Original writings and artwork by Tolkien fans.
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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It is so exciting to be able to share my stuff with you again. I believe I missed this forum the most. *grin* And don't let the title of this thread throw you, I am not neurotic much, hahahaha. But I do see things, faces especially, in almost everything and I enjoy taking photos of them and making 'Drifa Art' with my photo editor. I also like taking photos of real things like flowers and the sky, so there will be some of my photography too. And I may make a doodle here and there.*grin*
Thanks for looking in and happy day!
Last edited by
Afird Splitax on Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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This WAS a photo of a tee shirt I had hanging over the door. I see faces and people and bones, ha..
Last edited by
Afird Splitax on Thu Sep 03, 2020 3:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Ilmarë
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Yay! So glad you are back and posting in the Cottage again, Drifa.
It took me a while to figure out how this is a tshirt - what a cool pattern! I can definitely see what you mean about bones - it reminds me of an x-ray. The smaller bits also make me think of fingerprints.
Healer of Imladris
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A Drifa thread! I love having the Cottage back too, and its great to see you.

The more I look at this the clearer I see bones, mostly hands and fingers. Or like finger shadow puppets, but
creepier.
Thain of The Mark
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This is definitely a creepy-vibe shirt! I agree, there are definitely bone-like shapes in there, but it also makes me think of ghosts, or at even just... echoes of things long-gone.
New Soul
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Hey @drifa this is pretty cool. I see similar things to you in this. I can't wait to see more of what you see!
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thank you, Tara, Aerlinn, Taethowen (have we met before?) and Tari. I am so happy to see all of you again. Its such a great reunion! *hugs*
This WAS a photo I took of a daylily. *grin* I love finding little faces and beings in these abstracts the effects create. I see a dragon lily there. *grin*
Last edited by
Afird Splitax on Thu Sep 03, 2020 3:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Thain of The Mark
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I see a dragon too! Such a fun effect to come out of that filter!
I... don't recall if we met previously? My active years on Old Plaza were roughly mid 2003 - early 2007, so if you were after that, we didn't cross paths at all.
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Hi
Taethowen! Thank you!
I joined the Old Plaza in September 2003. Maybe we did run into each other. *grin*
Here is Drifa the Dwarf that I created a few years back. I took a photo of myself and bearded it up. *grin*
Newborn of Imladris
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I like your t-shirt! It's like the negative effects really do have a dreamlike quality
of a zombie crowd suggesting a lot of waiting groups.
Your dragon is very cute, in his little heat haze.
Don't think I ever saw this picture of your beardedness; I do feel that you need to get to a barber and get that thing plaited though!

Ilmarë
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@drifa, I love the beard edit!

It does look quite realistic. Blends in with your actual hair and everything.
The distortion of the lily photo reminds me of looking at something through a window running with rain. I had fun staring at it and saw several faces just now!
Thain of The Mark
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@Drifa maybe we did! I didn't venture out of Rohan much on Old Plaza, but apparently I... helped run the Moria Health & Beauty Spa for a few months in late 2003? I just uncovered
that gem yesterday so WHO KNOWS. Anything is possible.
The beard edit is *fantastic* and you are way more photo-editing skills than I do if you were able to accomplish that!
Healer of Imladris
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Hahaha, I love Drifa the Dwarf! Nicely bearded. Dragon lily is almost like fire reflected in water with the ripples, nice contrast. I'm not very familiar with filters and effects, so it's cool to see what you can do! Also dragons <3.
Counsellor of Gondor
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*sneaks in to take a look at things and try to see* Hi, Drifa! :)
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Lirimaer - We must have a discussion someday on the characteristic of a dwarven beard. *grin* Thanks!
Zôrzimril - Thank you. It has grown out quite a bit since that picture was taken. It is long and lustrous now. I brush it 100 strokes fully every day. *wink*
Taethowen - I spent most of my time in KD. Didn't wander much at that time. Thanks!
Pele - Hi! nice to see, you! *hugs*
This is a photo of the shore-line where I was living. I took it a few years ago. I see an imp and what looks like some creature's skeleton, hahaha...
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Inspired by Pele's wonderful randomness, I thought I would share some photos of the mushrooms I took a few years ago. It was a beautiful Autumn the year I took the photos. I remember it well. The mushrooms had sprouted in abundance, colorfully decorating the trails through the forest. In all my time spent living at my old home, I had never seen so many mushrooms. I have a lot of photos but will share a few for now. *grin*
Elder of The Mark
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Love the mushrooms!Best keep the hobbits away... All of the images are great the first reminds me of a black and white slide of bacteria - mostly because I have a friend that works in a lab and they draw similar stuff all the time but more cartoony. And I love the shoreline, I def see the imp and skeleton! I was thinking Hellhound at first glance instead of imp.
Ent Ancient
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oh those are gorgeous. I especially love the red-capped one, something about the way it curves upwards is just beautiful
Healer of Imladris
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Mushrooms! Those are so cool--do you know which ones are edible? It's so easy to imagine little fairy tale creatures when looking at close-ups of mushrooms, especially that red cap one. It's like if you watch out of the corner of your eye you'll be able to see a bunch of tiny little elves running around their mushroom forest. *grin*
Nice forest reflection shot too! Especially those hints of orange and the splash of red--mysterious since we can't see the tree it's coming from.
Thain of The Mark
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There is *definitely* a creature's skeleton along that back bank, for sure. I almost want a copy of that picture to frame!
The mushrooms are very cool! I love the look of the little yellow ones in the second photo, and the red one all by itself. So pretty!
Counsellor of Gondor
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@drifa Mushrooms! Though I did not think of photographing them growing. :D Just picked whatever edible ones I found as if I were a greedy hobbit.
And all those pretty pics make me want to go out into the forest some more!
Ilmarë
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That shoreline photo has some gorgeous colors - looks like a crisp fall day. I definitely see the skeleton!
Love that you took inspiration from Pele's thread - this is the kind of Cottaging I am here for!

