Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Anérea and Shadow
Jun. 26th, 2025 09:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
daughterofshadows posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
silwritersguild
Anérea and Shadow are the featured artist and featured writer, respectively, for Zhie's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "How To Make a Star From a Tree: The Science of Telperion and Laurelin." They sat down together to chat about their work on Zhie's presentation and on Mereth Aderthad more broadly, as both are involved as volunteers for the event, and Shadow has also written a story for Maglor's presentation "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." They spoke about the appeal of light in Tolkien's world, about achieving freedom from perfectionism and imposter syndrome, and the special role that fanworks and fan communities play in so many of our lives.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Tang Wen Xi by Dawn
Jun. 22nd, 2025 04:15 pmdaughterofshadows posting in silwritersguild
Few episodes within the legendarium inspire the tormented emotions as the third kinslaying and the aftermath between Maedhros, Maglor, Elrond, and Elros. The featured artist for polutropos' Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium," Tang Wen Xi creates artwork, including martial scenes, with a bold, vibrant style that often seems to leap and move within the page. Dawn recently spoke to Tang Wen Xi about his inspirations within the legendarium and how he creates his one-of-a-kind art.
Latourelle and Coopey Falls
Jun. 21st, 2025 02:27 pmyourlibrarian posting in common_nature
We drove down the historic 30, a 2 lane road that wound around the hills and which crossed paths with numerous waterfalls. Our first stop was Latourelle, which was just off the road. ( Read more... )
Photos: Charleston Library Butterfly Gardens
Jun. 20th, 2025 04:03 amysabetwordsmith posting in common_natureWe visited the butterfly gardens at the Charleston Library, on June 19 although this is dated 20 because it's after midnight. They were filled with birds, although I didn't manage to catch any pictures of them.
( Walk with me ... )
( Walk with me ... )
![[admin post]](//www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/entry/admin_post.png)
Admin Post: Mereth Aderthad RSVP for Meals Needed No Later Than June 22!
Jun. 18th, 2025 08:59 pm![[admin post]](http://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/entry/admin_post.png){kind=small}
dawn_felagund posting in silwritersguildIf you are attending Mereth Aderthad in-person and want to join us for dinner on Saturday and/or breakfast on Sunday, Mr. Felagund and I are working on getting reservations made and need a headcount.
Please use this form to RSVP no later than Sunday, June 22 if you would like to join us!
You are responsible for the cost of your own food and drinks at these gatherings.
We will have additional gatherings that do not require reservations and where virtual attendees can join. The schedule will be posted within the week!
Visit Mereth Aderthad 2025 for more information and to register for the event.
Please use this form to RSVP no later than Sunday, June 22 if you would like to join us!
- Dinner: Saturday, July 19, 6:00 PM at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill in Williston
- Breakfast: Sunday, July 20, 9:00 AM at The Pour House (scroll down to Sunday Brunch Menu)
You are responsible for the cost of your own food and drinks at these gatherings.
We will have additional gatherings that do not require reservations and where virtual attendees can join. The schedule will be posted within the week!
Visit Mereth Aderthad 2025 for more information and to register for the event.
A forest walk
Jun. 18th, 2025 08:50 pmcmcmck posting in common_natureWe headed up Lime Kiln Lane and over to New Works then into the forest.
Things are now very green indeed although this is always a green landscape being on the west coast side of things:
( More pics: )
Things are now very green indeed although this is always a green landscape being on the west coast side of things:
( More pics: )
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with fish by Shadow
Jun. 18th, 2025 05:24 pmdaughterofshadows posting in silwritersguild
Fish is creating the art for Stella Getreuer-Kostrouch's presentation "Cherished antagonist, despised protagonist - a defence of Elu Thingol" for Mereth Aderthad 2025. Shadow spoke with fish about his creative process, the importance of both tragedy and eucatastrophe to Tolkien's works (and to keeping his fans forever in the fandom), and the appeal of "greyness" in Silmarillion characters like Elu Thingol.
Abstract Art on a Northern Lake
Jun. 17th, 2025 06:39 pmjesse_the_k posting in common_natureI’m staying near a northern Wisconsin lake at 45.658965, -89.497625, where I’ll be revelling in 15:45 hours of daylight on the summer solstice. The logged-over forest is mostly red pine, and wow they’re pollinating—creating very abstract art near the dock
Pine pollen forms semi-opaque circles over shallow sandy beach
( two more pics )
Dogwood Leaf Beetle
Jun. 17th, 2025 09:27 ampauraque posting in common_nature
Getting into my car after a walk, I found this elegantly decorated beetle on my shirt. It has the very appropriate scientific name of Calligrapha philadelphica, also known as the Dogwood Leaf Beetle.
