2/21/11

Shiver

Shiver - digital art

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice. 
- Robert Frost, Fire & Ice

Created for DigitalWhisper challenge # 85 - Frozen. Digital Whispers is a great site on ning.com. If you play around with computer art, I suggest you check it out. I'm a couple of challenges behind (the new prompt is Introspection plus a photo of Isadora Duncan).
 
The only instruction for the Frozen challenge was to "Create an image that sends a shiver down our spine." This brought to mind wastelands, Robert Frost and Dante -  
Thereupon I Turn'd
And saw before and underneath my feet
A lake, whose frozen surface liker seem'd 
to glass than water.....thus low
Blue pinch'd and shrined in ice the spirits stood. 
-Dante Alighieri, Inferno Canto 32

So, off I went to one of my favorite sources for stock images, DeviantArt.com, where I found these lovely bits & pieces:

Model -  http://tasastock.deviantart.com

Rock Candy- Stock7000.deviantart.com

Blue Glitter Texture - Reno-fan-girl-stock.deviantart.com
+
 some helpful tips from Vampyriccadence's Glitter & Ice Tutorial

While I was pretty happy with things at that point, another layer was needed to pull it all together.  I  altered Jan van der Straet's Map of Whole Hell illustration of Dante's Inferno (found in WikimediaCommons) and faded it into the picture.

Jan van der Straet's Map of Whole Hell

Some believe that Fire & Ice mirrors Dante's Inferno. You can find more about this here or here. At these links you can also read about Frost's conversation with astronomer Harlow Shapely concerning the end of the world, which may have inspired the poet.

Well, that's what I've been up to lately. How about you??

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Totally off topic, there are still a few more days to enter the random drawing for 250 custom printed business cards. Click here for details

5 comments:

  1. Oooh, I'm shivering! I just love those three layers together. I never would have thought to add that third layer, but it really adds some great texture and dimension! The poems fit your piece perfectly. You must have had so much fun designing it!

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  2. That came together really well! Nice work!

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  3. I Love it Stacey. You have definitely created a "Shiver" Love how you got the textural subtleties.

    You always share such great places to visit. Off to check out Digital Whisper.

    Have a lovely day, T :)

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