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captainseaweedbrains · 4 years ago

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The Dance of the Color Guard, Op. 64 Ch. 3

Everlark meets marching band meets enemies to friends to lovers.

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May

There wasn’t a single childhood memory Katniss could pull that didn’t involve Peeta Mellark. Try as she might to ever forget they were friends—and she tried her hardest to forget—it was next to impossible. Peeta and her were, once upon a time, inseparable. Glued at the hip. Her parents used to tease that only the moonlight could separate them and even then, in the summertime, Peeta spent many nights sleeping on the living room floor next to her, giggling as they watched movies and ate popcorn, Prim snoring beside them.

And then with her dad being an avid photographer, there were boxes of family albums documenting Katniss and Prim growing up throughout the years. From first steps to bath times together to dance and music recitals—her dad documented it all. “For future biographers,” he used to joke whenever Katniss would complain why they always had to take a picture of everything. She’d roll her eyes in response and just let him snap away. There was no stopping the man. Now she wished she could take back all her tweenage-angst and let him take as many photos as he wanted of her. But she didn’t know what she knew now. Thus was life.

On the rare occasion when he relented with the camera and accepted that she was not going to cooperate with any poses he suggested, Peeta was more than happy to step in and take her place, joking how his many admirers at school would kill for a candid photo of him. “It’s not candid if you’re posing, stupid,” she used to tell him, but he’d kindly tell her to shut her piehole and offer up suggestions on where to take the picture next, her dad eating Peeta’s enjoyment up with each click of the shutter.

Peeta was in a lot of her family photos. It was impossible to flip through any family album after Katniss had turned three and not find him. Due to his parents constantly working at their family bakery turned mini corporation, Peeta and his older brother Rye were often left to fend for themselves and from early morning until sundown, Rye would kick Peeta out of the house and lock the door. Rye’s dickish behavior was actually how the two met—Katniss hearing Peeta screaming across their yard, asking if he was dying because he was crying by his back door, fists slamming the glass.

“No,” he sniffed, rubbing his puffy red eyes. “My brudder—l-l-locked—me—o-o- ooout!” Peeta hiccupped, his hysteria growing with each syllable until he was back to crying for Rye to let him in.

“My daddy’s makin’ pancakes,” Katniss offered from her deck. “He makes them with funny faces and makes them sing. Want some?”

There probably should have been some type of introduction between them before Katniss invited this total stranger into her home, but when Peeta came in with her, her dad just smiled and told him to pull up a chair. Names were finally exchanged over gooey chocolate chip pancakes and they became instant friends.

After that, instead of crying when Rye would inevitably lock him out of his own home, Peeta would cross over to the Everdeen’s yard and walk on in, shouting out his greetings to whoever was in the kitchen at the time and seeing what she or her dad were up to for the day. There were countless memories of Katniss coming downstairs after playing with Prim and finding Peeta and her dad casually working together on the morning crossword puzzle at the kitchen table, or out in her mother’s garden doing yard work and chatting about everything and anything. He was always there, ready to hang out and see what she had in mind for them to do that day, and their photo albums showed it. Birthday parties, family dinners, sleepovers, holidays—there Peeta was, all smiles and dimples.

Peeta Mellark was a huge fixture in the Everdeen household until one day he just wasn’t. One day he was there, making her laugh so hard, milk came out her nose, and the next, he was gone and those boxes of happy family photos were just sad reminders of what used to be.

No dad.

No best friend.

It was fine. She was fine.

Except maybe she wasn’t? It annoyed her that Peeta could still dig under her skin like that, his words in the locker room playing on repeat in her mind. At least her nerves about tryouts had a chance to calm down between stressing about Abernathy’s mocking jabs about her playing and her annoyance at Peeta thinking her a heartless loner. So what if she preferred to do things alone? It meant she was independent, mature for her young age. Was that such a bad thing?

And what was up with accusing her of not being there for people? Not caring for them? Did she have to remind him that he made his choice and ditched her ? That the second her dad died, he split? Was he ever really her friend, or was he just using her to get to her dad because his dad wasn’t around? Katniss had been wondering that for years, but didn’t have the courage to ask because she just knew if she did, she’d start to cry and shout at him and maybe shove him a bit and he and his stupid friends would laugh and probably call her a psychopath bitch.

What a fucking hypocrite Peeta Mellark was, calling her heartless when he was guilty of so much worse.

The final bell rang at last, freeing everyone for the day. Katniss was so caught up in her anger over Peeta and Mr. Abernathy and really, just everyone at this point, that she almost forgot about the call sheet posting. Almost. As soon as Madge reminded her, asking if she wanted to walk over there with her and Gale, all those nerves resurfaced as they headed over to the band room. She kept discreetly wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans, preparing herself to be disappointed, to expect someone like Glimmer to get it, but please, whoever was listening up there, please let her have made captain. If this crappy hellish day could give her just one thing, let it be that.

“I can’t look,” Katniss panicked when she saw the neon pink sign taped to the window connecting to the band office, halting in her steps. “If I didn’t make captain, I don’t know what I’ll do. Punch something?”

Madge rolled her eyes and offered to check for her. “If Trinket didn’t make you captain, she clearly tripped in those heels and is suffering from some head trauma. Let’s see.” Her manicured finger scrolled down the long list of names until stopping on the Es. “Hm. Katniss, I don’t see your name on here at all.”

Her heart jolted. “What? That can’t be.” She wasn’t positive on being captain, but she was positive she’d at least make the team . Were the theatre and dance kids really that much better? She shoved Gale and Madge aside, looking for her name. Abrams...Banks...Carroll...Daly...Edwards...Evans... Everdeen! And there was an asterisk next to her name! She was captain of next season’s color guard!

“You asshole!” she laughed, shoving Madge in the shoulder. “I’m captain!” She couldn’t help the large smile stretching across her face. She was captain!

“You are!” Madge cheered, giving her a big tight hug. “Congratulations, Katniss! I’m so proud of you!”

“Totally not surprised,” Gale said, messing up her hair in a brotherly fashion. She shoved his hand away and gave a playful glare. “And what about my favorite guard member?” he asked, looking down at Madge. “Did you make it, too?”

Madge gave him a sweet smile and looked further down the list before pumping her fists in excitement. “I did! I made it! Take that Shelly Shoemon from 4th grade for saying I had the coordination skills of a cow!”

“Totally not surprised,” Gale said again, laughing as he pulled his girlfriend in for a kiss. They locked lips for a while before Katniss cleared her throat and suggested they get a room if they wanted to continue. The couple smiled, Madge’s freckled cheeks tinted pink, but broke apart, their hands remaining clasped together.

“Should we head over to Sae’s for burgers and ice cream to celebrate?” Gale suggested. “Thom just paid me for fixing his car, so I have the cash to spend.” Both girls happily agreed to his suggestion, excited to share the news with Sae, the diner’s owner and local grandmother to anyone under the age of 40. Good news didn’t feel real until sharing it with Sae.

“Katniss,” Miss Trinket shouted from somewhere in her office, “is that you?” Her head popped out the doorway, startling the three. “Excellent, dear! I’ve been waiting to speak with you about something. Come in! Come in!” Her hand motioned for her to follow.

“Oh.” Katniss looked over at Gale and Madge, unsure what to say. “Am I in trouble?”

Miss Trinket laughed. “No, not at all! I just need to discuss some color guard things with my new captain.” She sang the last word, putting great emphasis on the middle consonants, and glared behind her at, presumably, Mr. Abernathy who probably said something rude in a remark.

“Sure, yeah,” Katniss said, feeling a bit dumb. Of course Miss Trinket wanted to jump right into the thick of things. The woman was the Energizer Bunny on crack when it came to choreography and scheduling. Of course she’d want to talk to her captain about the game plan and how she expected they execute it. “I’m free to talk.” Miss Trinket smiled and stepped back in her office.

Katniss turned to Madge and Gale, wearing an apologetic smile . “I’ll meet you at Sae’s?” They nodded, not minding the wait, and wished her luck, telling her to text when she was leaving school.

*********

The first thing Katniss noticed amiss when stepping into the adjoined office was Peeta Mellark casually sitting there in front of Mr. Abernathy’s desk, flipping through a pile of sheet music. It wasn’t unusual for band students to volunteer time helping the surly man try to keep the band program organized, but it seemed a little late for a volunteer to still be in here. Abernathy and Trinket were a lot to take and only bearable in small, manageable doses. Most booked it the second the bell rang.

She paused in the doorway, unsure if she misunderstood Miss Trinket. She meant for them to talk now, right? So what was Peeta doing here?

“Ah, Katniss,” Miss Trinket said, sifting through a stack of notes, not noticing her hesitation. “Take a seat, please.” She motioned to the wooden chair in front of her desk.

Still unsure what was going on, Katniss gingerly sat down in the offered chair, her bag in her lap, and waited to see what exactly Miss Trinket wanted to talk about with Peeta still here. Guard stuff wasn’t technically private, but it’s not like it was riveting information either. Something didn’t feel right here.

Miss Trinket cleared her throat, catching Katniss’ attention from not looking at Peeta, and folded her hands on top of her desk with a bright, fluorescent smile. “Katniss, I want to be the first to congratulate you on a job well done. Your audition was truly inspiring. Honestly, I wish I could have taped it to show future guard members what true dedication looks like.” Katniss’ cheeks darkened at her director’s lavish compliments.

“Thank you, Miss Trinket,” she said quietly, feeling a tad uncomfortable being told this in front of Peeta and Mr. Abernathy. “I tried my hardest.”

“And it shows, dear. It truly shows.” The assistant director looked down at her notes, reading from one of the piles she was sifting through earlier, her long fingernails idly tapping the top metal surface in thought. “In fact,” she said, “I was so impressed with your audition, I’ve decided to make you a very prominent figure in this season’s show. The show’s leading star, as it were.”

“I’m—um. What?” And then Miss Trinket proceeded to happily explain her vision for how their band was going to tell the tragic tale of Romeo and Juliet, with the occasional grunts from Mr. Abernathy here and there. She explained how she envisioned the houses being represented by the color guard and drumline, feuding together on the field as the music from the band crescendos to the climatic finish.

“Next to you, Katniss,” Miss Trinket said, holding up what looked like a handwritten list of names, “I haven’t quite decided who will play who for color guard, but we have time to iron out these details, dear. What concerns me is how long it is taking Boggs to decide who made it for drumline.” Her eyes slitted at Abernathy. “It seems someone forgot to pass along the deadline I imposed so we could avoid this exact problem.” Mr. Abernathy just gave a noncommittal shrug and continued flipping through the scorebook he was looking at. Miss Trinket rubbed at the corner of her eyes and gave Katniss an exasperated look before continuing on.

“It took some wheedling to get him to bend to my will, but I do believe many of our seasonal veterans are returning to drumline this year, Peeta being one of them.” She smiled warmly at the boy. For someone finding out good news, Peeta looked bored out of his mind sitting there, listening as Miss Trinket prattled on about visions and forbidden love and what this will mean for the band come competition season.

This all felt like a lot. Like a lot a lot.

“So let me get this straight,” Katniss said slowly, trying to process it all and not throw up like her stomach wanted. “You want me to be Juliet? Like the Juliet who falls in love and dies at the end? That Juliet?”

If it was at all possible, Miss Trinket’s smile grew, making Katniss feel even sicker. “The very one, my dear! Oh, Katniss, I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have you as our Juliet. I’ve had my guesses who you’d play for a while now, since I decided we should do Romeo & Juliet a few months back, really.” Mr. Abernathy snorted at that but said nothing to contradict her. “But now, after seeing how much you’ve improved since last season? Truly inspiring! And with your tiny frame, I think we can finally bring air flips into the mix now! Wouldn’t that look amazing under stadium lights?”

Katniss really felt like she was going to be sick now. “You want me to be a spotlight guard?” Her voice sounded a bit squeaky to her ears. “But that’s—I’ve never been a spotlight guard before! Especially not something to that kind of scale. They’re, like, really important. Like judges judging them important.”

It was Peeta’s turn to laugh next to her, trying to cover it up with a cough when she turned to glare at him. Why was he here?

Katniss took a deep breath in to try and quiet the loud ringing noise suddenly blaring in her ears. She was clearly not making a first good impression as captain, but this was so unexpected! Miss Trinket had never had her be a spotlight before. Ever. It was one thing being captain, but this, having her performance carry the entire story? Yeah, no thanks.

“Are you sure you want it to be me?” she asked, her voice a lot calmer than she felt. “I was thinking you’d want someone like Madge—or Glimmer—for something this important. You’re always saying how swan-like Glimmer is on the field. Don’t you want Juliet to look like a swan?”

