KA Byrnes – Page 14 – Enneagram and Encaustic

Alloyed (Part Two)

The Season One finale of The Rings of Power continues . . .

SWITCH

Sadoc goes “a-wandering off-trail”. (He dies.)

FIVE

A galley at sea in full sail. Valandil walks the deck. Elendil is down below, helping the Queen count steps in her blindness.

(He says, “I have you.” She replies, “Who has you?” Aaaagh! Immediately when I hear that line I think of Lois Lane when Superman takes her flying. Maybe everyone doesn’t think of that moment, although Margot Kidder’s delivery is iconic. It is a terrible choice to include it in anything ever again.)

Black and Shellac Earrings

Hardware and the idea from my daughter. Encaustic on wooden disks by me.

Alloyed (Part One)

The Season One finale of The Rings of Power begins . . .

ONE

Rain. Eryn Galen, the Greenwood. (Another map title, yay!) We’re with The Stranger. He holds Nori’s apple gift while, in voiceover, she proclaims that he’s not a peril.

A cloaked figure follows him. He gives chase, dropping his apple. The figure picks it up and reveals herself to be Nori. Her eyes change, though. It’s not Nori; it’s the Severe Witch.

The Stranger seems confused.

TWO

Severe Witch offers the apple while the other two Witches close on him like velociraptors.

THREE

One of them, in elvish, says they’ve come to serve him, Lord Sauron. They kneel to him while he looks baffled.

Roll credits.

The Eye (Part Two)

Continuing Episode Seven of The Rings of Power . . .

SWITCH

Nori doubts her trust in The Stranger. Clouds cover the moon.

FIVE

Galadriel and Theo, still alone in the forest, speak of loss. Galadriel’s brother died, but also her husband Celeborn. (What?! We know he’s alive later when Frodo visits. I mean . . . right?!) He went to war and she never saw him again. Theo feels blame for what happened to his village, and Galadriel tries to reassure him that his heart was good. Let the burden go.

Their talking stops when orcs with torches search the woods. After a moment of suspense, the orcs move on.

(Theo’s pessimistic attitude and his sense of self-blame remind me of Nori’s previous scene. They are similar in their depression and doubt, and their beats should be grouped together. Therefore, we need to move the Switch back a bit.)

The Eye (Part One)

Episode Seven of The Rings of Power begins . . .

ONE

An ash-coated eye opens. It’s Galadriel, pulling herself up in slowmo from the village ground. Through the orange air and embers, she calls out for Halbrand and Elendil. Theo finds her.

TWO

Isildur and the Queen strain to lift a beam off of Valandil. Ontamo, next to him, is dead. Hearing cries, the Queen directs the soldiers to help her rescue people trapped in a burning building.

THREE

They escape, but the roof falls on Isildur.

Merry Christmas 2023

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

I present to you the perfect Christmas movie. Don’t be discouraged by the black-and-white photography. It brings a pleasant sense of nostalgia, and the story will captivate you so quickly you’ll forget you’re not watching color. Let’s take a quick dive.

ONE

As credits roll the camera follows a man in a fedora who walks the streets of New York City. It’s like a charming time capsule. At a certain point I start to wonder how they managed to shoot this when steadicams didn’t yet exist. If you’ve ever pushed a camera dolly, you’ll be astounded at what they accomplished here.

Reveal that this bearded man is (probably) Santa Claus in modern clothing.

Lagoon

I’d like to share a small milestone. At a local Christmas fair, two of my pieces sold. My first sale of any of my artwork! See them here and here.

One of the purchasers mentioned using the piece as a Christmas ornament, which blasted open my mind with possibilities for next year.

Udûn (Part Two)

Episode Six of The Rings of Power continues . . .

SWITCH

Arondir realizes that the villagers have killed their own people, the ones who left to join Adar.

FIVE

The real attack begins.

Udûn (Part One)

Episode Six of The Rings of Power . . .

ONE

Adar plants seeds in the forest mulch while his orc legion awaits his orders. He gives them a rousing speech. (Haha, there’s Waldreg standing among the horde, looking uncomfortable.)

Leading them to the watchtower, Adar opens the fort’s door to find the compound empty.

As they search, we see Arondir hiding behind a door. Adar finds the sacrificial altar.

TWO

Standing with him, Waldreg asks what happened to Sauron? The question is interrupted by Arondir shooting arrows. He’s booby-trapped the compound, bringing down the tower and closing the orcs inside. Stones fall toward Adar.

At the base of the waterfall, Bronwyn and her people see the tower collapse and cheer the success of their plan. They return to the village to prepare for the orc survivors.