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Description
Hello to whoever is still around and watching. It's been a while.... I must admit I experienced weeks of art depression - you know, that state in which even if you wish you would draw something, it just doesn't come. I am trying to slowly crawl out of it, would be good especially since I have so many ideas and things I want to draw.... and as a little start, I decided to do a portrait that's been on my mind for a while: a sideress whom we came to know by my insight. Yeah, this happens, but it had never before happened to me.

Let me explain. For a while now I have been into the siderians and their stories, I know many of them (some also personally) and I've grown to care for them and emotionally involved in their fates. Naturally, the two times I travelled to Norway to visit Jayme (who also belongs to their kin) and spend time with him, I had the pleasure and honour to experience their presence much more clearly. Furthermore.... the North holds the same spirit as their native land. So in a way, these travels have been very otherworldly experience for me. And very spiritual, too.
It was the first time I was in Norway, on the very Winter Solstice, we were traveling in early morning through the valley towards the Lyngen Alps. It was dark, only distant ruby sunlight painted the clouds far over the southern horizon. The silent dark mountains rose on our both sides as we drove through the forested valley.... and we listened to a special song: "Gateways" by Dimmu Borgir - one of the songs that Jayme most strongly associates with Stian . Turned into a magickal moment, strangely fascilitated by modern technology. However, towards the culmination of the song, where a female voice screams memorable words of power, as though from afar, something.... happened. I looked at those towering mountains on the north side and I saw a ghost.... the ghostly vision of a powerful sideress screaming words like these onto the wind, for all the spirits of Nature to hear. Words of battle. Words of war. Words of Freedom. When the song was over, I asked Jayme if he associates this voice with any existing siderian.... he said no, and I decided I only imagined everything. After all, music is pure emotion and it tends to stir many things in me. I should know better though, that those things are seldom only fantasy.
Nearly two years later, I returned to Norway in autumn, for another otherworldly couple of weeks. Naturally, we decided to travel to the Lyngen Alps again, to enjoy them this time in the lavish sunlight and autumn colors. I had told Jayme about my visions already and we decided to try to find out more. He gave me confidence that what I saw may hold truth. During the trip we discussed who the mysterious sideress could be, what her origin and background could be. Some things I knew, some we theorized together, some remained a mystery. But on the way back, it was already past nightfall.... traveling that same mystical valley again, we listened to "Ruttolehto" by Moonsorrow - one of the most powerful and spiritually rich songs that I have ever known - and I dove into another world, another time.... I caught the tide of the vision and it unfolded before my eyes.... scenes that I may never be able to put into words, but I will never forget. I saw the Final Battle. The Last Dawn of War, the end of the devastating crusade of their enemy. I saw it through her eyes: the eyes of a spirit in the northern blizzard, leading her final sacred battle for all Life, from the Astral Realm. The brilliant dawn after above the valley, mountains and forests on all sides, dazzling light upon pristine snow still dappled in blood.... a million particles of light dancing in the wind with the last sighs of the nightly blizzard, but really to the sounds of silence and serenity of a land freed from the tyranny forever. Then I saw her fade into the wind.... she disappeared to become one with the Elements and with the Earth she so cherished in life.

I saw it all. I saw the whole story, glimpses of it scattered through the blizzard of music and voices. I saw her rise to fight for her land. I saw her feel and scream the pain of the Earth into the wind. I saw her fall by enemy hand and her spirit rise more powerful than ever - to win the war, to bring it all to an end. I saw her together with Stian, two Spirits of the North, the Wind and the Northern Lights, bringing all Forces of Nature together to fight for Life. It was.... unimaginable.

So this is the story of this portrait. This is Ryssandra. The glimpses of her life, those visions will remain imprinted in my mind. It was a privilege to see and experience her story, and it is a joy for me to finally see her in picture. Her full story will also be told - in the description of the reference sheet which Jayme drew of her. It will be published soon as well.

As for me, I am perhaps growing my own little "cliché" of drawing feline portraits with splendid sunlight on one side. Nah, it is not a cliché if it's so beautiful. It becomes her, truly.

References: This is interesting this time. As always, studied photos for lighting and feline fur.
But for Ryssandra I used the ref sheet made by Jayme after my descriptions and insight of her.
(I will post a link to it here as well - after he officially publishes it.)

I have to say Jayme did spectacular job in bringing my vision and feeling of her into life, into actual image. I never would have managed without him. She is now real to the world thanks to his insight and skills.
(I could also add it was interesting how we figured out Ryssandra's color and pattern together. I had a feeling about it, but less than an visual one, and thanks to Jayme's insight into color genetics, we managed to discover it together. It was even fun.)

2B - 8B graphite, polychromos color pencils, erasers.
20 x 30 cm white paper, only about 4 hours.
(For a portrait that complex this is an achievement for me.)

Creative rights for Ryssandra belong to Jayme and myself.
Do not use her image and story without explicit permission.
Also, art (c) by me, do not claim as yours, use or repost.

