Last Month's Challenge: LITERATURE

Last month, despite being busy with all our Halloween festivities, some of our Queer Team members took the time to create pieces to represent their favorite book, story, character, or author in honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which is this month!  (Please take the link for more information!)  I am blown away with the awesomeness of these entries!  I will let the pieces - and artists - speak for themselves...


Fall Leaves Beaded Necklace in Autumn Colors of Glass and Tree of Life in Silver
by Gilliauna

Inspired by Walt Whitman's Autumn Rivulets

As consequent from store of summer rains,
Or wayward rivulets in autumn flowing,
Or many a herb-lined brook's reticulations,
Or subterranean sea-rills making for the sea,
Songs of continued years I sing....
(www.everypoet.com/archive/poetry/Walt_Whitman/walt_whitman_leaves_o...)

Dripping with autumn colors and with matching wire wrapped teardrops of the same, when the idea came to me to make this piece, it was the beginning of the poem Autumn Rivulets by Walt Whitman that came to mind. With the watery theme of the poem, I've added in a few tiny crystals with a touch of blue to the piece as well.


Purple, Red, Black and Gray Swarovski Pearl and Crystal Bracelet - Strych
by BuniqueBeads

This is just one of my bracelets inspired by my favorite author, Sarah Monette. She writes incredibly lush stories and novels, often with darker, adult themes dealing with queer characters in fantasy or sci-fi settings as well as other alternative sexualities and non-traditional lifestyles. She is, in a word, AMAZING. This bracelet, "Strych," represents one of the wickedest characters in her four-book Doctrine of the Labyrinths series.  The "evil wizard in the story" goes by many names, but one of those is Brinvillier Strych, I chose dark, rich colors for his mystery and his sadistic secrets, and of course, the dark ruby-red vein runs through the other colors to recall the rubies of his wizard's rings:

"Like a poison, he devours his victims from the inside, but has an allure that is difficult to resist. I chose dark, rich colors for his mystery and his sadistic secrets, and of course, the dark ruby-red vein runs through the other colors to recall the rubies of his wizard's rings. You're not supposed to like it; you're supposed to be drawn to it even though you know better."


Angels and Demons Inspired Elements of Science Illuminati Bracelet
by MikesHempBracelets

"Their name means 'enlightened ones'. They were physicist, mathematicians and astronomers. They were dedicated to scientific truth..."

This bracelet was inspired by the book "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown. Each color stone represents one of the elements of science used by the Illuminati. Brown for Earth, Light Blue for Air, Red for Fire, and Blue for Water. The white stone represents the Light that the Illuminati strove to reveal.


Tiger Agate and Pearl Necklace
by GalleriaDiGiani

I decided in advance that I wanted to find a powerful love to inspire me. I chose Heathcliff and Catherine from Wuthering Heights. Catherine is described as having brown hair and brown eyes. The eyes being such a strong trait that her other family members share that same look.

So, with all those lovely shades of brown going on around her, I thought about what sort of jewelry might Heathcliff see that would instantly make him think of his love, Catherine.

This is what I came up with.


Original aceo art card A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania
by catbirdcraft

The character Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is Queen of the Fairies, having annoyed a jealous Oberon with her dalliances, is put under a spell by Puck while she sleeps, and so falls in love with the first creature she sees on awaking, the mortal with an ass' head, Bottom.


Moby the Whale Stuffed Animal
by featheredneststudio

This guy could tell you a whale of tale. Consider him the Moby Dick of stuffed animals... a book I have never read (but with a degree in English, I probably shouldn't admit that).


Vampire Bunny, 4x6 Print of Original Watercolor
by FaerieGardenFancies

This capricious Giclée print is perfect crossover parody of the Twilight and Bunnicula series, with a little campy Dracula added in!

While neither series was my *favorite* they are books that amused & entertained me a great deal. If you haven't ever read them, do check them out:
~ Bunnicula
~ Twilight

And here's a treasury including the lovelies above, and some other member listings that fit the theme!