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August 15th, 2008

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11:27 am - Making a Special Triptych
Last night, I spent a couple of hours making something that I'd like to share with everyone: a triptych.

Now, because this is me, you know this is not going to be just any triptych. No, I created a triptych based on one of my favourite myths, a sort of little portable Pagan shrine or altarpiece.

My triptych is the story of The Original Snub.





detail with iconography noted.

Beginning at the top left, we have the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. This is a happy occasion of love (or something) which everyone is invited to, except for Eris, who is snubbed and never receives an invitation. See her snubbed in the foreground there. Cry a little. Get emotional at her snubbedness. This triptych is, after all, about her.

Now, you should avoid pissing off the goddess of discord on your wedding day. It's just bad form. The next scene, the center panel, shows what happens next: the apple of discord has rolled into the hall, with the goddesses Athena, Aphrodite, and Hera goin' all at it, pullin' hair, throwin' lightning bolts and spillin' the punch. "Catfight of the Gods". . . sounds like a B movie, huh? Well, while this is all going on, Eris is off eating a hotdog, seen high above the mess (to show that Eris is, of course, not really interested in what's going on. . . she's just put out at not being invited). Astute observers will note that this hotdog happens to have a bun. That's not a mistake. I'll have people calling me a Discoridan Heretic over this triptych with or without a bun, and both camps (bunless and bunfull) would have valid arguments. So, it's in there (much like the apple) to get people talking.

That, and adding a bun makes it look a lot less like a floating, haloed penis.

Now it just looks like a floating, haloed penis in a bun.

Besides, it's fun to talk about a "bunfull of hotdogs."

The right panel includes all the nifty things that arose from snubbing Eris at the wedding: the Trojan War, the Apple of Discord (making its appearances throughout history), the Five Fingered Hand of Eris that is a symbol of the Discoridan movement, and finally the Chaostar that is the symbol of Chaos Magicians everywhere.

It looks like this when it's closed:


It's more boring this way.

Edited to add: It's 5.25" tall, the center panel is 3.5" wide, and the side panels are each slightly over 1.75".

When collapsed, the entire thing is between 5/8" and 1" in width (the side panels don't close perfectly straight: that's to protect the interior for getting all crushed up and stuff.)

Why, yes: this little triptych will be for auction at Summerland next Saturday.

Not preregistered for Summerland? Get Pre-Registered! Today is the last day to pre-register!
Current Location: Southeast of Disorder
Current Mood: [mood icon] amused
Current Music: "Smart Woman (In a Real Short Skirt)", -JB
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

(Leave a comment)

Comments:

[User Picture]
From:[info]_crow365__
Date:August 15th, 2008 03:48 pm (UTC)
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Dude, that is awesome.

I might have to snag your ear at some point (possibly during lulls at Summerland) about wood engraving and using wood burning tools. I've been tossing around ideas in my head for a medium-sized portable altar (basically a wooden box like some small Shinto shrines) and wouldn't mind your input on the carpentry side of things.

Oh, and Catfight of the Gods needs to be made.
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:01 pm (UTC)
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And you can bid on it!

Would love to chat about wood burning. I'm no expert at it. . . I just enjoy it. And I'm good with runes on stuff, because I've had some experience (and some really awesome shortcuts that I'll reveal to you).

Hey, if there's a cabin available, we can start filming next weekend!
[User Picture]
From:[info]_crow365__
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:26 pm (UTC)
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Hey, if there's a cabin available, we can start filming next weekend!

Brother, you got me sold. I'll make sure to bring my camcorder and some blank tapes. : )
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:29 pm (UTC)
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w00t. And I mean that, with the utmost sincerity.

double w00t.
[User Picture]
From:[info]triadruid
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:36 pm (UTC)
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Don't mind me, I'm just over here in the corner, making up my own script for this film... ;)
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:37 pm (UTC)
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I do hope you'll share it: we need good writers!
[User Picture]
From:[info]sleepingwolf
Date:August 15th, 2008 03:49 pm (UTC)
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Since it's a little difficult to tell from the picture, how big is it?
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 03:59 pm (UTC)
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Ah, I should have mentioned. I'll edit the entry too, in a moment. It's 5.25" tall, the center panel is 3.5" wide, and the side panels are each slightly over 1.75".

