(no subject)

Things I have figured out today: caffeine (at least in coffee-muffin form, sans frosting) does not make me wired, it makes me sleepy. Which I think I actually knew before, but I test it every few years to see if it's changed. I don't drink coffee anyway; I do sometimes like the flavor in baked goods, so I went out on a limb with the muffins which were supposed to be very very caffeinated and...well, I wasn't sleepy before I ate three of them, and I was definitely sleepy afterwards, though I (thankfully) did not fall asleep in class. Although after the third one, I got -- hmm, clear-eyed is how I've been describing it? But not really awake, just clear-eyed and sleepy. (Not sure if focused is the right way to explain it. *hands*)

I started another Rilian story the other day, which so far doesn't have a LotGK aspect, but now Rilian's academic angst moves on to ART HISTORY. He prefers literature. However, I have some very interesting ideas for paintings that I want to describe. (Or, if we shall be technical, in this story there shall be an ekphrasis. Do you know Microsoft Word does not recognize ekphrasis as a word? It is WRONG.)

(There are five paintings I know of so far; one is a set of four that dates from the Golden Age, each one an individual portrait of one of the Pevensies on their thrones that are believed to be meant to be displayed together. The argument is, of course, what order they're supposed to be displayed in. It's also each of the Pevensies displayed with an animal; after some debate, because this is a Rilian story, I think Edmund's going to have a giant snake. I was going to give the snake to Lucy, but...eh, in some ways I'm still working off the original prompt for Charmed Life. I think Lucy will have a monkey. Peter and Susan are both going to have great cats; I'm hesitating over whether it would be appropriate to have Peter portrayed with a male lion or not. If I decide otherwise, probably a tiger or a leopard, maybe a lioness.

The other painting is not believed to be contemporary to the Golden Age; some scholars believe it's a copy of an older, now lost painting. It shows Edmund in the throne room at Cair Paravel, listening to a law case as the sun sets, shadows cast across the room. His attention isn't on the people in front of him, but a woman waiting behind a pillar, believed to be his mistress. There is a lot of attention to light and shadow in the painting.

I'm not sure yet what the other artworks that show up in the story are going to be; maybe Susan in Bath. *grins* And some Telmarine non-Pevensie stuff, of course; I think there should be at least one dramatic Caspian the Conqueror painting, maybe some woodcuts or something. There's definitely going to be a mosaic of some sort.)

I don't know where the art history stuff is coming from; the only semi-art history class I'm taking right now is a classics class on the Etruscans & Early Rome, where we spend all our time looking at tomb paintings. At least we've moved on from looking at pots?

I do need to figure out something with the LotGK to go along with it, though. So I can, uh, try and rationalize Rilian's histrionics over having to interpret art.

Oh, come on, Amazon, I just want a cheap paperback copy of One Virgin Too Many with prime shipping, is that too much to ask for?