“Told you she wouldn’t be for it,” Peeta muttered next to her, a knowing smile on his face as he shook his head in amusement. Oh, he just thought he knew everything about her, didn’t he? Like he was some Katniss Everdeen expert.

“Why are you even here?” she finally asked him. “This clearly has nothing to do with you. Can’t you file music somewhere else?”

“Isn’t it a bit obvious why I’m here, Katniss?” he asked her incredulously, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. “I thought you were more observant than this.”

Before she could reply, Miss Trinket held her hands up. “Enough! Peeta, I’ll kindly ask you to please sit there quietly, as we discussed.” Discussed? When did they have time to discuss this? Then she remembered earlier. Miss Trinket needing to speak with Peeta, breaking up their argument. They were discussing her? Why did Peeta have to know that Miss Trinket wanted her as Juliet. She was clearly missing something obvious, like Peeta said, but her mind was shot. Barely able to process anything anymore as her anxiety kicked into gear.

“And, Katniss.” She looked up at the sound of her name. “Please keep an open mind about this. I understand to some, being a lead is scary, but trust me when I say, I have my absolute faith in you.

“Madge and Glimmer are talented girls, yes,” Miss Trinket explained, “but I’m afraid they are too tall for what I have in mind for choreography. You know how important these things can be. We need someone petite like you, Katniss. Someone Peeta can easily pick up and twirl without fear of dropping.” She motioned a manicured hand at Peeta, his face staring at her expectantly.

But Katniss’ brain was still running in circles. “Peeta’s not on guard. Why would he be picking me up?”

Miss Trinket’s patient smile looked strained now. “As I already told you,” she said slowly, surely believing Katniss dense now, “Guard and drumline will be representing the two houses. Guard will be Capulet and drumline Montague. Peeta’s on drumline, so naturally he’d be our star Montague.”

Her mind finally caught up to what everyone was suggesting. “Wait,” she said, sitting at the edge of her seat now. “If I’m Juliet and you’re saying he’s the star…” Her focus drifted to Peeta, who gave an amused, cocky wave, surely enjoying the multitude of emotions crossing her face in this moment. Her stomach dropped, this news hitting her harder than the spotlight one. “You’re Romeo?”

Instead of just answering with a simple yes/no like a normal person, or even some Ding! Ding! Ding! joke, Peeta lowered himself to the floor and responded in all his annoyingly obnoxious flair: “‘But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.’” He closed his eyes on the last word and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle kiss, his lips soft and warm against her now clammy skin. She swatted her hand away, tucking it around her bag for protection.

No. No, no, no. No!

This had to be a mistake. Her and Peeta Mellark? As Romeo and Juliet?

That was what Miss Trinket wanted to talk to him about, she realized. It wasn’t about her at all. She wanted to talk to him about being Romeo for the field show.

“I don’t understand,” Katniss said at last, when her stomach had finally recovered itself. “How can Peeta be Romeo when he’s going to be busy marching around with a snare drum? What about Finnick? He’s tall. Taller than Peeta, for sure. I’m sure he could just as easily lift me.”

Was she seriously that desperate to prefer the preening peacock Finnick Odair?

Yes, yes she was.

“Finnick will most likely play our Tybalt,” Miss Trinket remarked. “And as he is on guard, he will play a Capulet role.”

“What about gender bending the role?” Katniss suggested. “Who says Juliet has to be a girl? We are in the 21st century. And didn’t Shakespeare have men play the female roles, anyway? Let Finnick play Juliet to Peeta’s Romeo. He’d be perfect in the role.”

“Should I feel insulted that you don’t want to be my partner, Katniss?” Peeta innocently asked, enjoying this way too much. Her fists gripped her bag hard, her eyes deadly slits. People often told her how intimidating she looked, but Peeta didn’t even bat an eye. He was all smiles and dimples. If only looks could kill...

“Katniss,” Miss Trinket said curtly, snapping her attention back on the director, “I chose you as my next in command because I trust in your talent and know you are a driven young woman who people look up to. Now we both want the pleasure of seeing this band win first place at PSU, don’t we?”

“Yes, but—”

“And we will do what is necessary to move this band toward that goal, correct?”

“Of course, but—”

“But nothing, Everdeen,” Mr. Abernathy interjected at last, kicking his feet off the tall pile of sheet music laying by his desk. “You want to win?” He shook his hand at her, not needing a response. “Stupid question. Of course you do. I can see it all over your face. You’re too competitive to hide it. Well, to win you have to please the judges. Plain and simple. Judges like this kind of flair nonsense. So play our star-crossed lovers—”

“We’re not star-crossed lovers!” Katniss grit out, a bit harder than she intended, unable to look at Peeta as she said it. Not like it mattered. She could practically feel his amusement radiating off his person. “This won’t work, Mr. Abernathy. Don’t you want people who’ll get along? Peeta and I hate each other. We have for a really long time.”

“Who cares?” Mr. Abernathy asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation, his longish black hair falling in his face from the motion. “Pretend. Act like your lovesick classmates. I don’t care. It’s all a big show, anyway, and if pairing you two up wins us enough brownie points to win and shuts Trinket up for a year, then that’s what we’re going to do. Mellark’s already agreed to it and he’s never danced a day in his life. So now it’s your turn to be a good girl and agree to the plan, Everdeen. Got it?”

“Got it,” she muttered, slouching low in her chair. Of all the things she expected to hear today, pretending to be in love with Peeta Mellark was not one of them. This was definitely going to blow up in everyone’s faces, she was sure of it. Putting on a performance smile for judges was one thing, but acting like she was in love with Peeta was another. And then hoping he wouldn’t drop her when doing those stupid flips Miss Trinket mentioned? She was going to be in a body cast by the end of the season.

Peeta seemed to have dropped the amusement act at last, mirroring her sour mood as the two directors discussed extra one-on-one rehearsal time with Miss Trinket to better prepare Peeta since he had zero dance experience. Katniss tried to pay attention, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from glancing over at Peeta, wondering what he could possibly be thinking during all this. His jaw was clenched, she could tell, but he wasn’t looking at her or Trinket or even Abernathy. He was focusing on picking at a hole in his jeans, his eyebrows scrunched together. She understood the conflict—was feeling it herself—but he didn’t look mad. Just...troubled. Like something was said that he was having a hard time with.

Where to begin? Katniss thought bitterly, still unable to believe they were actually being forced to play Romeo and Juliet, like they were in some teenage drama or something.

“I know we have lots to work on, but just seeing the two of you together like this,” Miss Trinket said, motioning between them, “tells me I made the right decision. Look how adorable you two look! Pearls on a necklace! Didn’t I say that’s what they reminded me of, Haymitch?” She turned to Abernathy, who was now busy digging dirt from under his nails with his baton. Miss Trinket frowned before catching herself. “I did, I did! I said that earlier when I found you talking in the back.” She winked and oh god. Could they just go already?

********

It took another fifteen minutes of talking and goodbyes that were very much not goodbyes before they were truly free from the office. Katniss bolted out the side door as quickly as she could, cursing under her breath at how long she’d been in there. That took almost an hour! Madge and Gale were probably wondering what was taking so long. Or maybe not. It was Trinket, after all.

The parking lot was nearly empty now as she crossed it, digging around for her battered up phone to text. Hopefully they were still up for burgers because after that talk...yeah. She needed the greasiest burger available. Wait until she tells her friends she’s playing Juliet and that Peeta Mellark was her Romeo. They might not believe her, thinking it a practical joke and asking what Trinket really wanted. That’s how absurd this whole situation sounded.

“Katniss!” she heard her name called out. “Hey, wait up!” She turned and saw Peeta waving her down, his long legs quickly catching up to her. Part of her wanted to pretend she didn’t hear him and keep moving, her car just across the street from where she stood. It’d be a safer bet, too, moving along, because nothing good was ever said when she was upset. This afternoon being a prime example. But for some reason, she was curious what Peeta had to say about all this. She stopped at the street corner and pretended to check for traffic despite the road being empty of any moving vehicle.

“Damn,” he laughed, a bit breathless as he caught up next to her. “I forgot how fast your fight or flight response is.”

“I’m not fleeing,” she frowned, checking the street for real this time before crossing. She dug around the front pocket of her book bag, pulling out both her keys and phone. “School’s done and I’m going to Sae’s with Gale and Madge. You know, my friends.”

“I know who Gale and Madge are.”

“Just checking,” she stated cooly, flipping her braid over her shoulder, “since you practically accused me of having none earlier.”

He winced. “Yeah, not the finest thing I’ve ever said. I’m sorry about that.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine, Peeta.” It wasn’t, but if she kept telling herself that, maybe she’ll believe it. “We can’t all be Mr. Popular like you.”

“Right.” He looked back at the student parking lot where he parked. Unlike her family, his could afford the $350 the school charged for a parking space. “Listen, about what you said in there. About us hating each other.” Katniss raised an eyebrow, curious where this would lead. “I don’t...hate you.”

Well that was...unexpected. Was that why he looked so troubled in the meeting? Because she said they hated each other? She took a step back from him, realizing he was closer than she felt comfortable with, and waited for the rest of it. It didn’t sound like he was finished, like there was a big but hanging at the end of his sentence. What else did he want to say? But I still don’t really like you? But I think you’re annoying and working with you is going to suck? But I think you’re a bitch? Honestly, the list could go on about all the negative things Peeta could say about her, but he said nothing. He just looked down at his shoes and kicked at some loose pebbles in the street.

“Oh,” she said, unsure what else there was to say. “I guess that will make rehearsal easier.”

He nodded, a bit too jerky to look natural. “Yeah. I just—it’s important to me that you know that I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. Mad beyond belief? Yeah. Lots of times, actually. But never hate. I could never hate you, Katniss.”

“Oh,” she said again, dumbfounded. “Well, thanks, Peeta. I guess. That’s... Good to know.” And just because her sour mood couldn’t help itself, “I’ll be able to sleep happy tonight knowing you don’t hate me.” She made a face, instantly regretting her words, and yanked open her car door, needing to just leave. “Listen, I gotta go. Gale and Madge are already waiting for me and Trinket took forever rambling about how we’re pearl necklaces. They’re waiting for me.”

He didn’t say anything as she got in the car, the loud, embarrassing screech of her engine once on making any type of conversation near impossible to hold. He stepped away and gave a halfhearted wave, all bravado gone now, as she pulled away from the curb. By the time she thought to wave back, it was too late and her car was halfway down the street.

God, she really was a heartless bitch.

*******

It was only hours later—after returning home from drowning her frustrations in the thickest chocolate shake Sae could make and celebrating her good news with her mom and sister over pizza—did she allow herself to think about Peeta Mellark.

On a whim, she pulled the framed photo she kept of her and her dad off her nightstand and held it, her grip tightening as she studied the ridiculous faces they’re making at the camera. It was one of the last pictures they took together before his passing. She can’t remember what prompted them to make the faces, but she wished she could go back and make them again with him. To be with her dad for just one more day. One more hour, even. She’d do anything for that.

Katniss closed her eyes and hugged the frame close to her chest for a moment, trying to stop any tears from slipping past her tight emotional control. She was safe to cry in her room, but wanted to wait until she was in bed with the lights turned off before crying over this emotionally draining day.

When it felt like she had her emotions under control, Katniss used her longest fingernail to lift the tabs on the back of the frame and carefully took the picture out, unfolding the right-half of it to reveal a young curly-haired Peeta smiling up at her, her dad’s arm thrown over his shoulders.

She stared at the full photo for the longest time, remembering how mad she was at him for taking this one simple thing from her. She never minded Peeta being in her family photos before. She sometimes pulled him in for ones when her dad or mom shouted, “Picture time! Show us your pearly whites!” But that was when she still thought they’d have more time. Why wouldn’t there be more time? Dads weren’t supposed to die until you were old and had kids of your own. That’s how it was supposed to be. They weren’t supposed to die when you’re eleven and barely old enough to understand the cruelty of the world. The unfairness of it all.

Katniss barely remembered a time when it was just her and her dad. Alone. No Peeta. No Prim. Just Dad and her.

She didn’t even have a good photo of just the two of them.

Just boxes upon boxes of photos of him, her, and Peeta.

The magical trio.

The full photo didn’t bring up any past resentment this time, though. Instead, it reminded her how much fun the three of them used to have, bumming around town while Aunt Lulu watched Prim at her shop, singing along to the radio and playing Punch Buggy. Her dad always made it a point to include Peeta on any outing they made, even if it involved going to the grocery store. How disappointed Dad would be seeing us now, she thought, tracing over his face with her thumb. Her and Peeta not friends anymore.

