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Can’t believe I’m here to report 🙁 Wished I could have come back with something happier but anyhow… I cant let it sit, it gives me rabies*! Its sad, if you can see it from a MILE AWAY.
already wrote Melody on FB, then recalled there was this special report place.
Anyhow, hope you’re all fine 🙂(*chronical allergy to people ripping fantasy stuff for their bookcovers… there’s no remedy, there’s no hope…)
oh thank you all so much! I was so shy on coming back, you wont believe. After all I said nothing for a year, simply forgot this place…
I’m having two weeks vacation and I always remember stuff that happened the same season the year before. This is how I recalled (a very reliable System, only quite seasonally bound…)My novel… oh yes, I’ve got stories to tell on that story. About one year ago I started applying with agencys. Fantasy is having a rough time in Europe and I admit, I’m more experienced in art than writing. One Agent requestet the sample text in October (frequently its usual, that you send pitches(3 sentences) only or the so called “exposé”, then upon inquiery send the sample, then the full) and was silent until March. They eventually said no, but explained they’d like a modern Setting and that they felt my writing was still rather… flat. At first I was burned, I keep saying that stile is the hardest to work on- hitting the right balance and not being “smeared on”. My Beta Readers and my writers Group (schreibwahnsinn.de) were like: oh Babs, did you read the second sentence they sent?
I had ignored that, noticed that it said “we really liked your idea and discussed it a long time”. So i edited and reworked all. I basically rewrote 150’000 Words of 210’000 words(yes, thick book!) reworked the Setting and completly changed my stile. I sent them the Sample again, explained that I had edited it and would like to apply again. I expected them to say “no”, being a reject already. They wrote back, saying they’d look at it but it would take atleast 8 weeks. Five hours later they called in the full manuscript. I sent it. Thats 10 weeks now. My latest News two weeks ago was, that two People were still reading it, but with Frankfurt moving in, everything was on standstill.
Not expecting anything before or directly after that. No idea on the tendency either, except that my novel is good enough to be read in one Piece, good enough to not be a reject halfway on. now its up to everyone’s opinion (Need to convince the whole Team)and upon their opinion for the market. Needless to say I am a bundle of nerves, everytime the phone rings or when I check my Mailbox. I’ve currently started 4 new novels, two a spin of of my “universe” and the other two new things. I believe, what sparked their interest is my different idea: man eating keilans (cathumans), crazed Deities, wordlbuilders, a warriors guild fighting its Nemesis, the matriarchy, amidts it all a human girl trying to survive.
At the same time its said that Publishers tend to take romantasy with “known” things, vampires, form shifters, bla.
Thats what my novels been up to. Of course I have a Billion of new artworks, not just on my novels but also a few Dragons and the stuff. 😀 I shall spam you soon. Now to my most favourit hobby’s of all time: householdingthank you so much 😀
Melody, you make me blush 😀
Here are some more:
Sitaar ( Si-tahr)
and a sculpture of Creel, because I love him so much.
Bloody awesome 😀
really great sculpting and coloring job. Now, I’m a critter geek, so you’ve totally hit my soft spot 😀
Daw, he’s even smiling 😀
He has eyes everywhere, even upwards, how cool is that (wait, does he have eyes on his rear?). Must have many predators wanting to nibble him.did.
I had 5 awesome Betas who stood by my side chapter per chapter, giving feedback for each mostly while the next was still in work (bway, 41 chaps, 240K words) which made me super aware towards the end. I’m in a writers group where we hack each others works and give really good feedback. (Writers group = 2 published authors, 1 lektor, 2 german teachers. each of us writing. I’m the providing artist) The best recommendation I can give was to write down the resume and sample chapter straight afterwards, as if wanting to apply at agents. Critical feedback brought me real far too (30 Betas did partial reading), especially the one of non fantasy reader strangers. At the mo I dont edit, I rewrite. It flows much more naturally and is quicker.
Its very hard work, but I enjoy doing it.Congrats!
WHEY! champagne and dancing!
I know how you feel, its this wonderful moment of accomplishedment, that comes very quick (once you reached the final chapters, the 5 last chapters of course took an eternety).
