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Friday, April 5, 2013

For Narnia and the West!


     So, this semester, the drama group at my college decided to put on a production of C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As a huge Lewis fan I was obviously excited and decided to use my somewhat meager artistic skills to help in the set design department. I will just take this time to say that, having been involved in many theatrical production, in one capacity or another, this is by far the worst production that I have ever been a part of. The script was horrible, and as a Narnia fan it hurt my soul. I don't know what this play was about, but it wasn't about Narnia. My personal favorite part was where Mr. Tumnus tells Lucy that you can teleport in Narnia, and then takes her home to his humble abode - Tumnus Towers (because he likes fancy names for simple things). Still, despite the intensely painful script and relatively little direction from the director, the entire set managed to be built in the mere three days we were given, and it looks dang good I will have you know. The part I'm most proud of are our stage backgrounds which were all hand done by my friends and me. Also, before  go any further with this, even though I'm disappointed in the way the play turned out, everyone involved did a pretty good job dealing with all of the setbacks, and our Aslan is fantastic, and that's all that really matters. :)


Here's our winter scene. I did this one, and I was pleased with the way that it turned out. I've never done a forest background before. All the scenes were hand painted and then digitally touched up in GIMP.



My wonderful friend Lauren painted/ drew this gem. It's the White Witch's castle and it's wondrously creepy and architecturally impossible! One of my favorites for sure!


This is my second one. It's Aslan's camp with Cair Paravel seated on a cliff in the distance. Those trees were the funnest thing I have ever had the chance to paint. They were inspired by the movie The Last Unicorn, which is beautiful and fantastic and you should watch it, or read he book, or both.


Lauren also did this one and I like it a lot too. Spring scene as the White Witch's power weakens. Those bushes are the coolest things ever.


And then (dramatic pause) there's this. The stone arch under which the Witch kills Aslan. It is wondrously creepy and Celtic and the baby of my wonderful friend Chelsea. That whole scene is so cool when they flash the lights and make everything all red and sinister. 

     We did a lot of other really cool things too, like our stone table and creating the statues for the Witch's courtyard, but I sadly have no pictures of those. I shall attempt to acquire some though. Tonight I actually go to see the play for the first time not in rehearsal. On that note: FOR NARNIA AND THE WEST!!!!