The macros of the mushrooms are quite lovely - I especially like the composition of the little red one and the colors of the brown one surrounded by green foliage. Also, what a variety! :O
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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*
brings out feather duster and goes to work dusting off I See Things*
Thank you all! Wow, it is hard to believe that it has been over 2 months since my last post. I guess I haven't been seeing things lately.
I found some inspiration in Tarawen's wonderful Photography thread. Thanks!
I am learning how to use my macro lens. Here are a few photos I took. Still have to master it, but they are not to bad. The first one I call Cold Buds and the other, Little Hooded Leaf.
Healer of Imladris
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Aw, macro is hard and these are lovely @Drifa! We don't really get true autumn around here, it's too warm, so I have to live vicariously through everyone's photos. I love the dots of pink of the little buds around the leaf.
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thanks
Aerlinn! Congrats on the awesome icon!
Caught this lovely lady sitting in a tree. And another macro shot. Still working on getting shots crisper and more focused.
Nazgûl
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It's taken me far too long to pop in here and see what you've created and I have only myself to blame. Drive, these are all fantastic! I'll refrain from gushing about every single one (though they all deserve it) and say simply I think your Drifa cosplay picture is fantastic and whimsical, and your latest snaps have amazing color contrasts and shading. I'd say you are doing a fantastic job getting crisp, focused shots. I am quite envious.
Ilmarë
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Aww I'm glad to see more photography from you, Drifa, and quite flattered to have inspired you at all! <3
The macros are lovely! The soft colors in Cold Buds in particular drew me in. Is that ice? on the branch? Whatever it is, you've captured some incredible detail.
That bird photo is spectacular. You've done a great job getting her in focus amidst all the tree branches, and the lighting is lovely. The flowers in the last one look a bit like snowflakes themselves!
I am so happy for you that you've got a macro lens - it's something I hope to reinvest in for my newer camera someday soon. Please continue sharing your photography with us!
Thain of The Mark
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Playing with macros is so much fun! The Cold Buds one is so serene to look at. And I love that sweet shot of the cardinal. They're some of my favorite birds, but I haven't seen as much of them around my yard this year as I usually do (though I do still hear them nearby). And I'm with @Tarawen on the flowers in that last shot--they definitely look like snowflakes!
Counsellor of Gondor
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*is attracted by wonderful photos* Those are so excellently detailed, Drifa!
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thank you all for dropping in! I appreciate your kind words!
I am not a cat fan, but both my sons are. This is my grandcat, Elliot, taken a few years ago. We call her Moose (Andrea Beck's children's book series, Elliot Moose and TV series).
Elwing
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Oh Drifa I looove cats! Your grandkitty is gorgeous!! I have a special fondness for torti's and calicos. Her eyes are gorgeous, she looks like a happy and very sweet cat. I love how she is framed by the vegetation.
I don't know why I haven't been here before but your photos are gorgeous! So much nature!

