Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Quote of the Week: Henry James on stone circles

"It is indeed immensely picturesque. I can fancy sitting all a summer's day watching its shadows shorten and lengthen again, and drawing a delicious contrast between the world's duration and the feeble span of individual experience. There is something in Stonehenge almost reassuring; and if you are disposed to feel that life is rather a superficial matter, and that we soon get to the bottom of things, the immemorial gray pillars may serve to remind you of the enormous background of time."
Henry James, 1875

I chose to use a circle of stones to begin my fantasy series, The Watcher's Quest Trilogy. What is it about these stone circles which are scattered across  the British Isles, Ireland and parts of Europe? They have caught the imaginations (and passions) of generations of human beings. I chose two small and fascinating henges to recreate the one that Emma's dad is building on the bee farm. But I think Henry James said it best when describing the impact of these strange and magical circles, when he wrote about one - Stonehenge.

Here are two multi-media images I created to show how I see the stone circle in The Watcher. I have added these images along with other photos and artwork to my Watcher's Quest book tab. I'm planning on adding more images in time....