Status Update: November 21, 2008

[Emily Gonsalves]

Hi everyone,

I've started working on this year's winter holiday special. It's a modified version of the special I began last year.

I've attached an image to show my current status. Most edits have been to Zalanda, to correct proportions and adjust positioning (her right leg wasn't raised like this before). I'm going to look for the old progress images, which will be added to the image gallery on the completion of this image.

I've essentially finished Aena, but I'll make minor adjustments to her when I continue. I also plan to add a magickal glow around the snowman. The shading for Zalanda has only started, and I have details to add. I may need to adjust her relative height as well, to account for the volume of her hair.

I'll be submitting the final piece to a contest on deviantART, for History Fashion Lovers. The other part of my entry will be a short story related to the image. I've been working on ideas for that, but I've only come up with a little poetry so far.

I will also be using some of this artwork for holiday cards that I will be sending out. I think Aena and the snowman will make a nice card.

Here's the poem I was working on that relates to the picture:

For their holiday card, Aena suggests a theme,
"Childish!" her sister exclaims, "That's not how I want to be seen."

"Naughty or nice, Zalanda, which one are you?
For our parents this is something we must do."

Zalanda obliges, and dons a revealing dress,
"At least I'll look good for this embarrassing mess."

She holds a whip in one hand, coals in another;
for the picture requested by her father and mother.

Aena holds a snowman with glee,
As she will be the "nice" one for all to see.

And so the sisters pose for their holiday photo,
One feeling joy, one feeling low.

The smiles on their faces make their parents happy,
But Zalanda still finds the whole thing quite tacky.

"Zalanda, I'm glad to have done this with you.
Sometimes I miss the sister I once looked up to."

"I'm always here, you silly girl.
I wouldn't trade sisters for the world."

The Eritsuro sisters will enjoy their Yule,
with familial love more precious than jewels.

The rhyming started to throw me off a bit at the end, but the overall idea is something I'll carry over to the story.

Hope you like the image so far,

Emily Gonsalves
emilygonsalves.com