Pictures tell a thousand words

Okay - pictures.

Now, in lead up to my overseas trip & the pictures I hope to take & post (with a camera I haven't bought yet) I though I would post some pictures here that will tell a little bit more about me.

First up is a painting that done by my Mum (Kat-ja). She is a truly talented artist who has accomplished many great pieces of artwork in many different artistic fields (bobbin lace, quilting (including 2 native birds of Australia quilts), painting (flat pictures of all sorts & 3d objects).

This painting was inspired by a tshirt that my Uncle (Ian) brought back for me from Greenland/Canada/Alaska. It was my favourite shirt until I wore it out. So, my lovely mum decided to use it as a basis for her painting, except she used me for the human side of the picture. It is a strange & moving picture (slightly haunting when you are the one in the picture).

The next picture is some more artwork - this time made for me by a professional artist employed by my younger sister (Myra).

Above, are two pieces, each a model of an Ypotryll (and that's me behind them). She surprised me with these at Xmas a few years ago and it is still one of the best presents ever.

For those who don't know - An Ypotryll is a mythical creature with the body of a camel, head of a boar, legs of a hind (deer) and the tail of a serpent. It is part of my heraldic device within the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms - the medieval recreation group that I have been a part of for many years now - www.sca.org.au ). My device is shown on the left side of this text).

The reason for the Ypotryll is that within the SCA each person creates a theoretical personality (or persona) of someone that could have existed during the medieval times we are trying to recreate (roughly 600 to 1600AD). Different people decide on a personality in different ways, but I initially liked the name Hannibal (which it turns out wasn't a popular name during medieval times due to the stigma associated it with it from he Cartheginian Hannibal who crossed the Alps but failed to successfully take Rome - nice idea but planning was lacking). Anyhow, a herald offered me Hanbal, an Arabic form of Hannibal (and still a good name today) so that was it, I had an Arabic persona. Therefore a mythical creature that looks like a fierce version of a camel was perfect.

I have also named my SCA Household (ships crew) after it (The Flying Ypotryll - for which the flag is shown below).

Anyhow, that's enough pictures for today. Do please feel free to write & let me know what you think or what you want to know.