But Peeta Mellark doesn’t hate her. Katniss didn’t understand why hearing that felt like a weight had lifted off her, but she felt lighter now, the more she thought about it. Like it was easier to breathe again.

“Peeta Mellark doesn’t hate me,” she whispered to the photo, the words tasting sweet on her tongue. A small smile pulled at her lips and she said it again. “He doesn’t hate me, Dad.”

Katniss didn’t understand why Peeta thought it was important she knew he didn’t hate her, but it was all her mind kept thinking of, and she was glad to hear it.

He didn’t hate her. He never had.

#Everlark fanfiction #The Hunger Games Fanfiction #The Hunger Games #Everlark #Everlark fanfic #My writing #The Dance of the Color Guard Op. 64 #I realized in the sneak peek I put ch 4 instead of 3 #because I forget prologue is different #*face palm*#I hope you enjoy!!#Like and reblog!#Let me know what you think!#Finally getting the ball ROLLING

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surveys-at-your-service · 3 years ago

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Survey #427

“don’t pray for me when you’re the one enslaved”

Your ex taps you on the shoulder and says, “I still love you.” You say? I wouldn't say anything, I'm pretty sure I'd just break down. Do you play video games? Not really anymore. :/ I probably would, though, if I had the appropriate consoles for games I want. You can only replay PS2 games but so many times before you're tired of them. Do you spend a lot of time with family? No, honestly. Is your house more than two stories tall? It only has one floor. Have you ever hit your significant other? Has he/she ever hit you? I'm not in a relationship, but I have most certainly never hit an s/o, and they've never hit me. I wouldn't tolerate that shit. What makes you an attractive person? (Talk about your personality too!) I'm not. What color is your hairbrush/comb? White. What snacks do you have available in your household atm? Hm. Just some fruity grain and oats bars, as well as cashew ones. We try to keep sweets out of the house. Has anyone recently told you that they like you, or find you attractive? No. Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? Holy fuck yes, she's drop-dead gorgeous. Do you care about anyone that doesn’t care about you? Ha, I'm sure. Was your last Facebook friend requests from a male or female? Some random middle-aged man, like who are you sir. Which one of your relatives is most likely to embarrass you? My dad. He can be so rude to people sometimes. When was the last time you ate a bar of chocolate? Not sure. It's been quite a while. Do you play any games on Facebook? No. What would you like to get a degree in? It'd be nice to get a degree in Arts, but yeah... I'm never going back to school. Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night? Pretty much every night. Would you prefer to read a book, watch a movie or TV show, or play a video game? Play a video game. Do you usually get popcorn or soda at the movie theater? Almost without fail. You've got to, it's part of the experience. What genre of films do you like the best? Horror. How many bank accounts do you have? None, actually. Have you ever had the flu? No, thankfully. What is your goal for the next few months? To start getting in shape/losing weight. I seriously hope this gym routine works out. Have you ever had some kind of sleep-disorder? How did it affect your life? I have seveeeere sleep apnea. It's shocking, I never would've guessed it, though, so the diagnosis (I had a sleep study, so yes, it's legit) was an extreme surprise. I don't snore at all, nor do I like pass out in the middle of something, but I stop breathing A LOT. For a year or two (no, that is not an exaggeration), it caused consistent, horrible, and violent nightmares/terrors. It made sleep frightening to me, and I was never getting a truly restful sleep. Now, I have an APAP mask (like a less extreme version of a CPAP mask) that helps me greatly. I only very rarely am surprised by a more subtle nightmare now. Have you ever had food poisoning before? Describe the experience. No, thankfully. What are two things that you have no problem paying full price for? Quality tattoos, for one. And maybe uhhh... idk. We're the kind of family that buys off-brand foods and drinks all the time because it's cheaper, so I can't say that. Maybe health care? Like I wouldn't want service from a sketchy dentist or something. Funny, charming, cute, romantic, smart - choose only 2 for the opposite sex. Charming and romantic. Have you ever let somebody use you? Why did you do it? No. You can go back in time & change something in your mom’s past - what is it? That's hard for me to say. She doesn't seem to like talking about her past very much, because I know it's turbulent with her mother. I would say her being disowned, but I don't know how that *actually* affected her. Maybe it was for the better she wasn't under her mom's authority anymore. Do you know anybody who is around the exact same size as you? Who? I guess my mom, but she's actually smaller than me now. She's lost a lot of weight and is still going at it. Ever been to a haunted house? How scared were you? Not a house, but rather hay rides and those places you just walk through and experience different stuff. They don't scare me at all; I love 'em. Been on any websites today you wouldn’t want your parents to see? No. Which is worse: dusting or mopping? Ugh, mopping. I don't mind dusting. Would you marry somebody who was intensely religious? No. Did you pull a senior prank? No. That shit is so dumb. Did you graduate? High school, yes. Have you ever been unfaithful in a serious relationship? No, and I never would. What was the last song you listened to? I'm listening to Lauren Babic and Halocene's cover of "Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park right now. It's great. Are you one of those lucky people with 20/20 vision? Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell no. Is fashion one of your interests? No. Do you think you’ll eventually find that special someone? Hell if I know. Do you care what people think? Way, way more than I should. Is acting something you enjoy? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I feel so stupid. What was the last thing you broke/sprained? I tore a ligament badly in my foot maybe a year and a half ago. I was SO sure it was broken. My mom had to help me walk everywhere, and even when she did, I'd be whimpering and seething. Have you ever fought with a friend because of their boyfriend/girlfriend? Because of yours? No. Has a stranger ever yelled at you for your language? No. Whose house, other than yours and your families', are you most comfortable at? If we're excluding all family, I suppose Sara's? Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you? Probably at some point as a kid. Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? I played a lot. The only two I really didn't like were soccer and cheerleading. Did you ever watch the show Full House? Hell yeah, I loved it as a kid. Is there a celebrity you are just DETERMINED to marry? Ha ha y'all know I joke about it, but no, not legitimately. It's not like I know him personally at all, and I'm not chasing him to California either. Just let me dream still lmao. Have you ever burned someone’s picture? No, but I've actually heard it's truly therapeutic and not just for dramatic effect, so I wouldn't be opposed to doing so if you handed me a picture of him and a lighter. What’s the longest hike you’ve ever been on? I've never hiked before. Would you ever get a lip tattoo? Uh, no. Who is the first person of the opposite sex that pops into your head? Jason. Do your parents smoke cigarettes? My dad smokes like a chimney and is 100% going to end up with cancer because of it. You should hear his cough. Mom smoked for a very, very brief period before I was born. What does one of your T-shirts have written on it? "Equal in our bones" is on my favorite shirt. Name a pet you definitely wouldn’t want. Certain inverts people are wild enough to get, like giant African centipedes in particular. Would you prefer your partner smaller or taller? Can't say I care. do you enjoy going through old pictures? Sometimes. Other times, it's too painful. It also depends on the era of the pictures. Do you believe people when they say they don’t judge people? Ha, no. We all have natural first impressions and things like that that just... happen. What did you love the most about the town you grew up in? Nothing, really... besides just childhood memories that inevitably came. My hometown was dangerous. What’s a movie that you laughed the hardest during? I'm not sure. What’s a movie you cried the hardest during? I want to say Old Yeller, but I'm not sure. What’s your favorite restaurant? Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory. Is there a dessert you don’t like? Yeah; I don't like pie, strawberry shortcake, and I know there're others. Favorite album? Ozzy's Black Rain. It was my introduction to metal, so there's nostalgic value there, but I also just LOVE every single song. What’s a book that you read because everyone else was reading it? None. I don't read books for that reason. Underwater or outer space? Both kinda frighten me to a degree, but I find outer space to be way cooler. So many colorrrrrrs. Dogs or cats? Cats. Kittens or puppies? Ugh, both are so cute, but I gotta hand it to kittens. Bird watching or whale watching? Whale watching would blow me away. Whales are such magnificent, awe-inspiring animals. What is your spirit animal? Probably a deer. Skittish, shy, and quiet. What was your best subject in school? English. What was your worst subject in school? Math. What is one thing you wish you knew in high school? You and Jason aren't going to last, hunty. Who is your fashion icon? I don't have one. I wear what I want/what's comfortable. Diamonds or pearls? I think diamonds are a lot prettier. What color dress did you wear to prom? First one was maroon, last one was black. What’s your favorite plot-twist? Silent Hill: Shattered Memories. My jaw actually dropped. Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now? Yes. Honestly, what’s the worst thing you’ve done when you were mad? Said things I shouldn't. Honestly, ever made anyone cry when you were mad? Yes. Honestly, when was the last time you REALLY cried your heart out? Two weeks ago or something like that. Ever pop someone else’s pimple? OH MY GOD NO alskdfa;wekrwer; Do you need to return anyone’s phone call? No. Who are you closest to? My mom. Have you ever had a bad concert experience? No. Are you currently sad about anything? A number of things. Have you had any form of exercise today? No, but tomorrow is day #2 at the gym! Can you handle blood? Yeah, np. Has any place hired you underage for a job? No. Have you ever carried a concealed weapon? No sir=ee. Are you currently searching for a job? Not anymore, at least not actively. I was going to after TMS, but I'm just... still not ready. Right now, I'm focusing on the gym and getting healthy again, but if the seemingly perfect job comes along, I'm not opposed to taking it up. Does eating breakfast make you sick? No, I've got to have breakfast or else THEN I feel awful.

#survey #surveys #random questions #lyrics: ''thoughts & prayers" by motionless in white

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afteriwake · 6 years ago

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The Cacophony Of Life (2/6)

AN UPDATE! SHOCKGASP! I KNOW!

Here’s an introduction to their preteen years. Enjoy (especially you, @elliedilly...I know you’ve been waiting forever).

The Cacophony Of Life - From birth, every person can hear the music that their soul mate hears, whether it’s music that they’re playing, listening to or singing along to, in their mind. Measures can be taken to lessen the sound, but there are times when the sound is too much, too overwhelming. For years, Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper use their connection to each other through the music they both hear to communicate: first to annoy each other as children, then to care for each other as teenagers and young adults, and finally to express the longing that hopefully one day, and one day soon, they’ll meet each other face to face and express the love that’s grown between them throughout the years.

Read Part 1 | Read Part 2 | Help Me Survive? | Commission Me?

May 1990 Molly Depeche Mode, “Enjoy The Silence” Sherlock Frédéric Chopin, “Prelude in E-Minor (op.28 no. 4”

She was starting to hate the smell of hospitals.

Dad was in the hospital again, though Mum swore he’d be out and about in no time, but they both thought she didn’t hear them when they talked at night. Sound carried in their little home in Bozeat, especially at night, when her room was quiet and so was her head.

Like she wished it was now.

She could tell her headmate was playing the music again. Was there nothing he...she...couldn’t do? She could barely dance and they were a bloody prodigy! It wasn’t fair.

None of this was fair, not at all.

She took her cassette player and went outside, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. Dad may come home, yeah, but this wasn’t going to end well. The hospital visits were becoming more frequent, the whispered conversations at home becoming more urgent, and she knew the truth even if her parents didn’t want to admit it: they had less time with her dad being alive than ever before. Maybe a few years, maybe a year, maybe months…

She jammed on her headphones and thumbed the volume dial all the way up. Yeah, sure, it could hurt her hearing but she didn’t care. Soon the soothing sounds of Dave Gahan’s voice filled her ears, drowning out the classical music a bit more.

Words like violence Break the silence Come crashing in Into my little world Painful to me Pierce right through me Can't you understand Oh my little girl

It took her a few moments to realize the other music, the music her headmate was creating, was slowing. It wasn’t their normal abrupt halt before doubling down. It was more that they were actually...listening. The song must have been a shock, roaring through their head like it did hers, but there was no retaliation.

Not this time.

All I ever wanted All I ever needed Is here in my arms Words are very unnecessary They can only do harm

And then, seemingly, they picked up the melody, playing a counterpoint, and she stopped in her tracks. This wasn’t the sort of music their headmate liked but they were...comforting her?

The tears fell and they couldn’t stop, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Someone was there, someone maybe cared. Maybe they didn’t know it all but...this was a change.

A change she needed oh so badly.

September 1991 Sherlock Johannes Brahms, “Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 77 - III. Allegro giocoso” Molly Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit”

He stood up on the platform, violin tucked under his chin. His headmate had been rather quiet the last few months, and he’d thought with there being a summer break she or he would have been playing music all the time. He certainly was. But it seemed, perhaps, he was playing to an audience of one even when he was in a room of his own. There had been a comfort in that, that the two of them were no longer being childish.

It was...nice.

