I will follow him, wherever he goes: The Chiaroscuro of Thorin

Found this on Pinterest. Would love to have one in a long-sleeved version . . .

I just saw the latest TV trailer for BOTFA. Not a lot of Thorin, but, oh! That scene where he turns his eyes–those beautiful, expressive eyes–to his company, and asks, “Will you follow me, one last time?”  And that lump comes to my throat again and I feel the sting in my own eyes.

Found on Pinterest. Not my edit, and not that scene to which I referred, but the expression captivates me.

 

Of course I will follow, my king. You may be a dwarf (but what a charismatic, majestic and beautiful one!), and I, a mere human, and completely useless with a sword or axe or bow and arrow, but I will follow. Heck, you might actually be a fictional character, but your CReAtor made me believe in you, believe in your quest, agonise over what is to come for you, the returned King Under the Mountain, and your kinsmen.

 

I know Peter Jackson has complete faith in the CReAtor’s ability to bring you to life, with all the lights and darks of this complex character, deeply flawed in some respects and yet so kingly, so admirable and so easy for us to follow both in spite of and because of it all.

 

This was one of my vocabulary words for the day delivered to my inbox this morning, and it struck me as an apt description of what RA achieves with his acting:

chiaroscuro: In painting, the use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect. Rembrandt was a master of chiaroscuro.

(Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day)

Richard is the master artist of the detailed character; we learn to appreciate the subtle and varied shading of emotions he delivers from his palette. From a wistful remembrance of past glories to a fellow relaxed and enjoying a hearty meal with his family and comrades . . .

The arkenstone-ck.tumblr.com

Yennifer-ice

From the proud and fierce warrior, always ready to enter the fray . . .

 

To a roaring lion, a force to be reckoned with . . .
 
One who can express a myriad of emotions with the flicker of an eyelash, a tilt of his head, the tightening of that jaw–silence speaking of an inner storm.

He’s an amazing actor and, I believe, a wonderful human being to boot. And so, dear Thorin, I will follow you into The Edge (local theater) with my Kleenex in hand in a few weeks. And Richard, although I have short breaks away from you due to work projects, health issues and money woes (we had limited/no access to internet for the past 10 days due to the la), I keep coming back. There’s just something about you . . .

And I swear, it’s not just the tush. Although it’s Grade A like the rest of you (inside and out). 😀

Richard & Courtney: Here’s to the ones who inspire and amaze me

 

 

My edits of the promo stills supplied by the Old Vic Theatre.

“The best thing about being on stage is when you’re in the middle of the scene and you lose control. You get this massive adrenaline rush, a feeling like you’re flying or on fire. Once you’ve had that, you want it again and again.”

~Richard Armitage

 

Courtney touches up her makeup before the final performance of “Hollywood Dreams.” My photo and edit for Pecan Ridge Productions.

Courtney Rice. My photo.

Talented trio: Cory Rice, aspiring National Geographic writer, mom Sonya, dancer instructor and choreographer, and Courtney Rice, who dreams of performing on Broadway and participating in film production. My photo.

“It’s not that I have certain roles I like to dance, more so, it’s certain emotional levels I like to go to. The dance, or character, I am, I want it to be very emotionally invested. I want to be able to go to the extremes of hope, hatred, horror, sorrow, excitement! I want the audience to tangibly feel what I am feeling. The vulnerability of going all the way inside of an emotion in front of a crowd is the best feeling ever. So the more extreme of an emotional role, the better!”

~Courtney Rice

Richard, well, you all know who HE is, what he’s about to do–appear as John Proctor in Arthur Miller’s acclaimed play “The Crucible” on the stage of no less than the Old Vic Theatre in London.  Some of you will have the golden opportunity to see him perform in person this summer and I can’t wait to hear about your experiences.  Yes, I am still a little envious–but also, I’m extremely excited for Richard, and so happy to know some of those who have followed his career and championed his talent will be there in the audience to lend their support.