When it opened its wings to fly, I was surprised to see its inner wings were red. I guess that could be the wax seal on the parchment. :)
( photo showing the red wings )
International Rose Test Garden
Jun. 16th, 2025 01:21 pmyourlibrarian posting in common_nature
We were only in Portland for a day but we had enough time for a few hours in the International Rose Test Garden. In fact we didn't even spend that long because it was smaller than expected and some bushes hadn't even bloomed yet (despite what the website said as mid-May being an ideal viewing time). We took about half the time we were there trying to park. It was also the most overcast morning of the trip -- we had amazing weather the rest of the time.
Nonetheless what was in bloom was lovely. ( Read more... )
Knock Out Honey Bees
Jun. 15th, 2025 11:57 amblackcatofmisery posting in common_natureMy mom's garden has a vigorous knock out rosebush just beside it, and various bees adore it. Although I'm severely allergic to bites and stings, I will still follow honey and bumble bees; they're too busy to care about me.
Fun fact about me: I cannot smell typical roses. Knockouts are the only roses I can smell.
( Photos beneath the cut. )
Fun fact about me: I cannot smell typical roses. Knockouts are the only roses I can smell.
( Photos beneath the cut. )
Tags:
June Challenge: Gates of Summer
Jun. 14th, 2025 09:43 pmgrundyscribbling posting in silwritersguild
Summer is a season of flourishing, when life is at its peak. It is a time of plenty, when the light lingers long and celebrations dot the calendar. As we prepare for our big Mereth Aderthad celebration in just a month's time—an event that celebrates the vibrant life of our group and all of the creators and members who have shaped its history—we turn to the topic of summer. Like summer, we hope the SWG and the creativity and fellowship between its members will be a light that endures for many years to come!
This month, challenge participants will select their own prompts from a collection of prompts related to summer. The collection includes quotes from the texts, canon events, events in Tolkien's life, and quotes from Tolkien's letters. As always, you can mix and match prompts if you want, and we encourage creative interpretations of prompts.
In honor of Pride Month, there is a special stamp available for fanworks that focus on LGBTQIA+ characters.
Thank you to anerea for this month's banner and stamps!
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 July 2025. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
say hello to Indiana
Jun. 14th, 2025 08:28 pmlizardjay posting in common_natureAt the end of last month I visited Indiana for a week, and in that time went on FOUR hikes. There are too many pictures to put here so I'm posting a link to my ~150 picture album: My sister and I are both very into taking pictures so the hikes were very slow :D but I think it really helps in remembering that there's something interesting to see in pretty much every square inch of the outdoors. There is always a bug, or a fungal disease on a leaf, or a shiny drop of water.
The Album
We visited, in order:
The pictures feature:
For the most part the locations are broken up by a couple non-nature photos, except for Southwestway Park (which begins at the photo of the yellow spider in the web). Once you get to the art museum pictures there's no more nature, unless you count the clouds outside the plane window.
The Album
We visited, in order:
- Ritchie Woods Nature Preserve
- Summit Lake State Park
- Shades State Park/Pine Hills Nature Preserve
- Southwestway Park
The pictures feature:
- many, many insects
- a stately gentleman frog, who very kindly let me get within an inch of him
- snails
- two snakes
- cool looking plants/fungi
- general landscapes
For the most part the locations are broken up by a couple non-nature photos, except for Southwestway Park (which begins at the photo of the yellow spider in the web). Once you get to the art museum pictures there's no more nature, unless you count the clouds outside the plane window.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Varda delle Stelle by Shadow
Jun. 14th, 2025 01:08 pmdaughterofshadows posting in silwritersguild
Cloudyhymn's presentation The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves posits dragons as a corruption of Dwarves, both sharing a connection to the earth but on opposing sides, similar to the relationship Tolkien sometimes described between Elves and Orcs. Varda delle Stelle, the SWG's assistant art editor, will be creating two paintings as the featured artist for cloudyhymn's presentation at Mereth Aderthad 2025. Shadow spoke with Varda about her own connections to the earth and concepts in cloudyhymn's presentation, her creative process, and her hopes for her Mereth Aderthad paintings.
You can read Shadow's interview with Varda delle Stelle here.
Conwy
Jun. 14th, 2025 10:00 amcmcmck posting in common_natureWe spent a few days in Conwy in north Wales recently and had wonderful weather for it.
A view across Afon Conwy (the River Conwy) with Conwy castle as a bonus.
( See more: )
A view across Afon Conwy (the River Conwy) with Conwy castle as a bonus.
( See more: )