I’ve also gotten around finishing my lifepiece just this July. 240K words, 41 chapters, 50 illustrations. Now the fun part: editing. Have you edited yet? My inner critic wont shut up.Nope, I hope you dont mind me saying this, Melody, but I really dont like this brown on the dragons. I dont know why. I love brown dragons, but this brown just isnt my brown. So, no I wont keep that brown Emp. Also, before I’ll evilbay him I will ask here. Frankly, I am just realizing what fortune I caught, still researching the pieces. If you want the emp or know someone, send them to me.
edit: figured piccie pastin!
A lady in the neigborhood was moving and sold her whole Windstone dragons collection. I fetched them today and here they are… throning on my eating table. I know I have been very rare on the forum these days, but here I am, back with windsies! Its 13 pieces, mostly mint. I cant stop to squee. Unfortunately various of my works already occupy our perhaps spacious but by now clogged house, so the only ones I’m definitly keeping are the white emp, the scratcher and one of the emp eggs. Perhaps the oriental, but not sure yet. I have no clue on prices, but I can just tell you, if I tell you the price I got them for you are all gonna cry. The lady loved them very much, I respect her and if I werent for being just partially employed by our stupid school system I would have insisted on a better price – for her side. But righ now I am glad.
Now excuse me, I need to lick my Dragonsof course just metaphorically.
ohyeah, image!
follow link please, I am to dork to figure how to paste:
http://cathuman.com/2012/IMG_1861.jpgI cannot give you direct hints as I am a Swiss resident (except perhaps saying that for a Swiss local in comparison I for once after reading some entries here actually liked my school… I pay very little. lets see, 1K a year, thats including most general materials).
I’d like to empathize that should you find a more final choice of schools, do pick contact with them, specifically those who are being at school there. They will be more than happy to answer your questions. This is good to find out:a) wheter the school is suited for you (finances, weight of focus, general stuff), and what you need to get in ( you may get hints what is required for exams/portfolios). Remember, noone knows better than the one who’s been through it. Dont forget to check job offers and what they pay.
Also, as Jennifer said: some things appear in sunshine but are not that cool. Ask if you can look in for one day or so, noone’s gonna hate you for that.
For example, I am an art teacher. This means teaching art, fitting tasks to how I want them, working with children, seeing new ideas made, solving problems, etc. This also means a lot of organisatory paperwork stuff, buying materials, exact preparation in calculation and materials, answering same questions a billion times, having disrespectful kids, arguing about grades plus the everlasting unexpected: one of my kids ran away in the middle of the lesson, I fetched help from the class teacher and he bit his class teacher.b) which classes are suited for you, I hate to say it, the teacher makes the class. Eventually the teacher(teachers) make the schooling. We have 4 big schools of my direction (Art Education) here, we meet twice annually, and sometimes it feels like night and day. This can be but must not be. I am just saying this because 6 years ago I would have laughed if you told me this.
c) get information about folks who were to that school and have a job (this has been told already, I am repeating it because its important). Please be aware, that some schools produce twice or trice as many diplomas as there are workplaces. Look left and right what that education you do can include on a jobs base, either directly or for future follow-up educations. Seeing what is included requires direct information from either a former student doing it or simply giving firms/job offer folks a call and asking if this and that would qualify.
Many schools are being re-organized, thus I empathize this because the schools will do a lot to save their hide. I had a schoolfriend who lawsuited our school for this, back when the Bachelor of Art Education was still young.
Its the world of multi-task now, sometimes you need two for the bread to come in, sometimes one does not work at all. so keep a second door open.and last but not least, I am saying this frankly and it does not mean that it can happen, or that I am trying to cast a shadow over your possible dream job. I am just saying, if you do something you love/like, be prepared that it be tested with full sortiment, including your own doubts (in education and then, when you do the job). This means standing up and facing it and keeping at heart what you are doing it all for.
Try asking on conceptart.org forums, I believe there are quite a few students on there from the mentioned schools, or atleast folks who can answer you more school related detail questions.
What you are aiming for is definitly a very interesting and art filled future. I wish you the best of luck 🙂
thank you all so much!
I’m currently enjoying my freedom to paint what I want to without pressure of running after some tasks. So I made these between Christmas and New Years:
All digital because I did not take my colors with me.
yesterday was Nikolaus and I was teaching a class of 1-3rd graders, the neighboring classroom got a visit by Nikolaus and I had all my kids buzzing out of my schoolroom in a hype and exitement, then quickly running back in when they saw “Schmutzli”, aka Krampus. They were squealing so wildly I had problems to calm them and I swear I’m deafer now than before this.