When collapsed, the entire thing is between 5/8" and 1" in width (the side panels don't close perfectly straight: that's to protect the interior for getting all crushed up and stuff.)
[User Picture]
From:[info]featherynscale
Date:August 15th, 2008 03:50 pm (UTC)
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That's fabulous!!
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:00 pm (UTC)
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Thank you! :) Took about four hours. Plus some prep work :)
[User Picture]
From:[info]prophet_maid
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:17 pm (UTC)
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That's awesome! How'd you do it? I want instructions!
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:24 pm (UTC)
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It was actually not too difficult. I decided what I wanted, cut down the wood, drew (by which I mean "stole images from the net") what I wanted, and then got some art-weight copper sheeting and started tracing the design. Then I drilled pilot holes and screwed in the hinges.

I used epoxy to hold the copper to the wood. . . which may or may not work in the long run, but at least it's an easy fix if it breaks in the future. :)
[User Picture]
From:[info]wishesofastar
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:29 pm (UTC)
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That's an impressive and inspired piece of artwork.
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:33 pm (UTC)
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Thank you. Inspired perhaps, but the photo shows the relief a lot nicer than the original does in most light. I'm wavering on "art," myself, because mostly what I did was cut up some wood and trace drawings onto copper (I didn't do a lick of original drawing on this, though occasional modification was necessary to avoid overcrowding the relief and making it one big blob of stuff).

But it is pretty :)
From:[info]zen_mom
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:35 pm (UTC)
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Neat-o project!
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 04:37 pm (UTC)
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Thank you :) It was fun (though a tad toilsome. . . I didn't have any idea how it was going to come out when I started. . . it's the largest project of copper-embossing I've done yet.)
[User Picture]
From:[info]mischevousblend
Date:August 15th, 2008 06:03 pm (UTC)
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Wow, that is awesome!
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 15th, 2008 06:07 pm (UTC)
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And it can be yours for the low, low price of what everyone else doesn't want to pay!
[User Picture]
From:[info]mischevousblend
Date:August 15th, 2008 06:35 pm (UTC)
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Ha Ha! ava890 and I are registered for Saturday! :)
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 16th, 2008 12:16 am (UTC)
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Yes, rock!
[User Picture]
From:[info]dqg_neal
Date:August 15th, 2008 06:36 pm (UTC)
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Ooh. someone that has the skills to do that. I've had an idea for a triptych design that I really wanted for my altar for a long time so I'm glad other people are thinking that way/
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 16th, 2008 12:17 am (UTC)
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:) What were you thinking of making, if you don't mind me asking?
[User Picture]
From:[info]angelofastheny
Date:August 15th, 2008 06:38 pm (UTC)
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Maybe you can explain to me why when I purchased my pre-registration for Summerland there is a $7something shipping charge. Are they shipping me something? :D
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 16th, 2008 12:18 am (UTC)
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Shouldn't be. Maybe the paypal charges? It's something like 3%, so I don't really know.
[User Picture]
From:[info]lillassea
Date:August 19th, 2008 12:02 am (UTC)
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I've always registered for Summerland online and always been charged 'shipping' fees through PayPal too. I mentioned something about it several years ago via email, and something got mentioned back to me, I forget whom I contacted or what was said... but it's still like that.
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 19th, 2008 10:25 am (UTC)
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Having now registered myself, yeah, I'm pretty sure that it's the 3-or-so-percent PayPal service charge.

Of course, "shipping and handling" is an acceptable addition to items bought via PayPal. "PayPal charges" cannot be recouped, at least not as charges. So I imagine that it's a "handling fee."
[User Picture]
From:[info]lillassea
Date:August 19th, 2008 08:51 pm (UTC)
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Could be. I just know when I asked about it years ago, I was told it was a mistake that needed correcting, that the shipping fees were on there for some other purpose and hadn't been removed yet, or something of that nature.

For what it's worth, usually the receiver of the money (the business) pays transaction fees like that, not the consumer. It's part of the cost of doing business. It's not legal, for example, for retailers to charge customers a credit card transaction fee in addition to the item price when they choose to use a credit card instead of cash. But of course you all aren't retailers so it probably doesn't apply.