Nice things had been in short supply when there had been an increase in the fights in the household. His family would never yell, no, but things changed. It decidedly got colder, darker…

Lonelier.

So for his headmate to let him be in peace had been a blessing.

He had not started to play when suddenly there was a blaring sound in his head and he grit his teeth. Not now, not now…

Load up on guns, bring your friends It's fun to lose and to pretend She's over bored and self assured Oh no, I know a dirty word

“May I be excused for a moment?” he asked the people who were judging him and his entrance to an elite music program. They nodded and he dashed to the lobby of the building, his headmate’s song repeating stupid, meaningless lyrics until there was a pause.

With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now, entertain us I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now, entertain us A mulatto An albino A mosquito My libido Yeah, hey, yay

He laid his bow across the strings and then made the most horrific sound he could and the sound cut off in his head immediately. He waited a few moments to see if his headmate turned their music back on, but there was blissful silence. He took careful steps back into the auditorium, got on the platform again, and began to play the piece by Brahms he had been practicing for months.

All to blissful, sweet silence in his head.

Except for the hum.

They had heard him play this song at least a hundred times, and he found the hum to be a pleasant accompaniment to his playing instead of a distraction. His playing got more lively, infused with feelings he couldn’t quite describe, and he felt a small smile form on his face before he closed his eyes and let the music take him away.

And then, the song was over, and the humming was gone, and he felt...alone.

But the adults were clapping and he would show his gratefulness to his headmate later, he thought to himself as he took a bow.

March 1992 Molly Guns N’ Roses, “November Rain” Sherlock Robert Alexander Schumann, “Träumerei” (as performed by Mischa Elman & Joseph Seiger)

The song played on the radio as her mum brought her home from school, a different tune in her head, giving her a headache. A trip into London, have to go, urgent. A sad song for a sad occasion. Dad had to be rushed to one of the bigger hospitals for a series of tests and she and her family were staying at a hotel nearby and she’d get a week out of school.

As if that would make it any better.

Her classmates were mean. She was losing her father, bits and pieces at a time, didn’t they care? But no, they teased about the cane he used, the wheelchair he was in sometimes, the sudden weight loss, the loss of hair…

She was losing pieces of her father a bit at a time and they didn’t care.

She felt tears at her eyes for she didn’t know how many times this week, but soon she heard the other song in her head stop and a counterpoint to the orchestral beginning and she relaxed. Rain on the outside of the car to match the song, and beautiful music in her head to remind her she wasn’t alone. She had the feeling even though there was Slash’s guitar solo in this, her headmate appreciated the long version with the orchestral beginning. They never joined in before today, but they never stopped her from listening to it. Perhaps this was a shared song to love? Who knew?

She shut her eyes and set her head against the window as the lyrics came into play, her hand against the glass and a sad smile on her face as she hummed along to Axl’s vocals.

When I look into your eyes I can see a love restrained But darlin' when I hold you Don't you know I feel the same

'Cause nothin' lasts forever And we both know hearts can change And it's hard to hold a candle In the cold November rain

This might not last forever, but it was happening now, and she was so so grateful for the music in her head.

November 1993 Sherlock Giuseppe Verdi, “La Forza del Destino Overture” Molly Smashing Pumpkins, “Mayonaise”

For once, the music on his record player and the music in his head, though at odds, were a blessing. There was a row going on downstairs and so one of his favourite overtures was playing as loudly as the record player could play it. He knew his parents may be upset but frankly, he didn’t care. He didn’t care much about pleasing them in any shape or form since he knew he was going to be sent off to another boarding school soon.

Was this all his own fault? No, not really. He had a set of skills, he put them to use and instead of making the world better he was laughed off. Well, he’d show them one day. One day, everyone would know who he was and he would be important.

His headmate had been listening to a particular album off and on over the last few weeks and he was surprised that he found it interesting. It was not his typical sort of music, a bit more...avant-garde? Experimental? But he had heard of this alternative grunge music coming out of America, in Seattle, and that seemed to be what his headmate liked. Some of it was too loud, too crass, but this particular band was rather melodic in some ways. He knew the name now of one of the songs he’d heard in his head, “Disarm,” and this one wasn’t so bad either.

Mother weep the years I'm missing All our time can't be given Back Shut my mouth and strike the demons That cursed you and your reasons Out of hand and out of season Out of love and out of feeling So bad

When I can, I will Words defy the plan When I can, I will

Fool enough to almost be it And cool enough to not quite see it And old enough to always feel this Always old, I'll always feel this

No more promise no more sorrow No longer will I follow Can anybody hear me I just want to be me When I can, I will Try to understand That when I can, I will

He made a mental note to buy himself this album the next time he went looking for vinyl, and to thank his headmate when he met them...whenever that would be.

August 1994 Molly Nine Inch Nails, “Hurt” Sherlock Sherlock Holmes, Untitled Original Compositions

I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain

The only thing that's real

The needle tears a hole

The old familiar sting

Try to kill it all away

But I remember everything

She felt so hollow. She’d thrown herself on her bed after the funeral and turned this song on and kept it going, over and over and over, until she had fallen asleep. Had she fallen asleep? She didn’t know.

She didn’t care.

What have I become? My sweetest friend Everyone I know Goes away in the end You could have it all My empire of dirt I will let you down I will make you hurt

It wasn’t apparent at first, but she heard something in her mind. Something...hopeful. Maybe even happy. Something that just made her want to reach out and find her headmate and hold them, have them hold her. She turned the song off and curled back onto her side, clutching the stuffed cat her father had given her when she was a baby, thinking she had no tears left to cry and yet there was new wetness on her cheeks.

The song was slow. Not because the song was meant to be slow, but it was as though her headmate was running on residual strength. But he or she kept playing, even though she imagined their arms must be so tired, so sore.

Had they been playing the entire time she was asleep? She glanced at her bedside clock and saw she’d been asleep for four hours. Four hours?!? Playing the violin for four hours straight? Bloody hell…

Soon the song tapered off after a little more, but she picked up on what the melody had begun and hummed her own version of the song. Then she wasn’t alone. There was a soft humming in her mind, knowingly differing the song to match her version. Soon the humming faded and she imagined her headmate had exhausted themselves.

But she kept humming until she, too, fell asleep, knowing she owed her headmate more than they could ever imagine.

#sherlock #sherlolly #mollock #molly hooper #sherlock holmes #fanfiction #fanfic #elliedilly #multipart: the cacophony of life

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mrsgrangermalfoy · 6 years ago

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GOT7 FIC RECS

JJP

Featherweight by foxxing

It’s been 13 years since any of them have seen Jinyoung. Spurred onward into a life of crime from their delinquent childhood on the streets, the 6 of them have risen in the underground ranks to become the most successful group of hitmen under the Knight Group. Jinyoung, having abandoned them and their lifestyle at 18, has risen to stardom as the hottest actor in Korea, but not everyone loves him: on a sunny February day, a $6 million dollar hit crosses the desks of the 6 Knights, but only one of them is bitter enough to take it.

Or: Jaebum becomes Jinyoung’s bodyguard under a fake identity to get revenge for a broken heart.

Word count: 124,000

tbh read everything by this author, they are a quality source of jjp

Anteroom by minyukie

How do you act around your ex with your child in the other room? It’s been almost a year and a half, and Jinyoung has yet to figure it out.

Word count: 76,771

i love kidfics, kinda angsty

Charade by Sugarbowl

Jaebum and Jinyoung walk parallel paths in many ways, but Jaebum isn't interested in their intersection. Jaebum struggles to support his young son on his own, while everything seems to come easy for wealthy, charming Jinyoung. But when they're forced to partner for a project, Jaebum finds himself a bit more willing, and much more in need.

Word count: 152,145

I love this author’s characterization of Jinyoung, please read it dadJB is something we all need more of

Compass Calling by Sugarbowl

Prince Jinyoung is destined for a lifetime of luxury, until he's shoved in a trunk and accidentally abducted. Im Jaebum clawed his way out of poverty to captain a pirate ship and... not much else, actually. Jinyoung could be his first real treasure, if Jaebum could just figure out how holding someone for ransom actually works.

Word count: 82,944

if you didnt think you needed a pirate fic before, YOU DO NOW, literally the fic that made me ship jjp

Wilder by Sugarbowl

Newly graduated, Jinyoung is determined to try new things. New parties, new boys, and when Mark asks for a favor, even volunteering as a counselor at summer camp. But new experiences can get complicated, and he quickly finds himself a little out of his depth.

Word Count: 76,619

why are there not more summer camp AU’s. i love this author so much they come up with the best ideas i had to rec three fics honestly just everything they’ve written you won’t regret it

Citation by KingJackson

When the one book he needs for an important term paper has to remain in the campus library, Jinyoung catches the eye of Jaebum, a library assistant.

Word count: 115,401

jinyoung’s a dick here and jb is too good for the world, quality smut, cute markson on the side, read the sequel Renewal too

Honey by crimson_calamity

It was always the handsome ones, his mother always told him: handsome boys will use you, break your heart and leave you with the pieces. Jinyoung used to think she was talking about herself but, well. Her intuition towards her son has always surprised him.

(Jinyoung doesn't think she could ever have anticipated this)

Word count: 5693

This is the first fic in the “We’re the opposite of angels” series. just read the whole series (Of all the assignments, Not quite what anyone expected, Let's make this work) cus JB as a demon is hot ok

Baggage by mertlekang

RentAU! - Jaebum and Youngjae have been living in a shitty apartment on the wrong side of town for years, struggling to pay their rent and carrying the weight of their past mistakes. With the introduction of a new neighbour, a meeting with an old flame, and the help of a stranger after a mugging, new relationships are built and their lives grow all the more complicated.

Word count: 47,081

Warning this fic made me cry, but it’s so well done i could feel the characters pain myself, it’s not solely a jjp fic, contains markson and yugbam too

Walls of Glass by hakkais_shadow, katamari

The city's social structure is firm and unyielding--Alphas at the top, Betas in the middle, and Omegas as pliant, broken servants to the Alphas. When Im Jaebum, the heir of an old Alpha family suddenly finds his social position flipped, he's thrown into a world of intrigue, deceit, and as the very unwilling servant to an even more unwilling Park Jinyoung.

Word count: 37,873

I still dunno how i feel about ABO fics but i like the power dynamic between JB and jinyoung and i found the world very interesting and well created

bloom by subsequence

Jaebum may have learned to accept his role as future king, but accepting this new role — the thought makes him sick to his stomach.

If he could have, Jaebum would have chosen any other way to present as an omega.

(Or: Omegaverse Arranged Marriage AU featuring Princes!JJP and a cast of loudmouth extras.)

Word count: 82,833

another ABO fic, but also well done, great if you love a good royalAU like me

꽃이 만발한 차 (Tea Blossom) by seitsemannen

Unlike the other companions at the Red Orchid, Jinyoung’s robes never revealed more than the slope of his neck or a sliver of his wrist, if he was being flirtatious. His clients were paying for his intelligent company and handsome face, nothing else.

The entrance of Jaebum in his life is the start of a series of exceptions.

Word count: 39000 (this is a WIP)

interesting concept, i’m intrigued to see how the story progresses

MARKSON

The Prince Who Never Laughed by seitsemannen

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, lived a beautiful and kind prince named Mark, who after his mother's loss never laughed again. That was until he met the brightly smiling apprentice of a glassblower, Jackson Wang.

Word Count: 50,000

a cute fic, i love royalAU’s

Playhouse by seitsemannen

All sorts of rumours surround the handsome Wang heir and the good-looking servants of his household, but no one seemed to know for sure, as no matter the price, the members were not willing to give the secrets of their Master up.

Mark doesn't care for celebrities or rumours, except the one that says the Wang household pays several times more than the usual servant's salary, so when there's a job opening at the House, he goes for it. In the days and weeks spent at the House, Mark gets to know the members and finds out what of the ludicrous rumours were true and what weren’t. What he did not know to expect, however, is how good friends he would become with the other members of the House, and what’s worse, that he would fall in love with Jackson Wang.

Word count: 311,000 (this is a WIP)

honestly this is like a classic, and super smutty and long

Twist by KingJackson

Mark knows Jinyoung. Jinyoung knows Jackson. Jackson hooks up with Jinyoung who also hooks up with Mark. Mark goes to hook up with Jinyoung and ends up also sleeping with Jackson. Jackson sometimes hooks up with Jaebum, but that isn’t important right now.

And they say romance is dead.