His long years of labor and taking whatever jobs came to keep him afloat, driving old beaters, working the front of house, and dreaming of one day having those choice roles–it’s happening now for you, Richard Armitage, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving artist. For that is what you are, a true artist, not a “celebrity,” someone famous for being famous without having any genuine talent to back it up.  I wish I could give you a big old bear hug right about now and tell you, “Break a leg!”

Courtney is a young woman from my own hometown, a very gifted dancer I once profiled in our annual magazine as a rising star among high school students in our area. Even as a teenager, she had a poise and elegance beyond her years. “She’s like a princess,” someone said. And she was.

I got to watch her perform again recently during her mother’s annual dancer recital, a production that would be ambitious on a big city stage, let alone in a small town of less than 8,000 people. She and her sister Cory flew in for the weekend to assist with and perform in the two-night event.  The talented teenager has blossomed into an even better, more refined performer after four years of dance training at university.

Courtney made the move to New York after college graduation in December. She works in an administrative position with the Gibney Dance Company and serves as a nanny to a nine-year-old youngster in Brooklyn. Courtney is still honing her craft, taking dance lessons and working with a group of fellow choreographers in a collective in the limited amount of spare time she has.  This young woman has a strong work ethic. She’s beautiful and talented and graced with such stage presence; yet she remains that polite, sweet, down-to-earth girl I met years ago who calls me “Miss Angie” and gives warm hugs.  Remind you of anyone?

I wish I had stills–better yet, I wish I had the video of her amazing solo to a piece of music from “Harry Potter” I could share with you here, but it’s not ready yet. I told her she sent chills down my spine, but in a very good sort of way.

I hope she gets the breaks and has the career she desires–she’s got the talent and technique, but she’s also got the drive and the passion and it shows in her performances. She’s the real thing, too.

“The vulnerability of going all the way inside of an emotion in front of a crowd is the best feeling ever. So the more extreme of an emotional role, the better!” 

Those words could have easily come from Richard, I think. May he have that “best feeling ever” this weekend and in the weeks to come as he inhabits the complicated role of John Proctor for Old Vic audiences.

Keep on breaking a leg, Courtney and Richard. I’ll be cheering for both of you.  You inspire and amaze me!

 

 

 

Saturday Smorgasbord: “Real” RA Photo Edits

Been feeling the need to play with some of the newer images that have appeared of our dearest RA. We’ve been doing a lot of work on a flurry of end-of-the-year projects–Benny’s two final vacation days were largely used to work on video editing and designing and printing DVD covers–and I did some snaffling and cropping of screencaps  to post on FB as I vetted the footage and gave my seal of approval. My sleeping has been erratic and I collapsed yesterday & slept–and slept–and slept–call me Rip Van Winkle!  Rain, rain, rain is on the way today, according to the forecasters, cold rain–a great day to look at Mr. Armitage, don’t you agree? 😉

It’s an awfully good face, isn’t it?

I have a small, fuzzy, extremely warm kitten on my chest and—saints be praised–her older sister napping at the foot of the bed. They have been in the same room for several hours without a single skirmish, without hissing, growling, laid-back ears or bugged-out eyes. Maybe there is light at the end of this tunnel.

Speaking of light . . .

I’ve been looking through the screencaps from the Cinemax interview. If you haven’t seen them yet, RA Central has them posted in their gallery:

http://richardarmitagecentral.co.uk/main.php?g2_itemId=346770&g2_page=3

I’ve been thinking about Richard’s face. A good face, and I don’t just mean the juxtaposition of those elegant cheekbones, firm jaw, classical aquiline nose and long-lashed eyes. It is certainly aesthetically pleasing.

But there’s more. There’s the humor and humility, the passion for his craft, the intelligence, the polite and thoughtful nature, all those qualities that animate his striking features and bring a beautiful light into those eyes with their ever-changeable color.

It’s a face that expresses so much and yet also keeps us guessing. The face of a private man who leads with his feelings in his chosen profession. A face that is somehow ageless and timeless.  A face that holds such an arresting masculine beauty that even when the subject is tired as he appears to be in the interview, it’s still quite enough to take one’s breath away.

And the smiles . . . oh, those smiles. Reflected in the eyes, accompanied by crinkles, radiating bonhomie. It really is true. Whenever I see RA’s smiling face, I have to smile myself . . . I just can’t resist.

