Just ONE WEEK! That’s all that’s left in Kristina A Bishoff’s and my contest!
Needless to say, the images I am planning for the Green Rider book soundtrack artwork have been on my mind quite a bit lately. And given how much mind space they’ve been taking up, and how very surreal this is all beginning to feel, I thought that perhaps I needed to get my thoughts out onto the page (or the computer screen) and share with you what I am planning!
The Green Rider books have been a very large presence in my life. They were the comfort I sought whenever I moved to a new home (which was often) and the escape I looked to when I needed to remove myself from the stress of perfectionism (my greatest weakness). More than anything else, though, one of the most important things these books have taught me about is courage. Because of these books, I came to realize that courage isn’t an absence of fear, but the act of doing, in spite of (and perhaps because of) that fear. That just because I have always been scared of so many things, doesn’t mean that those things could prevent me from being brave.
And because of this lesson, I am where I am today, working on this particular project: the Green Rider book soundtrack artwork! Because of one action, one decision to ask one simple question, I got in contact with a composer, Kristina A Bishoff, and now have the chance to work on a project that I couldn’t have even guessed would be in my future. Two months later, I often find myself thinking about the amazing places one small act of courage can lead to.
Sometimes I get caught up in the logistics, panicked that I won’t be able to do Kristen Britain’s stories justice. The comfort, the emotional strength, and the motivating words contained within the pages she has shared make me want to be a better person. And they make me want to be a part of something important, to have a meaning and a purpose to my life. How can I create something that can add to that?
And then other times I can hardly sleep from the excitement of it all. Last night… I never fell asleep, despite some arduous tossing and turning. I just could not divert my brain from thinking about all the images I wanted to create!
I suppose all the tossing and turning has had some benefit, though, and so today I wanted to share some of the fruit of my endless researching, thinking, mulling, and contemplating. I have decided on eight images I want to create, and so I thought I would talk about it a bit:
1. Karigan G’ladheon – Karigan is the protagonist of this book (and series) and is, by far, my favorite character. Despite being just 16-17 years old, she has the sort of bravery and spunk that the 14-year-old me wished, more than anything, I could have (seriously, WELL into my teens (like… driving age), I was too scared to even order my own food in the drive-through… and forget calling someone I didn’t know on the phone)!
In this series, the King’s messengers, known as Green Riders, have magical abilities, like telekenesis, creating fire, and knowing when someone speaks truth. Unwittingly, Karigan becomes a member of the King’s messenger service after promising a dying messenger she encounters on the road to deliver his life and death message to the king. While being pursued by men intent on intercepting her and the message, Karigan quickly discovers her own ability: invisibility. I can already tell this will be a fun image to create!
2. King Zachary – Closely behind Karigan falls Zachary in my list of favorite characters, so I’m just about as excited to create this image. I mean… who wouldn’t be excited to create an image of the young (attractive) king, who rules with strength and compassion over his realm. Also… the costume. Not sure just yet what his costume will be, but I can guarantee that anything fit for a king is going to be a LOT of fun to photograph!
3. Captain Laren Mapstone – Everyone’s favorite fiery-headed Captain of the King’s Messenger Service. Stubborn, loving, and commanding, she is a formidable woman and one that will be immensely gratifying to create an image of. Also: I. LOVE. RED. HEADS. Seriously… I have dreams of having red-headed children and photographing them to the end of my days. Whoever gets cast as Captain Laren Mapstone is PROBABLY going to be my favorite person to work with.
4. The Gray One – An evil Eletian (like the elves of Lord of the Rings), intent on tracking Karigan down and stopping her message from reaching the King. Cloaked and clothed entirely in gray and armed with black arrows meant to steal the souls of his enemies, how could this character NOT be a fun character (albeit a bit creepy) to bring to life?
5. Immerez – A member of the party hunting Karigan down, Captain Immerez is… well, the epitome of a rough around the edges, battle-trained soldier. This isn’t the sort of character I’ve ever tried to create before, so I am excited for the challenge creating this image will bring.
I also wanted to do a few images depicting some of the groups in this book that play an important role:
6. The Green Riders – as I mentioned before, the Green Riders each have their own unique magical ability. I think it’ll be a LOT of fun to bring all of their various magical abilities to play in one image (ok… maybe multiple images… I probably won’t be able to contain myself to just ONE image!)
7. The Black Shields – When I was younger, whenever I wasn’t daydreaming of being like Karigan, I wanted to be like the Black Shields. Members of the Black Shields, or Weapons, as they’re often referred to, are the kingdom’s most fearsome warriors, swearing an oath to protect their king (and queen) and realm. Thinking back on it, this is probably why, outside of my day dreams of being a fictitious character, I wanted to work for the CIA or the Foreign Service for many, MANY years. Dreams and goals may change, but in my daydreams, I still wish I could be a Black Shield…
8. The Elts – Much like the elves found in the Lord of the Rings, the Elts of Kristen Britain’s world are an enigmatic people. I don’t think it needs much explaining why I’m excited to create these characters in my images, but just in case: long hair, beautiful, flowy gowns, and legit armor.
I have quite a bit of planning left to do before the contest ends in ONE week, so for now, I’m leaving it up to your imagination on how I’ll actually be creating these images. Come August 30th, I’m hitting the ground running, and while I may be exhausted by the time Autumn reaches us here in New England… I think I’ll be immensely satisfied in what Kristina and I have been able to accomplish, with the help of each other, our fellow Green Rider fans, and, most importantly, Kristen Britain.
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