Word Count: 68,964

honestly this was the fic that made me ship markson, i wasn’t too big on them but jackson is too good here to not root for them

MARKJIN

(tbh if anyone know any good markjin fics hmu i’m struggling to find quaility ones)

Blue Neighbourhood by gotsichi7

Jinyoung lived in his own bubble until Mark came around and reminded him how precious friendship was. The bond they had was beyond any friendship Jinyoung had ever made which made Mark special to him. But school was coming to an end and after graduation, there was no telling where everyone would end up. Life threatened to break that bond or rather seperation made them realize just how special their bond was.

The relationship of Mark and Jinyoung based off of the Troye Sivan album, Blue Neighbourhood.

Word count: 43,963

angsty af, another one of those that hurts so good and you feel in your soul

Ameoto (Part 1 of 2) by aquilaprisca

In a small town, hidden beneath constant rain and shadows, Jinyoung spends his time alone lying on his mattress wondering whether the hollowness inside him will ever be filled. Somehow even the smile he perfected over the years can't even seem to save him from himself. But being the only bartender within a mile radius means Jinyoung meets people on a daily basis, and as he watches the door, and waits for the ring of the bell, he wonders sometimes if there'll ever be someone that enters his bar and changes everything for him.

Word count: 28,806

cute fic i enjoy the writing style, light angst, don’t forget to read the sequel

MARKBUM

ok so i don’t really read markbum but cutiepiemarkeu has written a huge amount of really solid markbum fics if you are interested

#got7 #got7 fanfic #got7 fic rec #got7 recs #jj project #jjp recs #markson recs #markjin recs #markson #markjin #markbum

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fayewonglibrary · 3 years ago

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NetEase Special: Relive 20 years of Faye Wong - The Legend (2009)

In 1969, she fell to earth.

In 1989, an album was released in Hong Kong called "Wang Jingwen".

In 2009, it’s "still the same old phrase": If I stop singing, please forget me.

The more she wants you to forget, the more clearly you remember.

Faye Wong, a Beijing gal, created a legend for twenty years.

Beijing Gal

Faye Wong was born on August 8, 1969 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. When Faye attended Ditan Primary School, she was known for singing and was also selected for the CCTV Junior Choir Group.

But this "little singer" actually had a turbulent childhood. Since her grandfather served as a member of the legislature during the Cultural Revolution, her father was sent to the May Seventh Cadre School due to his background. Faye Wong had to live with her mother. Before the age of fifteen, she took her mother's surname and her father's name "Lin" and her name was temporarily changed to Xia Lin.

Her mother worked as a soprano singer in the Coal Mining Art Troupe. Due to her busy performance schedule and the absence of her husband, she had to send Faye to her aunt's house in Shanghai for care. After the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, her father returned to Beijing and Faye Wong’s family was reunited.

15 Year Old Teresa Teng

At the end of the first semester of Faye Wong's first year in high school, a Beijing record company was looking for singers in Beijing's performing arts groups. After an audition, the record company selected Faye. But her mother felt that her child should put her studies first and she was explicitly forbidden to sing. However, her father had a different mindset. At that time, he was handling the formalities for Faye to immigrate to Hong Kong. In his reasoning, he thought that if his daughter could gain a little achievement as a pop singer, there may be more opportunities to go to Hong Kong. With her father's persuasion, her mother reluctantly relented. This resulted in the first album Faye Wong recorded in her life: "Where Does The Wind Come From" and subsequently "Miss Charming".

These albums were made entirely of covers of Teresa Teng's songs. Faye Wong at that time had a youthful voice and imitated well. Due to Teresa Teng's popularity in the mainland, the sales of these bubblegum pop albums were quite impressive but overall, people did not remember the name Faye Wong.

Depart for Hong Kong

In 1987, Faye Wong successfully passed her entry exam for the Biology Department at Xiamen University. But she gave up her studies and immigrated to Hong Kong with her father. When she first arrived in Hong Kong, she worked as a model. But soon, she realized that this was not the life she wanted. What she really wanted to do was sing.

Through an introduction by her father's friend, Faye Wong studied music under Dai Sicong. Dai Sicong introduced her to Chen Xiaobao, the general manager of Cinepoly Records. After one meeting, Chen Xiaobao was very impressed by Faye. He gave her a contract and also changed her stage name to "Wang Jingwen" and gave her an English name - "Shirley Wong".

In November 1989, the album "Wang Jingwen" was released. At that time, Faye Wong concealed her personality under the standard packaging of Hong Kong artists. She sang pure uninspired Cantopop songs. Although this album reached gold record sales and also won her the Bronze Award for "Female Newcomer Artist", behind the scenes were undercurrents of conflict between Faye Wong's personality and Hong Kong's entertainment industry.

Run Away, Come Home

After "Wang Jingwen", Faye Wong's next two albums did not receive much response in the market. In 1991, her newly appointed manager Leslie Chan thought that Faye was out of place in Hong Kong and sold her rights to Taiwan's Rock Records for 2 million Hong Kong dollars. In a fit of anger, Faye left for the United States to study music. She also defiantly tore up the Rock Records contract while she was in the United States. While she drifted away, Faye absorbed more influences from Western music, but her career had fallen on tough times.

During New Year of 1992, Faye Wong called her teacher Dai Sicong to send him New Year's greetings. Dai Sicong persuaded her to come back and negotiate with Cinepoly and helped her return to Hong Kong. That year, Faye met Katie Chan, the manager who would change her life.

With the help of Katie Chan, Faye Wong changed her English name to "Faye Wong" and released the album "Coming Home". With the title song "Fragile Woman" (a cover of Miyuki Nakajima's 'Rouge'), Faye Wong became a household name. That year, she won RTHK’s "Golden Song" Award and she joined the ranks of first-line female singers.

No Regrets

In 1993, Faye Wong and Dou Wei had fallen in love. Dou Wei's influence on Faye was undeniable, both in her music and personality. That year, Faye released the album "No Regrets". Faye Wong's lustrous voice also began to take shape. The Mandarin version of the title song "No Regrets" was written by Faye herself. These lyrics were regarded by fans as a true portrayal of who Faye was. "No Regrets" swept Hong Kong’s 1993 awards at Jade Solid Gold and RTHK for best original song and other awards. Faye also won the "Most Popular Female Singer Gold Award” at Hong Kong Commercial Radio’s award ceremony.

Cold War

Faye Wong, who was deeply in love, soon released the album "One Hundred Thousand Whys". In this album, Faye was no longer willing to be passive. She became more involved in the album production process, including styling, cover concept, etc. "Tempted Heart" was also the first time Faye had composed music. The song "Lau Fei Fei" expressed her eagerness to break free of restraints. The Cantonese cover of "Silent All These Years" by Tori Amos was adapted by Lin Xi and became Faye Wong's classic. The release of this album caused a sensation in the stagnant Hong Kong music industry and also made Faye understand more than ever that if music does not come from the depths of the soul, it will not have long-lasting vitality at all.

Farewell to Wang Jingwen

In June 1994, Faye Wong gave up her stage name "Wang Jingwen" and used “Faye Wong” to release the Cantonese album "Random Thoughts". The subversive nature of this album was displayed on the cover with incomplete Chinese characters and phrases such as: "no image" and "no words".

In this album, she boldly incorporated European elements in songs such as "Dream Person" which was a cover of "Dreams" by the Irish band The Cranberries. "Know Oneself and Each Other" and "Random Thoughts" were covers of the Cocteau Twins, a post-punk band. But at the same time, it also triggered some criticisms about her "copying".

It is also worth mentioning that "Pledge" was a song composed by her and Dou Wei, and Faye wrote the lyrics. The bold lyrics revealed her determination about their relationship with a hint of uncertainty.

Please Myself

In December 1994, with the release of "Please Myself", Faye Wong was responsible for the concept of the album cover. The Hong Kong version of the album is pink with only four small characters "Please Myself" in the center. "Float", composed by Zhang Yadong, was the first collaboration between him and Faye. "Exit" was written by Faye - "I heard that you will have an affair when you are forty years old" - and even predicted the breakdown of her subsequent marriage with Dou Wei.

One side smiles innocently, one side sees through it all

Also in 1994, Faye Wong made her first entry into the Taiwan market. That year, she released the Mandarin albums "Mystery" and "Sky" in Taiwan. As an initial exploration of the Mandarin market, "Mystery" had a rather conservative style, but its title song "I'm Willing" was enormously successful. "Sky" was released in November and did not follow the "Mystery" formula of adapting Cantonese songs into Mandarin. The songs were basically all original creations by local Taiwanese musicians, including "Chesspiece", "Sky", "Angel", and "Reserved". They were all big hits.

These two Mandarin albums were produced by Taiwanese musician Yang Minghuang. It is a pity that he died in a car accident in 1995.

First Concert

At the end of 1994, Faye Wong held the "Most Exciting Concert" at the Hung Hom Coliseum in Hong Kong for 18 consecutive nights. Faye wore sunglasses, long sleeves, danced freely, and jumped randomly. The concert was perceived as perplexing. The atmosphere was definitely subversive in comparison with typical Hong Kong performances at that time. But the audience still went crazy for it. In the corner of the stage, Dou Wei played the drums and flute from time to time. Faye sang "I'm Willing", "Pledge", "Exit", etc. She was firmly seated on the throne of the Heavenly Queen.

Teresa Teng Psyche

Teresa Teng opened the door to Faye Wong's music world and Faye has always had special feelings for her throughout her life. In 1995, coincidentally before Teresa’s death in May, Faye recorded an entire cover album of Teresa’s old songs "The Decadent Sound of Faye". During the recording process, the bad news of Teresa’s death was broken. Faye burst into tears in the recording studio. The album was released in July and the title satirized the original practice of some Mainland Chinese officials who criticized Teresa Teng's songs and condemned her music. All 13 songs were covers of Teresa Teng. Unlike Teresa Teng's gentle and sweet style, Faye's interpretation was more bold and ethereal. After the re-arrangement, "Wishing We Last Forever" has also become one of Faye Wong's own classic songs.

Lost Track

Faye Wong's alternative road was getting more and more clear. In 1995, she released the Cantonese album "Di-Dar". The titles of all the tracks in the album were two-characters [syllables] (such as "Di-Dar"). The lyrics of 9 of the Cantonese songs were written by Lin Xi. Faye Wong composed two songs "Di-Dar" and "Vacation". "Untitled" and "Lost Track" were composed by C.Y. Kong and had a Middle Eastern flavor. "Ambiguous" was a cover Tracy Huang's "Love in the Snow" and it became the most well-known award-winning song from this album. In the MV of "Vacation", Faye Wong is doing nothing in a messy room, revealing a deep sense of desolation and restlessness. On the cover and album booklet, her hairstyle and clothing are set off with a butterfly background, which was very gorgeous. “Di-Dar” is also Faye Wong's last Cantonese album to date.

Fuzao

The Mandarin album "Fuzao" released in 1996 is full of provocative elements. On the cover, Faye Wong does without the heavy makeup of the female artists at the time. She covered her eyes, ears, and mouth to imply the idea of "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil".

This was the first time that Zhang Yadong produced a record for Faye Wong. He was responsible for half of the songs. Dou Wei was also responsible for three songs. She had covered the Cocteau Twins in the past and this time she collaborated with them for the first time. They composed two songs for her: "Disappointment" and "Divide". In this album, there is not one single commercial song and the overall atmosphere is cohesive. But for that era, this album deviated too far from the traditional style of the Chinese music industry, resulting in low sales. But its groundbreaking achievement has been praised abroad. Therefore, Faye Wong appeared on the cover of Time magazine. To this day, this album is still highly respected by die-hard Fei fans.

Toy and Help Yourself

In 1997, Cinepoly released two EPs "Toy" and "Help Yourself". The songs included were Faye Wong’s last 10 Cantonese songs recorded for Cinepoly in 1996. Because Faye was pregnant and got married, it was not possible for her to promote. In addition, her contract with Cinepoly expired. The songs were split up and published in two separate EPs to compete with her EMI release. For the cover of “Toy", the photographer went all the way to Beijing to take pictures of Faye. At that time, she had a big belly and a smile on her face. Faye Wong, soon to be a new mother, was overjoyed on the cover. Chan Fai-young showed off his talents for the first time as the composer of "Undercurrents". Later, Anthony Wong also covered this song.

The Beginning of the EMI Era

In 1997, after giving birth to Dou Jingtong, Faye Wong officially signed a contract with EMI for 60 million Hong Kong dollars. Faye requested no more Cantonese albums. In the same year, her first Mandarin album under EMI was released - "Faye Wong".

