semi-open post: portraiture

[peaklordshen]

After shifting his way through oil pastels, watercolors, house paint, colored pencils, and an endless variety of paint markers, Shen Yuan has finally managed to get the Mansion to produce a decent set of oil paints, and—wonder of wonders—an easel. He's set up in a spacious, well-lit hall, probably for dancing or salons or whatever, where he's arranged a bunch of furniture in various configurations—wooden screens that he's draped cloth¹ over for backdrops; armchairs stolen from the lounge, wooden stools and high-backed dining chairs from the kitchens; even a lovely chaise lounge in a deep purple that he wistfully thinks he won't actually use, because it would definitely be for Aleksander, and he doubts he'll be doing that entry in his protagonists of the Mansion series after all. He has one of the stools pulled up next to the easel to hold his paints, and is wearing a wide-necked sweater over a black turtleneck and some loose, worn jeans that already have a few flecks of paint on them from when he was doing his color tests.² He's pulled his hair back in a practical bun, and he's currently laying down a layer of gesso on his canvas.

¹ Look, he has to do something with all of those robes he accidentally conjured in his last post.
² After days of feeling very lost and confused about how he's not required to LARP anymore, he's pretty much decided that it actually means he can just change who he's LARPing as at will, and the main way to do this is through fashion. Today he is An Artist.

[Primarily for those Shen Yuan has offered to paint, but anyone else is also welcome to come bother him while he works.]

Comments

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I was a twelve-year-old girl when I first stumbled across Narnia, where I reigned as Queen for fifteen years, and yet when we returned to England, we were returned to a point mere minutes after we'd left. Twelve again." She slices her hand through the air, a sharp gesture. "It's not important. I would be interested to see how a portrait now differs from portraits then."

[peaklordshen]

"Right." Far be it from Shen Yuan to push, especially with Susan, who, he's learning, has a tendency to say exactly as much as she's willing to on any subject and no more. "Well, I'd be delighted to have you sit for me any time." He makes a little face at himself. "Maybe after I finish some of the ones I've already started, though."

[quote_gentle_unquote]

Susan nods. "I'll let you get back to it," she says. "But when you're ready for a new subject, do let me know." She pauses, gaze flicking to his face. "I've found the book we discussed before, as well. If you'd like to read it."

[peaklordshen]

"Book--" It takes Shen Yuan a moment, and then he remembers. "Ah, right, Freud on gay people." Why the hell not. "Absolutely--we could meet up sometime in the cafe those French boys are setting up?"

[quote_gentle_unquote]

"I know the one." And this gives Susan somewhat of a deadline. She can bring herself to read the book if she's to pass it on to someone else. "I'm nearly finished with it-" A lie, but a harmless one; she's a fast reader. She can't go finish it now though; she has plans rapidly approaching, and if all goes well, she'll be too busy to pick it up tonight. "I can pass it along to you after the talent show?"

[peaklordshen]

"Perfect," says Shen Yuan, and dips his brush in green again.