Shrine of Frog and Snake by pellaeon

The 17 x 11 inch (43.2 x 27.9 cm) poster that comes when you buy a print copy of my Cirno x Suwako fanbook, Fairy Ring ([link]). Does not actually contain yuri; the publisher is just wearing extra strong yuri goggles.

PerfectFreeze Featured By Owner Jan 8, 2012 Student Digital Artist

Just kindly going through your gallery, and I hád to comment.
This really is amazing! ; A ;

I just bought your fanbook, looking forward to receiving it!

There is a special reason for me liking SuwakoCirno though, you might find me even more creepy but...
I met my boyfriend at a small con in The Netherlands, while I was cosplayed as Cirno and he was wearing a self-made pyonta hat. We're still together now, having our one year anniversary in three days~

But I went offtopic. Your art is amazing.

pellaeon Featured By Owner Jan 8, 2012 Hobbyist Artist

Thank you. This picture took 32 hours to draw. The reference photo was taken on a freezing, cloudy winter day when there was a layer of frost on everything. The general coldness and darkness of the picture, as well as the numerous drawing errors, have caused it to be rated low on Pixiv. But I'm glad you like it.

I don't think you're creepy, and it's neat that you met your boyfriend through Toho.

Thank you for buying my book, and I apologize in advance for slacking off on some of the pages. While waiting for it to arrive, you can read it on my website: [link]

PerfectFreeze Featured By Owner Jan 8, 2012 Student Digital Artist

That's really a lot of hours, I am impressed!
And you actually went to a shrine? I am jealous, haha! I can only dream of going to Japan in the few next years.. But I definitely am going someday! I want to drop coins into donation boxes!
It's a shame that Pixiv can't appriciate the piece just as much, but then again, negative critique is very useful for improvement. I can see the color scheme a bit cold, but I think it doesn't have too many errors, at least not that bad. I am going to put it up in my room anyway!

I believe I already read some pages some long time ago though, but this time I won't!
It will be more fun to read it in real, not remembering a lot of things!

Don't worry about slacking off, I don't think you did at all. Or at least you hid it well!

pellaeon Featured By Owner Jan 8, 2012 Hobbyist Artist

Oh, I did go to a shrine, but it wasn't in Japan. I went to Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America [link] in Granite Falls, Washington (United States). It is the shrine of Sarutahiko Okami, the guardian prince of earth, and America Kokudo Kunitama no Kami, the Shinto patron of the North American continent.

The Kannushi is Rev. Robert Barrish, who may be a white male but is perfectly fluent in Japanese and trained in authentic Shinto ceremony. One of the shrine maidens is a white girl who wears hair tubes like Reimu, although less frilly and ornate. (And with a flat chest and long dark hair, a white girl can pull off the shrine maiden look just fine!)

The shrine is also decorated with 20 or so stone frog statues. The Japanese word for frog, "kaeru", is similar to the word for returning (also "kaeru", but with a different kanji). Tsubaki Shrine uses frogs to symbolize the need to repeatedly return to the place of holiness.

The first time I went to the shrine was for New Year's in 2010. Rev. Barrish let me take pictures to use in my comic, told me stuff about Shintoism and Japanese legends, and sold me a Geinou Omamori, an amulet supposedly for the preservation of artistic skills. I returned to the shrine for New Year's this year, got a new amulet (they expire every year and need to be burned), and gave Rev. Barrish a copy of my newly published book and the accompanying poster.

I suspect my involvement with the shrine is not yet done.

PerfectFreeze Featured By Owner Jan 9, 2012 Student Digital Artist

I see, that's really impressive.
I didn't know about shrines outside Japan, but I'm pretty sure they aren't in my country though..
My country is too small, haha. We do have a Chinese Buddhist shrine though, but it's not as spectacular..

That's really impressive, being fluent in Japanese. I might give the language a try sometime, but for now I have to focus on my own school first. I knew about kaeru meaning returning, but I didn't know it meant frog as well!

A Geinou Omamori sounds nice. I wish I could get one as well, or an ofuda.
I'm a bit jealous! I think I'll visit the shrine when I go to America again!