"The Ice Bath"

"The Ice Bath"

2022

Something I did last year to get in that cold, wintery mood ❄️. Referenced from a photo on Alamy.

"Battle of the Maiar"

2022

"Long time I fell. Long I fell, and he fell with me."

-"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", by J.R.R. Tolkien

Without question or doubt, my favorite scene in The Two Towers is the opening: the flashback to Gandalf's fall at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, his plunge beyond the furthest depths of the mines of the dwarves and into the very foundations of the earth, all whilst locked in a fierce battle to the death with the Balrog of Morgoth.

I challenge anyone who has read the novel if they say they imagined something near as grand and epic as the duel we saw on the screen. Everything about this sequence is perfect: from the way Gandalf grabs his sword in midair, to the way the chasm lights up as he catches up to the Balrog, giving the impression as if he were falling into a fiery hell; the phenomenal chorus, the enormous underground lake that opens up at the end of their fall that makes the Balrog appear like a little speck of fire in the darkness.

It's a great clash of powers at the heart of the Earth itself, a battle worthy of the legends of the Elder Days. And as far as I'm concerned, the greatest, most epic duel ever put to screen.

"The Breaking of the Fellowship"

2021

"My heart speaks clearly at last: the fate of the Bearer is in my hands no longer. The Company has played its part."

-"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", by J.R.R. Tolkien

Another underrated moment of great courage, from both parts: Frodo decides that to fulfill the Quest, and to protect the Fellowship from the destructive influence of the Ring, he must head out alone to Mordor; and Aragorn understands that the best way to protect Frodo now is to let him go. It's a moment that isn't in the books, but that adds a lot to the story and the characters, a placing of trust and faith in each other.

"The Bird of Death"

2022

Nosferatu. Does not this word sound like the call of the death bird at midnight? You dare not say it since the pictures of life will fade into dark shadows; ghostly dreams will rise from your heart and feed on your blood.

-"Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror", directed by F.W. Murnau

Something I did last year for the 100th anniversary of my undisputed favorite vampire film. Among the countless retellings of Bram Stoker's Dracula, I find that none comes as close as Nosferatu to capturing the dark, haunting spirit of the novel, even if this film is not the most faithful of adaptations in terms of characters and plot. And no vampire on the screen, good or bad, old fashioned or modern, comes as close as matching Count Orlok in dark, horrifying majesty.

"The Siren"

2022

Dugong (Dugong dugon)

One of the best wildlife art pieces I've done, if I do say so myself. 

"Naja oxiana"

2022

Caspian Cobra (Naja oxiana)