Yes, an awfully good face. And, I believe, a good man. Can’t wait for more people to discover his powerful, magnetic, kick-ass performance as Sgt. Porter.

GuyDay Friday: Let’s hear it for the Guy!

Whether spying on Hoodie and the Sister from Hell in a forest glade . . .

Or smouldering in some dimly-lit castle corridor . . .

Or screaming like a man who has toppled over the edge into madness . . .

Or sexily smirking in the face of Hoodie’s threats and bluster (and launching a thousand fantasies!)

Sir Guy remains the Hot Velveteen Henchman—our ORIGINAL Dark Knight.

And, oh yeah–don’t refer to him in the past tense. He IS, after all, SOOO Not Dead.

HAPPY GUYDAY FRIDAY! 😀

Some photo edits of RA as Craig from ‘Casualty’

Already beautiful, wasn’t he? And on his way to being absolutely breathtaking . . . because he is like a fine wine, getting more delectable with the passing years. *sigh*

Thorin Thursday: Those eyes, that nose, that mane. He rocks.

Enjoy the Thorin pretty.

Did you say, “MORE Thorin?” Well, what do you know . . .

How about some Wet Thorin? Mmmmmmm. Disheveled locks, angsty looks . . . we LIKE.

Gorgeous, aren’t they? Especially that uncle.

But don’t make Uncle angry, OK??

Turns out the great hair is not just an accident, folks.

I told you there was a bit of rivalry . . .

What indeed? Everybody’s falling in love with the majestic, moody dwarf with the magical mane, that’s what!

And we are all dying for him to take us away, take us to-day . . .

Roaring, Raging, Smouldering, Stroppy: RA ChaRActers Get Their Fierce On

“As a person I’m quite calm and placid, so it’s nice to give vent to a little anger.”  Richard Armitage

 

For such a sweet, laid-back soul, RA certainly knows how to smoulder and simmer, to be sulky and stroppy,  to rant and rage and roar magnificently. Richard Armitage knows how to get his fierce on.

Sir Guy, You Make Bad Look So GOOD . . . Happy Guyday Friday!

Guyday Friday: Glorious and Gorgeous

Mulligan for Monday: You’re a bad’un, Mr. M

But you look danged tempting every step of the way, I gotta say.

Super Sexy Saturday! A Hottie in & out of ChaRActer

More Guyday Friday: it’s gettin’ hot in here . . .

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Thorin Thursday arrives early!: oh, those inappropriate dwarfy thoughts . . .

Last night I watched “Snow White and the Huntsman.” What can I say, I liked the villain of the piece best of all–Charlize Theron as the mad evil Queen lusting after the heart of her stepdaughter to provide her with the immortal beauty and youth she craves. Snow White was OK, but I certainly am glad Bilbo beat her out for Best Hero. She just didn’t–inspire me.  I wasn’t particularly rooting for her.

As for Snow’s dwarves, well, they were a rather crotchety, crafty bunch, played by a cast of familiar Brit character actors given human dwarf bodies through the magic of CGI. Good performances, but they just weren’t Bilbo’s dwarves.  And not a Thorin amongst them to put inappropriate thoughts in a girl’s head.  They didn’t have his romantic mane of hair, his noble profile, his soulful, beautiful eyes, his deafening roar, his majesty. *sigh*

So, as more and more folks get their TH DVDs, the continued thudding, squeeing, drooling and sighing over  a certain vertically-challenged hottie takes place around the world. Wonder how many DVDs/Blu-rays have almost been paused and rewound and slo-moed to death already?

Did we ever think we’d feel this way about a sweaty, hairy, almost 200-year-old dwarf?  No, we didn’t. But we DO.

I found a few GIFs on Twitter I thought I would also share with you.  Oh, the joys of Thorin smiling!!

Someone suggested RA was doing his John the Baptist imitation here with his attire. Whoa–a bit wobbly, are we?? From PJ’s sneak peek of the second film.

Bilbo, that’s just what so many of us want to do–leap into Thorin’s strong arms! 😉