UTSW Art Explanation
Oh man. Even though the story is far from over, I think it’s safe to talk about trashy’s amazing art and what we spoke about during the commission process, since we’ve reached Ch. 9. SPOILERS AHEAD if you haven’t read UTSW’s Chapter 9: End of Captivity. Go catch up if you haven’t yet!
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Okay. So as the start, I knew this was going to be a different approach compared to The Last Trolley Stop. TLTS was bubbly, happy, and the characters are so colorful it was easy to just ask for the two main pairings.
UTSW was difficult, and before I emailed trashy I spent a lot of time just thinking about the best way to show the characters. I didn’t want scenes because I’m impatient and I’d want to use the art as much as possible in the postings, not just one chapter. After thinking about it, I thought that in the style of tarot cards would be the best way. I love the tarot aesthetic and it served the story so well, with the different roles Stiles, Peter, Deucalion, and Satomi all play to each other and themselves. So let’s dive in!
Peter Hale is The Second, as I labeled him in our conversations. For me, the important things to think about was that he came from money (not the amount of that Deucalion is used to). Before he was taken, Peter thought of himself as elegant, refined, and charming. Also, the fact that his guilt stems from being responsible for Stiles being taken… and for not being able to kill him and instead biting him to give the illusion of mates. The wedding ring on his finger is a symbol of that illusion, of pretending to be mates… until the lie becomes a reality.
The blood on his mouth and fingers is the guilt he feels for getting Stiles imprisoned… that only grows the deeper he feels for him.
Final Captivity Count: 16 years
Deucalion is The Royal. Deucalion is from extreme wealth and a royal bloodline. I didn’t have a lot when it came to his visual background aside from wealth and royal cues, but I hope to show decay.
Decay and wealth. Trashy did wonderful with the colors to give it that old, put behind the glass hue, especially with his yellow nails. His family history didn’t interest him and he hated the song and dance that came with being royalty, but it was still a part of him. He weeps for the loss of his sight, his life, all of it. His decay isn’t graphic, but like a fine painting slowly yellowing and chipping away.
Final Captivity Count: 21 years
Satomi is The Disciple. She grew into one of my absolute favorites. Full disclosure, I’m not a religious person. I wasn’t raised with it other than the vague tradition of celebrating Christmas, but that’s it. No church or anything like that. What I’m working on was just a desire to show someone who… treated True Alpha almost like Buddha, it’s a belief that this person, this figure who can come from anyone or anything, and bestows an irrefutable truth.
The imagery is so gorgeous, so many greens to show the rural, beautiful countryside where she came from. I’m a huge hydrangea fan so those were included along with bamboo and fireflies. Her halo is more traditional, to show her faith-based background, and her long-long hair that fades to green to show just how long she’s been captured. Stunning, breathtaking art. Trashy is a genius.
Her journey is checking her pride. Her ancestry had a True Alpha, and so her belief was that she could mold herself to become one, yet that wasn’t the case. She believes that her captivity is her own punishment for being arrogant enough to think she could be True Alpha. It’s her upbringing that weighs heavily on her shoulders… and ironically it’s in captivity that her faith and beliefs evolve. The title is especially important. She’s not the True Alpha, but she’s their most devout follower.
Final Captivity Count: 34 years
Stiles is The Songbird.
From the start… I knew this was going to be yet another story where I basically turn into a pro-human propaganda machine. I just think it’s such a fun mechanic to explore, when beings who are believed to be superior to humans… can’t get out of a situation the way a human can. Often, it’s not about being better or worse, but about resolve and determination. Stiles’s first thought is I’m not going to die here. It takes a long, long time, but he’s able to get them out.
Another important aspect of captivity I wanted to touch on was the need to speak and develop a routine. Stiles provides that, forcing his speech and words on them until they’re comfortable talking, sharing stories and visions. He gives them their dignity back.
The songbird cries for the lost time, and if you count, it has lost seven feathers, each one signifying a year for Stiles’s final count. I love the use of red and blue in this piece. The reality is… at the end of all their trials, Stiles is the one who physically gets them out, and to do so… he has to get blood on his hands.
Final Captivity Count: 7 years
@trashyscarface is a beautiful genius, an angel, and a dream to work with.
I’ve said it before, I was REALLY nervous to commission art from someone. I’d never done it before, I had no idea what was appropriate to say, suggest or anything, and she was just so great at all of it. Picture references, an open conversation where we both were tossing ideas back and forth… and @trashyscarface takes the finalized idea and elevates it. Her work with color, ESPECIALLY marrying colors across different pieces, is amazing. I can not suggest her enough, she has such incredible range in the tone of the pieces and the expressions and ideas she brings to the table.
She’s currently asking for donations for dog, and for $30 you’ll get a bust art piece. Please, think of donating, or commissioning something from her. She’s incredible and just... will bring such an incredible perspective on any ideas provided.
Again, I hope this little post is enjoyable for you guys!
