Middle-earth Journeys

I haven't received my copies of Amon Hen and Mallorn either, but now I'm most anxious to have them. Congratulations ladies!

I'm sure they'll arrive soon, and our MeJ contributions look great . You have an entire page, marbretherese, witht the poem sitting under the painting.

Can you believe I just got to flip through its pages today? It's very heartwarming to see so many of you represented.

Have you had your copy yet, Marbretherese?

No, I haven't, and when I checked back I realised that I didn't receive the single copies of Amon Hen sent out by the Tolkien Society last year either. So I've been in touch and they are sending me replacements. It's really wierd. I wonder whether our postman is a closet Tolkien fan . . . !!

That's odd, isn't it? Getting some and not others. How frustrating!!!

I got mine a while ago and enjoyed them over my lunch break. So proud of our MeJ artists and poets!

Iolanthe wrote:That's odd, isn't it? Getting some and not others. How frustrating!!!

When I sat and thought about it, I haven't received anything since AH222 (which I think was last Feb) without chasing it up. So I've definitely dropped off a mailing list somewhere . . . . . .

Lindariel wrote:I got mine a while ago and enjoyed them over my lunch break. So proud of our MeJ artists and poets!

Thanks, Lindariel. I really hope mine arrive soon so I can see how they've displayed my stuff, and take a look at the others!

Glad to say I finally received a copy of Mallorn (and several missing copies of Amon Hen) yesterday. I'm really pleased with the way they presented my painting and the poem. - I hadn't expected them to reproduce the painting quite so large, as it's only a photo, but I think it works well!!

Riv, your two pieces in Mallorn look stunning, and it was lovely to see Treebeard in the latest issue of AH, Iolanthe!

Must remember to email Henry and thank him

marbretherese wrote:Riv, your two pieces in Mallorn look stunning ...

Thanks for the kind words. I must admit that after seeing them in print, I think they are the most distinctive style I have used and am contemplating continuing to focus on that style.

A question for everyone (anyone?) ...

Has anyone done work with acrylics and acrylic paper? Would love to know what you think if you have.

I did try out acrylic paints on a course once, but I didn't like the plastic-y way they dried on the palette. The colours were vibrant on the paper, however, and they are extremely versatile. I still have the tubes I used on that course, a few years old now, but you never know when something like that might be needed.

If you're considering trying them out, I say go for it!

I've often wondered what it would be like to play with the medium. For some reason I seem to recall the paints are less expensive than the oils. But to buy the paints is a bit bold if I don't pursue them.

Cleaning is easier too right? No messy paint thinners.

It's certainly easier to clean acrylics than oils, but watercolours are easier still. Acrylics leave a horrid plastic residue on palettes. I first learnt to paint in oils (although I haven't touched them since I was a teenager many, many years ago) and didn't mind the mess or the smell too much. But using watercolours has spoiled me. I love the way you can just rinse them away LOL.

Here in the UK it's possible to buy starter kits of acrylics - I got a pack of six tubes in a sale for a very reasonable price. But if anyone was considering using them I'd suggest buying maybe one or two colours and doing a bit of two-tone experimenting before committing to getting a whole load.

I just took a look at all of my own favorite (most admired) artists and they all use watercolor. I think there's a message in there for me. Wenzel is a stunning example.