In this album, Zhang Yadong produced three songs, "You’re Happy (So I'm Happy)", "Bored" and "Nostalgia". Due to the lack of Cantonese songs, along with the album being released during the Asian financial crisis, the sales in Hong Kong were not satisfactory. But it sold more than 500,000 copies in Taiwan. In the same year, Cinepoly released a compilation of Faye’s old songs and the sales even surpassed that of "Faye Wong". Compared with her previous album "Fuzao", the commercial flavor of this record also surprised some music critics.

Sing and Play

At the 1998 Spring Festival Gala, Faye Wong and Na Ying sang "Meet in 1998" and made this song a huge hit. In fall of the same year, Faye released the album "Sing and Play". The overall style was much more lively than her previous album and her vocal style also switched from the previous languid style to using operatic, vibrato, falsetto, and other tones. Faye composed music again and wrote "Emotional Life", "Face", and "Child". "Child" is also the first song that she and Dou Wei dedicated to their daughter.

"Sing and Play" was quite a groundbreaking record. It is the first Chinese pop album recorded using HDCD technology. On the cover, Faye Wong's sunburn makeup style also triggered a wave of imitations.

Scenic Tour

During the Christmas period of the same year, Faye Wong once again held concerts at the Hung Hom Coliseum in Hong Kong. She also began a large-scale tour in Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and other cities.

Dou Wei joined the band and Faye Wong on stage. Under the hazy stage effects and lights, Dou Wei was raised up on a platform while playing the drums and caused the audience to cheer again and again. It was similar but also very different from the sight four years prior.

Around the time of her Guangzhou concert, Faye Wong's mother passed away. In this year, tension in Faye and Dou Wei’s relationship gradually increased. The media broke news that the two had quarreled in a hotel. "Scenic Tour" was also the last collaboration between Faye Wong and Dou Wei.

Only Love Strangers

In the song "Exit", Faye Wong once sang: "I heard the world will end in 1999".

1999 arrived and the world did not end. But her marriage with Dou Wei did. In that same year, the release of "Only Love Strangers" caused the media to endlessly speculate on whether this had something to do with "old love is too sad". Although her relationship with Dou Wei broke down, Dou Wei's "brother-in-law" Zhang Yadong was still a regular member of Faye's album production team. Their overall chemistry continued without missing a beat and the opening song "Last Blossom" is one of Faye's breakthroughs. In this song, she used the distortion technique for the first time and conveyed a desperate mentality about the fear of love. She also sang the theme song "Eyes on Me" for the Japanese video game "Final Fantasy VIII" and entered the top ten chart in Japan. She also became the first Chinese singer to hold two consecutive concerts at the Tokyo Budokan.

Fable

In 2000, a new century was beginning but the apocalyptic plot had not yet dissipated. Faye Wong released "Fable" which was a big step for her as a concept album. However, due to the needs of the commercial market, it did not achieve its ultimate goal. The record is divided into two parts. The first five "fables" integrated Faye's compositions, Lin Xi's lyrics of mythology, literature, film and religious ideas, and Zhang Yadong's arrangements. The MVs were also full of a strange and mysterious atmosphere. Although the concept of the first five songs on the album were cohesive and flawless, the last five (and two Cantonese songs) moved closer towards commercialization. As a result, fans were clearly divided into two factions on this album. Some expressed pity - if all 10 songs were in the style of the first five songs, the entire album would have become a classic of pop music.

However, due to the high quality of the songs, "Love Letter to Myself" ("Book of Laughter and Forgetting” in Mandarin) still became hot in KTV to no surprise.

Faye Wong 2001

In 2001, Faye Wong and Nicholas Tse's romance became the focus of media attention. Faye also began to explore the Japanese market with the filming of a Japanese TV drama "Love From A Lie" for Fuji TV. She sang the theme song "Separate Ways".

In that same year, she released her last album under EMI, which had the same name as her first EMI album: "Faye Wong".

This time, Faye tried to collaborate with musicians from all over including Singapore’s Tanya Chua, Taiwan’s Wu Bai and Deep White, the Mainland’s Jin Wulin, and Hong Kong’s Anthony Wong. Nicholas Tse’s "Vertigo" was also written for her. This album can be regarded as Faye's most diverse in genres. After the album was released, the sales were high and she charted in Japan at No. 14 on Oricon. In October and November, Faye once again held concerts in Japan in Osaka and Tokyo.

To Love

In 2002, Faye Wong signed a contract with Sony Music for four albums, and released a new album "To Love" in 2003. In this album, Faye gave up her attempt to work with Hong Kong musicians. She and Zhang Yadong were the primary producers.

She wrote four songs "To Love", "Leave Nothing", "Darling Sunshine", and "April Snow". Zhang Yadong also contributed "Night Makeup" and "Smoke" with a strong electronic style. Faye turned her attention to the Swedish singer Sophie Zelmani with a cover called "Passenger". As with the previous album, this album also included a Nicholas Tse song called "MV".

With the exception of the rock style of "To Love", the arrangement and direction of the overall record transformed from the gorgeous and colorful EMI period to an introverted and lucid style which seemed to indicate that she no longer had intentions of fighting against the music and entertainment industry.

Last Tour

At the end of 2003, Faye Wong held eight consecutive "Faye Extraordinary" concerts at the Hung Hom Coliseum in Hong Kong. From 2004 to 2005, she held concerts in Shanghai, Xi'an, Beijing, Hangzhou, Taipei, Guangzhou and other cities. Although no new albums were released, Faye was more active in movies. She starred in "Chinese Odyssey 2002", "Leaving Me Loving You" and "2046" one after another. She also sang on the soundtrack of "Chinese Odyssey 2002" and the theme songs of "Hero", "I Love You" and the TV drama “Demi Gods and Semi Devils". At the beginning of 2004, Faye Wong and Nicholas Tse's love affair was finally ending, after a period of separation and reunion.

No More Appearances

In 2004, Faye Wong and Li Yapeng's relationship began quietly. Faye remained silent about her relationship status as always. At the end of May 2005, Faye’s manager Katie Chan stated to the media that Faye had begun an "indefinite rest" and Zhang Yadong also revealed to the media that "she had no plans to sing anymore." On May 27, 2006, at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Faye Wong gave birth to her second daughter, Li Yan. In August, Li Yapeng revealed on his blog that his daughter was born with a cleft palate. In order to help more babies, Faye Wong and Li Yapeng established the "Smile Angel Foundation". The well-rested Faye once again wrote a song - "Smiling Angel" and had Lin Xi fill in the lyrics. It was dedicated to her daughter and used as the theme song of the foundation’s launch.

Farewell

From 2008 to 2009, Faye Wong performed twice on stage. The first was on May 18, 2008. She participated in a disaster relief benefit organized by the Central Government to raise funds for the Sichuan Earthquake. She sang "Wishing We Last Forever" with Eason Chan, Faith Yang, and Ah Niu. The second time was on May 8, 2009, Faye participated in the rehearsal of a large-scale performance at Famen Temple in Shaanxi. Faye wore a white dress with light makeup and sang with her hands clasped. Unfortunately, the official performance was cancelled due to weather conditions. No one knows if this was her farewell to singing and we will have to wait and see.

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SOURCE: NETEASE // TRANSLATED BY: FAYE WONG FUZAO

#2009

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lauraprisk2020 · 4 years ago

Text

Written Contextual Element

Approaches to photographing Flora and Fauna

Laura Prisk

Figure A (above) shows Rebecca Louise Law’s Florilegium installation. Source - https://www.rebeccalouiselaw.com/artwork/florilegium

Introduction

Anna Atkins was born on the 16th March 1799 in Tonbridge, Kent, England and died on the 9th June 1871 in Halstead Place in Kent. Atkins started her photography career in her early 40s which is later in life when compared to most people. Atkins is thought to be the first person who made an attempt to apply photography to make repeatable images for scientific study and learning. Along with Atkins photography work this is what she became best known for.

Atkins’ father was a respected scientist which was how she got into scientific activities from a very early age however, her mother passed away shortly after she was born. Atkins main interest was the study of botany (which is the scientific study of plants). Through Atkins father’s contacts within the Royal Society, Atkins managed to get into contact with William Henry Fox Talbot. Talbot taught Atkins about photography. However, in Atkins work she used techniques which didn’t involve the use of a camera to produce her botanical work even though she owned one at the time.

Atkins fathers’ connections also included astronomer and chemist Sir John Herschel, Atkins became interested in the cyanotype process which was in its early stages of invention. The cyanotype process was created by Herschel in 1842. The cyanotype process works through using a mixture of iron compounds, when the compounds are placed under UV light and washed in water, it creates Prussian Blue Images. Atkins first started using this process to record all of the species of algae in the British Isles. Atkins first collection of work was called British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions which was released in 1843 and by 1850 she added 12 more parts to her work.

Atkins first book was the British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions and was one of the first books to use light-sensitive materials to illustrate it. As well as that, instead of using traditional letterpress printing, the books were handwritten and illustrated by the cyanotype process. This took a considerable amount of time for Atkins to do, for example, for roughly 14 copies of the book British Algae, Atkins had to produce around 6,000 cyanotype pieces by hand. In 1854 Atkins collaborated with her friend Anne Dixon and together produced an album called Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Flowering Plants and Ferns. Anne Dixon is also said to have helped Atkins with her first book (British Algae).

Many people believe that William Henry Fox Talbot wanted to be the first person to create a photographically illustrated book, his was called The Pencil of Nature (1844-46) however, the production of Talbot’s book took to long and Atkins produced hers before him. Her book was about seaweed. Despite Atkins being the first to publish a photographically illustrated book, Talbot is often seen as the first person to create one which means Atkins has received little credit. On the article named The Woman Who Made the World’s First Photobook written by Maika Pollack, Pollack states;

“A number of distinguished women have told me that it hardly matters who is “first”—as if “first” were merely a male ambition—and as if women have better things to do than worry about their place in these histories. Yet major histories of photography almost completely omitted Atkins until the 1990s. At various points her “A. A.” initials on the book were even said to stand for “Anonymous Amateur.

Figure B (above) – “Shows Anna Atkins, Alaria esculenta, 1848-49, from the book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. Courtesy The New York Public Library.”[1]

Figure C (above) – “shows Spread from Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, 1848-49. Courtesy The New York Public Library.”[2]

Kenji Shibata

Kenji Shibata was born in 1964 and is a Japanese, Asian, Modern and Contemporary artist. Shibata graduated from Osaka visual Communication College (now Nippon Photography and Video College in 1993 and in 1999 Shibata founded the Kenji Shibata Photo Office.

Shibata freezes flowers in blocks of ice, once they are completely frozen he sets them up in his workspace to photograph the ice as it melts and captures the thawing process. Shibata’s photographic style is defined by soft lighting, psychedelic images of women and flowers with tightly framed shots of nature and urban landscapes.

Concept

The concept (message) behind Shibata’s work is the idea of preserving life at a particular point in time through the use of ice. Time is then allowed to move again once the ice has started to thaw and the flowers make their way out of the ice as they start to die.

Deeper meaning

The deeper meaning behind Shibata’s work, for example may lie within his “Locked in Ether” series. The flowers within the ice have been frozen at a very particular point within time almost as if time is standing still for the flowers and that won’t change until the ice is allowed to thaw. However, when the ice thaws the flowers will die as they escape the ice which means the life of the flowers will no longer be preserved. This sense of preservation at a particular point in time suggests that time can remain still but for only a certain period which can be shown when Shibata leaves the ice to thaw and the flowers die and wilt. The decaying of the flowers could also represent loss of beauty once time has stopped standing still.

Figure D (above) shows Kenji Shibata’s artwork, titled Locked in the Ether.