In the break I talked with the other teachers and they said how they had hidden under the far, far corner of the eating corner seat when Nikolaus came. In fear of Krampus/Schmutzli.
It really is something weird to have two opposite beings coming to you, a good and a bad one.The tradition partially still exists in Switzerland, only has the figure been renamed to “Schmutzli” (aka “dirty”, in his appearance he (now) is just a brown version of Niklaus) and while Niklaus (here Samichlaus) gives the gifts Schmutzli holds a “Rute” (bundle of twigs) that are used to beat the non nice kids (yes, my Grandma still told me the “non behave and will be taken” story).
Over the generations Schmutzli has become gentler, my Grandma said that their Schmutzli would still beat the kids. With my generation it was like, depends on the actor and your parents (yes, parents order Samichlaus and Schmutzli home on the 6th of December). As of recently noticed far less Schmutzlis. It feels as if parents dislike them, as if they’d be “to horrible” for the kids (but yeah, here goes my critic, the media (TV, computer) isnt bad, yes of course not).Real Krampus masks (devil heads, often with big, wild goat horns) rock. Professional makers make masks that are impressive enough to be, IMO, aligned with Movie Industries.
(warning, this reply was written without coffee, read at own risk…lol)
I’ve always been struggling being a fantasy artist and going to a school that focuses on contemporary artwork. (those being very painful experiences, that in the end made me understand what is going on and where I can place my art)
From what I have learned it has various reasons:
1. Most Fantasy art is in the classical section of swords-elves-mainstream-dragons, in short, those book covers you find everywhere on books of lesser quality (I’m sorry, fact. Not all fiction is good)
2. Fantasy depicts something that has no reality to compare to, basically you “do your own version of a dragon”, leaving out the interpretation of a viewer. (this IMO is the biggest crux. When I do fantasy work for myself now I put that question at place nr.1)
3. Fantasy involves a lot of color, thus children love it (do I need to say rainbow unicorn), which puts it in a category of “kids stuff” and also merchandise. At the same time its subject is narrowed down to be suitable for younger audience. And that judgement sticks to the subject.
4. When Fantasy is connected to adult audience it can get the feel of “escaping the real world” (which is actually something cool) but if the subject arises around here it quite soon the sentence falls “did you hear of the one who locked himself up to play the game forever?”.
I’m saying this, because if you talk to average folks, that is something I often hear.5. Most important and also the most important lesson to me, most fantasy art out there (85%) is purely ornamental. There is no real deep critic, shake of the mind, something that clings to you (except “pretty, wow, nice scales!).I keep saying: If its poster suitable then its not art anymore.
Thus, this many years later I no longer call myself a fantasy artist, I have realized that most of my pieces are productions, ornaments, finished stories, pure portraits. Thus not the Art we have now, not what you will find at big exhibits.6. Fantasy is a very very broad theme (try to say where fantasy starts and ends… right, it has no rules) and has been used for centuries. On one side its the artists that need to be aware of that and thus shaking the audience. “sit down and try harder” I tell myself.
Fantasy art yet can still be found out there, Skeeterdee’s version is a great sample (oh, must look him up!), but its not the illustrations as we all know them and grew up with them.
For example, Damien Hirst (http://static2.slamxhype.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/hirstaucttwo4.jpg (beware, decapitation, perhaps NSFW) made me think over my whole view on fantasy and how I depict it, mostly along the venue of what do I want to tell the observer.Some words of encouragement: Fantasy is definitly moving into the big ART, if you ask me. But its slow and every move has its hard beginning of bashing and trampling. However, its not classical fantasy as how its usually depicted, “sit down and try harder” and “look twice”.
But, since this was a big bugging to me (from 2004-2009, some of you may recall) I will keep an eye to contemporary Fantasy Art (outside of covers and such, Maybe we can keep a small thread of sightings
http://cathuman.com/2010/thewoods5.jpg
Being very busy here, writing my MasterThesis, had my practical exam for art teacher (passed) and my fiancee and I are buying a house, a 1640 dating, 350 squaremeter, seven room plus two room store house in the center of Zurzach, Switzerland.
Still alive and arting though 😉
sorry for being so… sparse
http://cathuman.com/2010/babydragon%20Kopie.jpg
http://cathuman.com/2010/landscapenovel.jpg
