind her through her sad and lovely face.

“I am not afraid,” said Níniel, and it was true as well as the polite thing to say. Níniel was weary of fear, and at any rate there were more terrors to be faced in the world than one dead woman. And this woman was very clearly dead – none could be alive with that bone-white spear driven through and through.

Níniel closed her eyes and waited for knowledge to drop behind them. Her own memories having been taken away, she found she had space for the knowledge of others, if she but gave the Knowings time to fall into the openness of her mind.

“Finduilas,” she said, opening her eyes, and the pale woman looked started.

“Princess,” Níniel added, but this was because of the circlet on Finduilas’s brow and Níniel being able to add one to one, not a Knowing sleeting in.

“Yes,” said the Princess slowly. “I was. But now I am dead.”

“It is well,” said Níniel, sitting cross-legged upon the forest floor. “So am I.”

Finduilas bent, her fingers wrapped around the white spear so that it would not shift or jostle, and sat before Níniel.

“Thou art still living flesh and beating heart,” said Finduilas, and Níniel wondered what color her eyes had been before they had grown cloudy and opaque. “I think perhaps that qualifies you among the living.”

“One can breathe and beat and be warm and pulsing and yet not live,” said Níniel. “I woke and all knowing of my life had been taken away from behind my eyes. Without my life, what am I if not dead?”

Finduilas was silent, turning this over. Níniel placed her hands upon her folded thighs and leaned forward, craning to look more closely at Finduilas’s middle.

“I like your spear,” she said, looking in admiration at how it pierced so fine. “Would that I could borrow it.”

“Another time, perhaps,” said Finduilas, and Níniel nodded.

“Do you wish to play Sparrows?” she asked, for Túrin had recently taught her and carved tiles from bone with which to play.

Finduilas smiled for the first time, bright and true.

“That is my favorite,” she said, and Níniel nodded and nodded and went to fetch her bones.