Of course I love the cardinal, which I don't have where I live. I love the way the lighting brightens up her breast! The mushrooms are really lovely as well as Cold Buds. I really like macro photos and looking at small things, would love to get one someday. Looking forward to more!
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thanks
Lailyn! I wish I did like cats . They are so beautiful, especially the eyes!
Like the title of this thread states, I see things. Can you?
Fool of a Took
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OK, I might be hallucinating (who knows at this point, I haven't been sleeping as well as I should), but I see a dragon in the tree in the last photo... *blinks in confusion*

Counsellor of Gondor
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I see... some things in some things? Definitely love the detail! And snow!
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Hahaha, looks like a dragon it does. I see a sea horse and an eye in the old log with the mushroom. I see things, I tell you!!

Thanks for dropping in,
A Good Wife and
Pele!
I tried my hand at coping this lady in the red hat by Kees van Dongen, a Dutch-French painter. The piece is called, The Corn Poppy. I call mine, Ama Teurish, hahahaha. I had fun doing it, and that is what is important.
Okay, so here is The Corn Poppy:
Here is my sketch:
Here is Ama Teurish:
Elder of The Mark
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Love the new photos there are awesome! My I see what people were talking about with the dragon. I also like the cardinal - we don't get to see them often where I am so I enjoy pictures of them. I also think your simple sketch and colour copy study are interesting is there a reason you chose this particular piece?
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thanks
Fuin! Something about this artist's art intrigues me. It's simple but detailed, if that makes sense. I like The Corn Poppy's big black eyes. I do not know all the technical terms why.

I just like interpreting his art in my own style. I would give anything to be able to paint.
Here is another Kees van Dongen's painting. This one he called, La femme au foulard (The Scarfed Lady, I believe).
Here is my sketch:
And here is my interpretation and what I came up with in my paint program ( I have Paint Shop Pro, by the way):

Counsellor of Gondor
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That is an interesting way to practice artistic creativity, @Drifa!
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thanks
Pele!
Looking forward to seeing some of these beauties!! This is the actual daylily from my second post above.
Ilmarë
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Ooooooo Drifa! I absolutely *love* this latest photo. It's really cool to see the original after you shared the edit with us way back when. Thank you for sharing it - and your lovely sketches - with us!! <3
Counsellor of Gondor
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Now I want spring... just a little bit. A lot.

Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thank you
Tara and
Pele.
Bring on Spring

! And eggs! These Robin baby blues and the hidden Easter one I discovered in this thread!
Chef
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An egg! Well, more than one egg, technically. But only one eagle egg, and it belonged to Peep Peep and not @Call of Bearthulhu. "Peep Peep," Peep Peep said happily.
Lovely pictures @Afird Splitax! I particularly like the mushrooms (I know, I know, hobbit problems) and also the picture of your grandcat staring the camera down like a tiny tiger.
Chef
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Womp womp I just realized you found the secret egg and then posted a picture of eggs, which is very clever! Oops. I leave my comment anyway, your pictures are lovely.
Counsellor of Gondor
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Which one of the three is the hidden one?

Elder of The Mark
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Ohh the original daylily and the Robins nest are fantastic!
I quite like the Lily without the editing but I am always a fan of flowers and taking close up shots of them haven't done it in a long time but might be fun to do it this year now that there is a bunch of people that don't mind me wandering into their yards to take pictures of their amazing flowers.
Always love seeing birds nests was it in a bad place that it needed to be brought down? There was a nesting pare that would endlessly build their nest on my grandmothers security light and then divebomb her when she opened the door (which was less than a foot away) so we had to constantly destroy their nest before they got eggs in it until the finally took the hint and nested elsewhere.
Healer of Imladris
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*pokes head around corner* Hi there, er, long time no see! I was scrolling through trying to find where I had left off and actually squeaked when I glimpsed the cat eyes. Then I had to go and stare back at her for a while. Those eyes! Those markings above her eyes! Her little black nooooose! /ahem/
My other absolute favorites were the little white flowers in the pic below the birdie and the log in the snow where it seems like something is looking back at you. You always take such creative shots.
Ilmarë
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I’ve always loved the color Robin’s Egg Blue. I can only recall seeing broken bits of shell after the baby robins hatched, so seeing those eggs nestled safely in the nest is a treat. I’m curious how you managed this close up view!
Chieftain of Durins Folk
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Thank you Menolly, Pele, Fuin, Aerlinn (nice to see you stranger

) and Tara!
Time sure flies. Here is a piece of maple that I found in the woods. It is a branch off of a dead tree. I would see it when I went for my walks in the forest. Eventually I got my husband to cut it down for me. The skeletal face intrigued me. Can you see it?
Ilmarë
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Ooo I totally see the face here,
Drifa! It looks like it's maybe in pain or melting.

I can see why you noticed this on your walks. Did you lacquer it? It looks shiny!