Source - http://www.shibatakenji.com/gallery/locked_in_the_ether/index.html

Analysis of Shibata’s work

Figure 1 (above) - Shows Kenji Shibata’s artwork, titled Locked the Ether, Source - http://www.shibatakenji.com/gallery/locked_in_the_ether/

Figure 2 (above) - Shows Kenji Shibata’s artwork, titled Locked the Ether, Source - http://www.shibatakenji.com/gallery/locked_in_the_ether/

Figure 3 (above) - Shows Kenji Shibata’s artwork, titled Locked the Ether, Source - http://www.shibatakenji.com/gallery/locked_in_the_ether/

Figure 4 (above) - Shows Kenji Shibata’s artwork, titled Locked the Ether, Source - http://www.shibatakenji.com/gallery/locked_in_the_ether/

The way in which the blocks of ice are photographed show the smooth and glass like texture of the ice. If you look closely at the at the ice you can see small details for example, the air bubbles which have remained trapped from when the water had been frozen. In figure 1 (above), there is a rough surface which looks grooved and indented as the thawing process takes place. Whereas in figure 3 (above) the surface looks to be bumpy but smooth. In the four photos which are displayed here, it can be seen that two main forms of materials have been used to create the artwork, being the ice and flowers. Both materials work successfully together and are easily accessible to anyone wishing to create such artwork. Flowers (similar or the same) can be brought from a variety of shops, including supermarkets, and they don’t have to be from expensive shops. This could also be recreated using flowers found within the environment around where people live. Even though, water is available to the majority not everyone has access to facilities in which were used to make ice sculptures as big as Shibata’s although, smaller versions could be created using an ordinary household freezer. The techniques used aren’t the most complex to use however, if whoever is recreating the piece wants the flowers within the ice to freeze in a particular way/position that would probably be the most difficult part of the process. The shape and form that the ice takes is varied, although the ice has clear angular properties. In figure 4 you can see a sharp rugged edge which contrasts with the smooth edges which are on show in figure 2. Overall, the shape takes a geometric form however, looking through Shibata’s work each block of ice is different. Within Shibata’s artwork the light is focussed on the sculptures with the background being dark which won’t distract people’s attention from the ice but instead onto it. Even though, there is use of lighting the creation of shadows is minimal. Within the blocks of ice where lighter coloured flowers have been used the overall tone within the image is lighter (for example, in figure 1) and where darker flowers have been used the tone in the photo is darker overall (for example figure 4). Throughout Shibata’s artwork, there aren’t obvious themes of colour however, he tended to use purples, yellows, pinks and whites as well as the green on stems and leaves. In figure 3, you can see that Shibata has used sunflowers which have purple going through them which creates a warm, summery feeling and in figure 4, the photograph is mostly dominated by purples which gives a darker, warmer feel. Within Shibata’s work he has created a contrast between the thawing of ice and the beautiful frozen flowers that are dying as they make their way out of the ice and into the open air. Within the ice there is a mixture of fresh and dying flowers, they’ve died due to the conditions they’ve undergone being frozen in ice.

Personal opinion

Overall, my personal opinion on Kenji Shibata’s artwork is positive. The use of trapping flowers within ice and taking photographs of the thawing process is intriguing. Out of the four pieces of artwork which I have displayed above my favourite is figure 3. The use of sunflowers is interesting as they are associated with warmth, contrasting heavily with the use of ice. Displaying the flowers upside-down also creates added interest, a very unusual viewpoint for florals and very distracting to the eye. It has a reflective quality due to the thawing ice and water, making the viewer linger longer on the image than perhaps a more classic image of a sunflower.

Ellie Roden

Roden was a primary school teacher in Southern Vermont and had always had a passion for flower gardening. Even though Roden had been pressing flowers for years and creating pieces of artwork. Only since her retirement has she been exhibiting them throughout many galleries and national publications although she mainly focusses on selling them via the internet. The techniques which Roden has acquired have been self-taught. Using the pressed flower techniques Roden taught herself, she produces many different pieces of work from bookmarks to cards and framed pieces. To compose her work Roden uses a variety of real flowers accumulated in her own garden and the surrounding environment. In order to preserve the florals, Roden uses a flower press known as a Microfleur. The Microfleur works by drying the flowers almost instantly whilst maintaining their natural colour, which is an important factor within Roden’s work. The techniques and tools which Roden uses are relatively easy to use however very intricate. Roden can spend hours on just one piece of work just arranging the flowers/leaves etc. into the right positions, rearranging the flowers using tweezers and tiny brushes. Once Roden is happy with the arrangement she uses an acid-free glue to stick them to the paper, this acid free glue ensures the flowers stay in their natural state.

Concept

The concept behind Roden’s work is the message of preservation and the importance of conserving our environment the way it is at present before it is gone forever.

Deeper meaning

The deeper meaning behind the Roden’s work could be a need to preserve the environment. By Roden pressing the flowers and framing them she is preserving the natural beauty of the surrounding environment which may not be here in years to come but only visible through images and Roden’s work at preserving them. The need to preserve our environment also demonstrates the level of care and compassion we need to have for it in our ever changing world where the environment is put under considerable amounts of pressure everyday as globalisation takes over. This could also be linked to the climate change crisis where preserving the environment around us is vital.

Figure 5 shows “alstroemeria petals form the focal flower. Pink and white flowers are striking on a black background.”[3]

Figure 6 shows the Blue and Red Garden which is a “variety of blue and red flowers comprise this garden including cosmos, lavender, daisy, bachelor buttons, delphinium and more. Framed in double mat and silver frame.”[4]

Figure 5 (above) - Shows Mandala. Source - https://www.vtpressedflowers.com/pressed-flower-art?deeplink_referrer=socialB_pinterest

Figure 6 (above) - Shows The Blue and Red Garden. Source - https://www.vtpressedflowers.com/pressed-flower-art?deeplink_referrer=socialB_pinterest

Analysis of Ellie Roden’s work

Figure 7 (above) - Shows Queen Anne’s Lace. Source - https://www.vtpressedflowers.com/pressed-flower-art?deeplink_referrer=socialB_pinterest

Figure 8 (above) Shows Pink Alstromeria. Source - https://www.vtpressedflowers.com/pressed-flower-art?lightbox=dataltem-k8c29c23

Figure 9 (above) Shows Harry’s Garden. Source - https://www.vtpressedflowers.com/pressed-flower-art?lightbox=dataltem-k5ldd04v

Figure 10 (above) Shows White Moth Hydrangea. Source - https://www.vtpressedflowers.com/pressed-flower-art?lightbox=dataltem-k5ldd04v

Upon looking at Roden’s work through images from her online website, it is hard to tell what the texture of the pieces would be, especially hard the area of her work of which I am interested in is framed behind glass. However, if you look beyond the photo frame the texture of the flower presses would be bumpy

yet defined due to the fact they have been pressed. If we were able to feel the pressed flowers we would probably be able to feel the small fine details which have been exposed during pressing process. This process would almost make the flowers become more fragile because of how thin they would be. In each of Roden’s pieces of work there are different patterns which can be seen, for example within figure 8 the pink flowers in the centre are repeated but the greenery surrounding it has no obvious pattern. Whereas within figure 9, there looks to be no patterns at all with many different flowers and greenery. In each of Roden’s pieces of work, space is used very differently. For example, the flowers within figure 8 are situated in the middle of the frame with a lot more of the background showing than in figure 9. However, in figure 9 there is a lot of overlapping of the petals and overall the flower created is much bigger. Along with the black background this gives a lot more depth to the piece of work than in figure 10 where there is overlapping but the surface area which is covered by the flower is larger. This doesn’t give the sense of depth perhaps due to the black background which creates an illusion.

All of Roden’s pieces of work have been created using the same techniques. Throughout all of the artwork she uses real flowers and pressed them using a Microfleur. The Microfleur works by drying the flowers whilst maintaining their natural colours. Roden works very intricately using tweezers and fine brushes to arrange the flowers into the correct positions before using an acid-free clue to stick them in place. She has done an excellent job at concealing the glue which has been used to stick the flowers down as quite often it can seep through. Even though the running of the glue is a potential problem it is a very easy and effective substance use. The Microfleur in which Roden uses probably isn’t accessible to the majority but from research they aren’t as expensive as people may assume and vary depending on the brand. There are many tutorials online which demonstrate how to press flowers using household items from a microwave to a book, cheaper alternatives than buying a proper press. Upon reflecting on the materials which Roden has used it is hard to think or imagine of what other processes/mediums could be appropriate for creating such pieces especially considering how effective the images are. Not one of Roden’s pieces takes the same form of another, they all vary in different ways. For example, both figure 7 and 10 have black backgrounds and both use white flowers however shape nor form of the flowers are similar within the artwork. Every image is individual and holds its own charm and characteristics. Due to the nature of the pressed flowers, no two images could be identical, giving rise to original artwork. The compositions vary dependant on what resources are available and it would seem that the images organically form with the artist, taking their own shape as they are created.

Across Roden’s work she has used a broad colour palette but within certain pieces of work one colour dominates more than the others. With the black background pieces the main colour is white and within the pieces with the white background it appears to be that the most vibrant colour which are used is the yellows and pinks however within these pieces she has placed variety within of colours there, such as figure 9. Roden’s artwork overall doesn’t fit directly into one genre and could be considered to fit with multiple. Such as in figure 9, it can be argued that the arrangement of gives a feel of a landscape of flowers. The main focus within Roden’s work is the flowers which your eyes are automatically drawn to by the presence of the plain background. The work overall creates a positive response, it suggests peaceful mood which is symbolised by the use of delicate flowers. However, the mood of the pieces with a black background demonstrate a much darker mood and not as uplifting as figure 8 and 9. The overall shapes which each piece of work takes varies dramatically from one another, for example in figure 10 the flower stands alone compared to in figure 9 where there is an array of flowers which are present within the piece of work. Practically the orientation of the photo frame (whether it is vertical, horizonal, portrait or landscape etc) would vary depending on the orientation of the piece of work inside of it. The arrangement of the flowers within figures 7, 8 and 10 do not largely reflect flowers found within the surrounding environment. However, the arrangement of the flowers within figure 9 do somewhat reflect a landscape of flowers which may be seen within nature. When paying close attention to the flowers, the small line details can be found within the flowers leaves. The lines vary in size from short to long but reflect the delicacy of the flower itself.

Personal opinion

My overall opinion of Roden’s work is positive. The very simple but effective and intricate techniques which she has used portray a strong visual message of the importance of conserving the environment at its present state. Of the four images of Roden’s work displayed above my favourite is figure 9, entitled Harry’s Garden, the piece overall reminds me of rural areas due to landscape orientation of the piece. The title of the piece adds to the message of conservation by portraying a garden in which someone is looking after almost as if they’re conserving the environment around them.

Rebekah Campbell

Figure 11 (above) Shows Rebekah Campbell’s collaboration with artist, Ben Giles. Source - https://mymodernmet.com/ben-giles-rebekah-campbell-beautiful-flower-collages/

Campbell is a photographer who is based within New York. Campbell’s interest and inspiration for her work lie within exploring femininity and youth culture. Her work is inspired by a variety of things including books, previous life experiences and so many more things. Campbell has collaborated with a number of people however, in figure 11, Campbell collaborated with artist Ben Giles to create this collage. Campbell and Giles came into contact with one another after coming across each other’s work on social media. Campbell has stated previously that she takes inspiration from photographers such as Lina Scheynius, Shae Detar and Elle Hardwick.

“Her works explore the subject's individuality as well as the effects of natural states while escalating the intimate narrative.”[5]

Ben Giles

Giles is nineteen years old and is an artist from Suffolk in England. He works with a variety of media however, it is his collages which he is most well known for. Giles makes his collages around photographs which he has chosen, he tends to uses photos dating back from the 1950s and 1960s as he believes they’re better at creating story’s. Giles, like Campbell, gets inspiration from a number of sources including books, films and the television along with many others. In order to create his pieces he likes to add things into his collage which are bright and colourful. In order to create his collages, he simply uses scissors, glue, found objects and found photographs.

Concept

The concept behind the collaboration between Campbell and Giles’ work is the exploration of youth through Campbell’s photography and the presence of vibrant flowers with Giles’ collage. Together creating a message of natural beauty.

Deeper meaning

The deeper meaning behind Campbell and Giles’ collaboration is through the combination of messages they portray within their own work. for example, through Campbell’s photography she explores individuality “femininity and the brink of youth hood.”[6]. This message combined with Giles’ meaning behind his flower collages which is “about the celebration of life and the speed and fragility of our existence.”[7] Creates a beautiful deeper meaning of the celebration of femininity and youth hood expressed through bright and vibrant flowers contrasted with the slightly more dull and toned down photographs.

Analysis of Rebekah Campbell and Ben Giles’ Collaboration work

Figure 12 (above). Source - https://mymodernmet.com/ben-giles-rebekah-campbell-beautiful-flower-collages/

Figure 13 (above). Source - https://mymodernmet.com/ben-giles-rebekah-campbell-beautiful-flower-collages/

Figure 14 (above). Source - https://mymodernmet.com/ben-giles-rebekah-campbell-beautiful-flower-collages/

Figure 15 (above). Source - https://mymodernmet.com/ben-giles-rebekah-campbell-beautiful-flower-collages/

The texture of the pieces of work look to be smooth as it seems to be paper which has been used. The flowers which have been cut out from paper have many different patterns and lines within them which gives off the impression which there is more texture within them when if you were to feel them they would actually be smooth. The textures which are implied are fine detailed intricate lines which can been seen within figures 12 and 14. The photographs taken by Campbell show depth due to the shadowing and lighting behind the model, the illusion of depth is added to by the collage’s by Giles and the layering which he creates . This can be shown in figure 12 where the collage has been curved around the model giving the impression she is further into the background of the photograph than what she actually is. Whereas within figure 13, the positioning of the flowers doesn’t add to the depth of the piece it is the photograph itself which contains the depth along with the coloured background. All four pieces of work shown here are constructed from the same/similar materials. However, in figures 12, 14 and 15 the same background and photographing techniques have been used including the cloth background. Compared to figure 13 where the background has a tie die effect, which could be created from the same cloth just dyed. The collages created by Ben Giles have been layered using flowers cut out from magazines and various other forms of media. For Giles to create his collages he stated he simply used glue and scissors, upon looking at his work you can’t see where he has used glue. The overall cost of Giles work would be very minimal if someone wanted to recreate his collage work shown here compared to Rebekah Campbell’s photographic work which may require more specialist equipment although inspiration could be taken from Ben Giles own work (which he hasn’t collaborated on) where he uses images/photographs from different time periods e.g. the 1950/60s, using this technique recreating the pieces of work would be a lot easier and more accessible than if people were trying to recreate Rebekah Campbell’s photographs.