Rights for the Siderian species and their world belong to FelisGlacialis

Description
Hello to whoever is still around and watching. It's been a while.... I must admit I experienced weeks of art depression - you know, that state in which even if you wish you would draw something, it just doesn't come. I am trying to slowly crawl out of it, would be good especially since I have so many ideas and things I want to draw.... and as a little start, I decided to do a portrait that's been on my mind for a while: a sideress whom we came to know by my insight. Yeah, this happens, but it had never before happened to me.

Let me explain. For a while now I have been into the siderians and their stories, I know many of them (some also personally) and I've grown to care for them and emotionally involved in their fates. Naturally, the two times I travelled to Norway to visit Jayme (who also belongs to their kin) and spend time with him, I had the pleasure and honour to experience their presence much more clearly. Furthermore.... the North holds the same spirit as their native land. So in a way, these travels have been very otherworldly experience for me. And very spiritual, too.
It was the first time I was in Norway, on the very Winter Solstice, we were traveling in early morning through the valley towards the Lyngen Alps. It was dark, only distant ruby sunlight painted the clouds far over the southern horizon. The silent dark mountains rose on our both sides as we drove through the forested valley.... and we listened to a special song: "Gateways" by Dimmu Borgir - one of the songs that Jayme most strongly associates with Stian . Turned into a magickal moment, strangely fascilitated by modern technology. However, towards the culmination of the song, where a female voice screams memorable words of power, as though from afar, something.... happened. I looked at those towering mountains on the north side and I saw a ghost.... the ghostly vision of a powerful sideress screaming words like these onto the wind, for all the spirits of Nature to hear. Words of battle. Words of war. Words of Freedom. When the song was over, I asked Jayme if he associates this voice with any existing siderian.... he said no, and I decided I only imagined everything. After all, music is pure emotion and it tends to stir many things in me. I should know better though, that those things are seldom only fantasy.
Nearly two years later, I returned to Norway in autumn, for another otherworldly couple of weeks. Naturally, we decided to travel to the Lyngen Alps again, to enjoy them this time in the lavish sunlight and autumn colors. I had told Jayme about my visions already and we decided to try to find out more. He gave me confidence that what I saw may hold truth. During the trip we discussed who the mysterious sideress could be, what her origin and background could be. Some things I knew, some we theorized together, some remained a mystery. But on the way back, it was already past nightfall.... traveling that same mystical valley again, we listened to "Ruttolehto" by Moonsorrow - one of the most powerful and spiritually rich songs that I have ever known - and I dove into another world, another time.... I caught the tide of the vision and it unfolded before my eyes.... scenes that I may never be able to put into words, but I will never forget. I saw the Final Battle. The Last Dawn of War, the end of the devastating crusade of their enemy. I saw it through her eyes: the eyes of a spirit in the northern blizzard, leading her final sacred battle for all Life, from the Astral Realm. The brilliant dawn after above the valley, mountains and forests on all sides, dazzling light upon pristine snow still dappled in blood.... a million particles of light dancing in the wind with the last sighs of the nightly blizzard, but really to the sounds of silence and serenity of a land freed from the tyranny forever. Then I saw her fade into the wind.... she disappeared to become one with the Elements and with the Earth she so cherished in life.

I saw it all. I saw the whole story, glimpses of it scattered through the blizzard of music and voices. I saw her rise to fight for her land. I saw her feel and scream the pain of the Earth into the wind. I saw her fall by enemy hand and her spirit rise more powerful than ever - to win the war, to bring it all to an end. I saw her together with Stian, two Spirits of the North, the Wind and the Northern Lights, bringing all Forces of Nature together to fight for Life. It was.... unimaginable.

So this is the story of this portrait. This is Ryssandra. The glimpses of her life, those visions will remain imprinted in my mind. It was a privilege to see and experience her story, and it is a joy for me to finally see her in picture. Her full story will also be told - in the description of the reference sheet which Jayme drew of her. It will be published soon as well.

As for me, I am perhaps growing my own little "cliché" of drawing feline portraits with splendid sunlight on one side. Nah, it is not a cliché if it's so beautiful. It becomes her, truly.

References: This is interesting this time. As always, studied photos for lighting and feline fur.
But for Ryssandra I used the ref sheet made by Jayme after my descriptions and insight of her.
(I will post a link to it here as well - after he officially publishes it.)

I have to say Jayme did spectacular job in bringing my vision and feeling of her into life, into actual image. I never would have managed without him. She is now real to the world thanks to his insight and skills.
(I could also add it was interesting how we figured out Ryssandra's color and pattern together. I had a feeling about it, but less than an visual one, and thanks to Jayme's insight into color genetics, we managed to discover it together. It was even fun.)

2B - 8B graphite, polychromos color pencils, erasers.
20 x 30 cm white paper, only about 4 hours.
(For a portrait that complex this is an achievement for me.)

Creative rights for Ryssandra belong to Jayme and myself.
Do not use her image and story without explicit permission.
Also, art (c) by me, do not claim as yours, use or repost.

Rights for the Siderian species and their world belong to FelisGlacialis