Felwroth
House Rancourt’s reknowned fantasy artist, Tim Johnson has been contributing science fiction, fantasy, and “critter” art to the web community at large for over a decade. Share water with the sun-browned Lorrnath plains nomads or listen to the haunting cries of the Khavijas loretellers ring through the crisp, clear night air as they recount the paeans to their lunar goddess. Tim’s gift for narration through imagery and his vision of the fantasy world as raw, dark and wondrous have been compared to Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings, as well as the art of the Frazetta brothers, Clyde Caldwell and Keith Parkinson. Take a journey into the mind of this Canadian artistic legend, but beware…you may well need a surefooted tracker to find your way back to your keyboard again.
The Art of Nere Ayo
Clary James, the Muscogee (Creek) artist known as Nere Ayo, is an up-and-coming interdisciplinary artist whose work ranges from traditional media classics recognized as examples of the acclaimed Bacone School of Painting to cutting-edge digital composition and next-generation virtual media works produced entirely with Wacom tablet. Though her eye for color, form and subtle motion demonstrate a mastery that defies classification or genre, a strong current of the Oklahoma plains that have been her lifelong home winds through her work, whispering notes of sage and the scent of a welcome rain that stir the viewer even in the most contemporary and avant-garde of her pieces. Nere’s work is not to be missed.
The Sigma Gallery
Alopex Sigma’s whisper-soft pencils and smooth, depthless white expanses are quiet, still, and undisturbed, much like the Alaskan tundra she holds so dear. Rarely does one see anthropomorphic art whose roots stray so far from the genre’s origins in animation and story illustration, but Alopex’s gently expressive faces, elegant hands and gentle structure shadows remind one more of classic fine art illustration. Less is more with Alopex; the presence of a darker pencil arc, a thicker line or a stronger current of motion can turn the cool, cloudless skies of her gentle illustrations tempestuous, brooding and aloof, as quickly as a coastal storm over the port of Juneau.
Ron Stetkewicz
Born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York state, Ron is a true Appalachian balladeer, a folk musician whose sound has been touched by contemporary themes in music, but remains refreshingly candid, honest, and unpresumptuously sincere to its troubadour roots. Visit Ron’s site and hear him speak of love, life, happiness, confusion, frustration, anger, pain and redemption with his songs, with the sort of unapologetic frankness and openness that seldom is heard in this day of commercial, productized musical offerings, as well as Ron’s outstanding work designing miniatures and his pride and joy, his wife and children. Ron’s is, beyond a doubt, a life worth celebrating with him.
Penumbra
Enter the shadow’s edge and discover the liminal realm between the dirt, ink and chemicals of true-crime thrillers and the wisp of nebulous alien that are the realm of the supernatural. Author Silver James has been writing tales of the supernatural forensic long before Mulder wanted to believe, or Dale Cooper stopped for that fateful slice of cherry pie on his way to Twin Peaks, and her gift for spinning deceptively engaging webs of invitation into the shadow of the unknown can be enjoyed in the samples of her writing she shares on her site. It’s easy to take this genre for granted, given its current international appeal and wide range of participating authors — why not take a look at an author whose work, like Chris Carter’s and David Lynch’s, was wildly ahead of its time.
Lost Angles
Somewhere along the coast highway north of Santa Barbara, in the shadow of a crumbling California mission whose rusting bell tower still sings the hours to God and to the congregation of seagulls, stands the sleepy little town of San Paolo. Once a thriving resort getaway for the ambassadors of the great silver screen, San Paolo is today the ghost of California past, a study in towering Hollywood mansions beside the townhouse row of historic, divided cobblestone Main Street. The nearest Days Inn is twenty miles away, but atop the hill overlooking the ocean and the gas station — yes, the gas station, there’s only one — the Oceanside Nuys welcomes visitors with its flickering neon sign and faded blue paint. Go ahead, walk up the short hill and step into the office, where you’ll meet Charlie, the motel’s owner and San Paolo’s only known blog maintainer.
San Paolo may not exist in the real world, but it’s the heart of The American Riviera MUCK, a multiplayer online game written and owned by Justin Carpenter. Charlie’s salt-of-the-earth candor and frankness serve as a marvelous introduction to this shared world, as well as serving as a gateway to the MUCK’s documentation and FAQ. Come see what all the talk is about, and experience the American Riviera with your host, Charlie Winthrop.
Chala He Go Paxi Enam
Love him, hate him, it doesn’t matter — you’ll never forget him. Known for his controversial essays against modern culture (and especially the “geek”/”fandom” scenes), Justin Carpenter can jar you with his verbal acidity and compassionless razor tongue one moment, then open his heart and speak of loving life and the beauty of the world with a contrastingly tender and even reverent touch the next. He may have appointed himself the prosecutor in the trial of Carpenter vs. The Universe, but he’s also appointed himself defense counsel, and he puts his heart into both roles, leaving you a seat on the jury. Arrogant? Brilliant? Delusional? Insightful? Just plain crazy? Probably all of these. Justin is one of a kind, and here you’ll find his music, art, writing, and always his thoughts. If he’s crazy, then he’s definitely a crazy diamond, and he’s been shining on for years.
Stacie’s Crafts and Creations
Florida native Stacie Carpenter is a third-generation bead artist whose best-known pieces are her “Zen” necklaces, multi-strand braided chokers with a highly variable pattern of complementary seed beads. Recently, she’s moved into digital art as well, with a focus on blogosphere banners and icons, and her pieces range from playful and whimsical to ascerbic and catty, but always pithy and provocative. She has a gift for matching message to image, for balancing word and picture, and even those who might not consider blogospheric iconography an art will see her gift for communication in her work. Come visit Stacie’s gallery, and have a look at the products of her talented eye.
Free Notes
Sandra Mitchell would no doubt shy away from a recount of her many accomplishments, for which we’re happy to recount them for her. A national and state certified Massage Therapist, Master Sound and Energy Practitioner/Teacher, Adamantine System teacher and an Associate Minister with the Church of the Creator, Sandra’s body of hands-on energetic work consists of both practicing and teaching Adamantine, Usui Reiki, and Kharuna Reiki, practicing Turaya Touch, Alignment Technique, and Sound Therapy using crystal bowls, harmonic tuning forks, voice, freenotes, and the angel harp, while also guiding Intuitive Movement Gatherings, Freenote Divine Music Gatherings , and Crystal Bowl Meditations. Her ministerial work consists of performing weddings, house blessings, Divine intuitive music for all occasion with the “One Voice Ensemble”, and offering Vibrational Essences.
Free Notes is yet another means for Sandra to give back to the global community, serving as a center for her work online, a point of contact and a point of broadcast for her message of love, light, harmony, unity and higher consciousness through global communion.