The collages which are layered on top of the photographs take an irregular form. In both figure 12 and 14, even though they share some similarities such as the vibrant colours of the flowers and the variety of the flowers themselves. The shape in which the two collages within figures 12 and 14 take are similar however not identical. For example in figure 12 it can be seen that the collage is very focussed on the model as it curves around her figure, the collage in figure 12 is also extremely confined to the bottom half of the page whereas within figure 14 the collage is more spread out and gives a free flowing appearance extenuated by the models body language compared to in figure 12 where the models body language is a lot tighter. In figures 13 and 15 the collages are a lot more minimal than the other two images; this is due to less flowers being used. Due to the collage not being as packed it leaves more room for Giles to experiment creating patterns with the flowers which can be shown within figure 13. The light within figures 12, 14 and 15 are more varied and gives a more minimalistic feel compared to figure 13 where the background has colour to it. Overall in the photographs (in figures 12, 14 and 15) there is are more pale tones which add to the minimalistic feel of the pieces compared with figure 13 where the photograph has a tie dye background which suggests a more boho feel. The minimalistic tones within figures 12, 14 and 15 are contrasted with the vibrant collages, these collages make the pieces stand out. As for figure 13, the coloured background doesn’t outshine Giles’ collage but rather compliments it as the collage sticks to more brown (subtle) tones. Within figures 12 and 14 the collages are packed with a variety of warm colours however it is the yellows which dominate the piece. Yellow flowers within the two pieces seem to be repeated most which gives the effect that they stand out the most. Whereas in figure 13, the flowers (leaves in this piece) take a more toned-down approach where they have the colours of autumn leaves. In figure 15, what looks like images of daisies are used with the only other colour of yellow being shown. The white flowers stand out considerable because of the contrasting dark background. From the model within the pieces of work you can see clearly that Campbell’s exploration of youth has been portrayed. In figure 14, the model’s pose is more free flowing which dictates the free-flowing nature of the collage which suggests a message of playful youth – this can also be shown within figure 15. Whereas within figure 12, the nature of the model’s body language is more closed and shut off which also compliments the collage’s more compact nature. The model’s body language within figure 13 along with the boho style (tie dyed) background, the piece overall demonstrates a dreamy and relaxed atmosphere. The orientation of the pieces of work is mostly portrait due to the way in which the photographs were taken by Campbell. However, due to the pieces not being in frames it has allowed Giles to take his collages to the next level by allowing them to flow off of the page and in figures 13 and 15 the collages have carried on onto the wall, an interesting compositional element.

Personal Opinion

My overall opinion on all four pieces of work shown above are positive however, I favour figures 12 and 14. This is because of their vibrant collages which contrast with the more moody and dull backgrounds. In my opinion the collages are a full of life which fulfils Campbell’s exploration of youth. Even though figure 13 has some amazing qualities I don’t feel the background compliments the piece very well and overshadows the collage.

Angela Chalmers

Chalmers was born in Stoke-on-Trent. Her mother was a fine china lithographic artist which is where she learnt how floral patterns were created on the side of teacups. Whilst she was a child her father was in the RAF and was an amateur photographer. Chalmers went onto gain a Foundation in Art & Design from Greenwich Community College in London followed by a BA degree in Fine Art from the University of Hull.

Figure 16 (above) - Angela Chalmers cyanotype work. Source - https://www.angelachalmers.com/portfolio/botanicals/

Chalmers currently resides in Scarborough, North Yorkshire where she creates Botanicals using a method called the Cyanotype Process. Chalmers creates her work cyanotype work without photography but uses 19thcentury printing techniques.

Concept

The concept behind Chalmers work is to explore themes of gender and identity through using traditional cyanotype printing techniques. Chalmers particularly focusses on gender in the Victorian era.

Deeper meaning

The deeper meaning behind Chalmers work is the exploration of gender. Through the piece of work in which she uses wedding dresses it portrays the message of exploring female gender particularly the roles of women. As stated in the concept she focusses on the Victorian era, the message she could be trying to portray through the use of gender exploration is the mistreating of women during a time period of male domination. It is interesting to note that in the Victorian era, Anna Atkins was prevalent. I wander if the work of Angela Chalmers is a nod to this?

Analysis of Chalmers work

Figure 17 (above) - Angela Chalmers cyanotype work. Source - https://www.angelachalmers.com/portfolio/botanicals/

Figure 18 (above) - Angela Chalmers cyanotype work. Source - https://www.angelachalmers.com/portfolio/botanicals/

Figure 19 (above) - Angela Chalmers cyanotype work. Source - https://www.angelachalmers.com/portfolio/botanicals/

Figure 20 (above) - Angela Chalmers cyanotype work. Source - https://www.angelachalmers.com/portfolio/botanicals/

Due to the nature of the cyanotype process the Chalmers work looks as if it has been created digitally therefore not giving an obvious texture or surface pattern. However, in figure 18 the flowy material of the dress looks as if you almost want to reach out and touch it and the same goes for figure 17 and 20 where the process really picked up on the outer details of the plants especially within figure 20 where you can see almost every individual bristle on the plant. Within figures 17 and 20 there is an element of depth to the pieces of work which is created by the layering of the plants. The plants which are on top (in the foreground) are the whitest whereas the plants and leaves which are further into the background they look more like shadows. Due to this depth it creates an illusion that you’re looking into a dark forest where you can only see beyond a certain point. In contrast figure 18 lacks depth due to the sole element of the piece of work being the dress. The dress is purely white which draws all of your attention compared to the figure 17 and 20. Whereas within figure 19 the human figure and the use of plants also creates depth but nowhere near as much depth which can be seen in figure 17 and 20. The materials which were used for all of Chalmers pieces of work are relatively similar other than the physical objects within each piece (for example, the dress). The full cyanotype process is explained in my introduction previously. However, in short, the cyanotype process uses’ chemicals which are exposed to a receptive surface where then it is exposed to ultraviolet light. Throughout Chalmers work there is not one which is the same and therefore not a dominant shape or form which is carried through the pieces however, upon looking through Chalmers Botanical collection (figures 17 and 20) it is clear that each piece of work takes an irregular structure. Even though the irregularity is similar it is what makes each piece unique. Figure 19 comes from within a collection of two which is titled ‘Adam and Eve’, whilst I was comparing the two, again there are no obvious similarities other than the irregular arrangement that the plants take in the background. Within all of Chalmers cyanotype pieces of work there is a broad range of highlights which have been used. Throughout all four pieces of work displayed here, it is clear to see the variation in blue tones. In figures 17 and 20 the plants which appear to be nearest to the front of the camera have the lightest tones compared to those which are situated within the background. As for figure 19, the human figure has a variation of tones within the mid-section of the body however, it doesn’t stand out but rather the human figure is where your eyes are drawn to first. to the left is figure 18, in this piece of work there is little variation of tones and highlights and as a result the dress is dominated by white.

Due to the chemicals used within the cyanotype process, the dominating colour is blue as that is the colour which is drawn out by the ultraviolet light. The variations of the blue and the white within figures 17, 19 and 20 create a warm atmosphere perhaps due to the presence of the plants adding a summer feel. The majority of Angela Chalmers work falls within a portrait orientation due to the way she has created and arranged the work. The objects within each piece of work from the plants to the person or dress are all recognisable even within figures 17 and 20 where the further into the background of the image that you look the more distorted and blurred the leaves and shrubbery become. Whereas within the foreground of the pieces of work the objects are more focussed. Within figure 19 where the person has been included, her body language (the position in which she is in) gives the effect that she is falling. This is accompanied by the positioning of the plants which surround her and on the left-hand side of the piece of work, the plants look as if they’re curving around him/her as they fall. The meaning and interpretation of each of Angela Chalmers work is different for example, within figure 18 you could link state the dress is symbolic of women and gender roles from within the Victorian era. I am also inclined to believe that due to the fact I sourced figure 19 from Chalmers collection titled ‘Adam and Eve’ that this piece of work has a form of religious attachment or meaning behind it. Despite Chalmers using traditional cyanotype techniques which originated in the 18th century, her pieces of work very much fit in with today’s contemporary society. Collectively, Chalmers work featured linear marking although not created by herself. The markings are present as they’re what the objects featured in each piece contain for example the tiny details on the dress within figure 18 to the fine details of the leaves in figures 17, 19 and 20.

Personal opinion

Overall, my personal opinion is positive even though I do favour figures 17 and 20 due to the sheer detail which is present within each piece. I particularly like the depth created within these two pieces of work and the feeling that you’re looking deep into a forest. Despite those two pieces being my personal favourites, I do like figure 18 because of the realistic features of the dress, it gives the appearance that someone is inside it yet it is standing alone. Despite figure 19 being an exquisite piece of work, I am not a lover of the human figure within it. In my personal opinion I believe that the cyanotype process works better with just plants and shrubbery.

Conclusion

Throughout my research for this essay I discovered that there is a vast expanse of media which falls into the category of Flora and Fauna. My research led me in many different directions in terms of artist work, which has varied from Anna Atkins and Angela Chalmers who work with the cyanotype process to Rebekah Campbell and Ben Giles’ collaboration of photography and collage – all of which have been shown above. Putting aside the artist/photographers I decided to focus on within this essay, I looked at many more including Anna Remarchuk who uses real flowers and places them within envelops to create delicate pieces of work. Along with Nicola Kloosterman who combines photography with photoshopping techniques to create exquisite pieces of work. From the vast range of artists and photographers who fall under the umbrella of Flora and Fauna. I wouldn’t say that there are any limits to what can be achieved for example, I have found a company (entitled loasiscandle) which produce wax candles with flowers inside which inspiration could be taken from even though their purpose wasn’t intended for the project title of Flora and Fauna. Even though inspiration could be taken from anywhere for this project it is important to note that there is a danger of repetition. Throughout the work which I have looked at there have been some striking similarities for example, when I was looking into researching about the cyanotype process it was made clear to me that many artists who use this process, their work ends up being very similar however, I managed to find Angela Chalmers whose cyanotype work varies drastically from that of Anna Atkins despite them using the same processes. This variation between the two artists was very important to me as I wanted to make sure that I had multiple points in which I could take inspiration from when it comes to creating my own pieces. This same danger goes for my other artists featured within this essay, the process of finding artists which use different forms of media was a difficult task, it was especially difficult when it came to finding an artist who used the flower prosses but whose work was different and didn’t blend in with the other artists who done similar things. This was when I came across Ellie Roden who used fine intricate techniques in order to create her work. However, despite the danger of repetition which I have mentioned there was also many artists who stood out and whose work was one of a kind which was the case with Kenji Shibata’s frozen flowers. Throughout my research process there wasn’t another artist who used remotely similar processes to Shibata’s. The danger of repetition is something which will influence my work greatly. Even though I would like to take inspiration from each of the artists mentioned and more to come as my project develops, the risk of repetition has been clear to me through my research and has led me to be more careful in trying to avoid it.

Overall, I have learnt and discovered more techniques. For example, before researching this project I only had a rough idea on what the process was and how it worked whereas now I understand it in more detail. As well as learning more about certain techniques I have also learnt about techniques and processes in which I have never considered before such as Kenji Shibata’s use of ice. Before finding his artwork, photographing flowers within ice is not something I’d have thought of. I have also enjoyed learning about the intricacies which go into creating flower press artwork such as that of Ellie Roden.

Moving forwards with this project there are a number of things in which I would like to take forwards with me such as inspiration from the different artists’ work and processes to making sure to avoid the risk of repetition. However, most importantly I would like to expand my base of artists and photographers as my project develops.

Bibliography

Anna Atkins