Might want to mention it on the site, though, so people don't feel tricked into paying more than they told they were paying. Even if it's a little, the principle of the thing could possibly irk some folks. Not me, mind you (except that I have been assuming it was an uncorrected mistake for years, based on what I was told). It's not much money and it goes to a good cause and I'm not worried about it. :) But you never know, others might be. And it's not the usual setup when paying by PayPal.

There's my two cents (or, my three percent?). :) Looking forward to seeing you, sir.
[User Picture]
From:[info]whereismypraire
Date:August 15th, 2008 08:42 pm (UTC)
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that is amazingly creative mike! I'm impressed!

i tried calling you back today from last night, might try again later this evening.
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 16th, 2008 12:18 am (UTC)
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Okay. I just have an interesting question I didn't want to leave on VM or text :) Sorry I missed your call today: was on a call with a software vendor. Stupid job.

I can just catch you tomorrow, too.
[User Picture]
From:[info]tesinth
Date:August 15th, 2008 09:10 pm (UTC)
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Wow, talk about too much time on your hands... :)

If you want to get really fancy, carve out the center section of wood and inlay the copper, leaving a wooden lip that allows it to close fully while still protecting the embossing (or just use slightly large hindges).

Nice result though.
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 16th, 2008 12:19 am (UTC)
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I thought about doing that, but honestly, this is about the extent of my "skill". . . :)
[User Picture]
From:[info]lady_bell
Date:August 15th, 2008 10:29 pm (UTC)
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Wow! That's super gorgeous! I'm a fan of the Holy Hotdog
[User Picture]
From:[info]chronarchy
Date:August 16th, 2008 12:20 am (UTC)
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You, too, can have one! I'll cook you up one next time you're by for Fuzzy!
[User Picture]
From:[info]tlachtga
Date:August 16th, 2008 01:12 am (UTC)
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You made that? That's awesome!

I've been wanting to make a triptych:

  • The center would be the World Tree with a bunch of symbolism that would make sense at least to me: the Divine Son sitting at the base of the tree, with the oldest animals from Celtic myth: the hawk, the stag, the salmon (who would be in the well--not sure how to make that work) and the boar. (I've been working on a whole thing about this which I might someday get written up)--anyway, I want to blend the Axis Mundi with Mabon. It's only semi UPG, actually, but that's for the paper.

  • the left would be Sovereignty giving the mead cup to the King,

  • the right I'm still thinking about--I'm not sure if I want it to be the War of the Gods or the Thunderer vs. the Serpent

    The only problem? I suck at this. I can't do woodworking, and I'm a really sloppy drawer. So maybe when I have money I'll pay someone.
    • [User Picture]
    From:[info]chronarchy
    Date:August 16th, 2008 01:28 am (UTC)
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    Hehe. I did make it. From scratch. Using drawings from a variety of sources (since I can't draw) for the basics, but I did all the metalwork and the woodwork.

    Well, after doing this, "thunderer vs. serpent" is much easier, let me tell you :)

    I've been thinking about a fire/well/tree one, a little differently configured.

    I love the sovereignty bit. That's beautiful, in concept. . .
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]telarus
    Date:August 16th, 2008 04:09 am (UTC)
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    Freakin' Awesome!
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]chronarchy
    Date:August 16th, 2008 11:03 am (UTC)
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    *grins* Glad you like it!
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]tn_roadmap
    Date:August 17th, 2008 03:36 pm (UTC)
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    Awesome!!!!! you done really good with this. looks great!!!!!
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]chronarchy
    Date:August 18th, 2008 08:49 am (UTC)
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    Thanks! :)
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]lughaidh
    Date:August 18th, 2008 11:53 pm (UTC)

    Holy crap!!!

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    It's simply beautiful!!! You my friend, are a true spiritual artist. You have a gift; thanks for sharing.

    Lughaidh

    Edited at 2008-08-18 11:54 pm (UTC)
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]suicidekttn
    Date:August 25th, 2008 12:09 am (UTC)
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    Now see, if they did the 50/50 before the auction, I would've been all over that :)

    You're stuff went amazingly well though, good job!
    [User Picture]
    From:[info]chronarchy
    Date:August 25th, 2008 06:58 pm (UTC)
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    Haha. At least you made back more than the price of the ticket!

    :)

    It did go well! This went for $65! Whoda thunk?

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