And now updated Sect Leader Jiang a la El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent. I’m glad you all liked this concept from when I posted the value study earlier (seriously I didn't expect that many people to like a simple value study but such is the genius of Sargent)…the enthusiasm made me more excited to finish the piece!
Sure he’s not gripping Zidian very well and I don’t see how he wouldn’t slice off his own leg with Sandu positioned like that, but it looks awesome so it all works out. Probably. Sargent has always been willing to make stuff up for the aesthetics.
Now for a detail view of Sandu Shengshou:
See under the cut for my head canons for the OG JC stans, the gremlin disciples.
Which disciple are you?
(1) Xichen?! He let himself in I had no say 2) Having a good time 3) Probably a Spider from Yu Sect. V proud of SLJ 4) Jiang Sect musician. San xian [a traditional Chinese instrument] which is made of snake skin 5) Always wants a glimpse of Sect Leader but is subtle about it 6) Wants a glimpse and is LOUD and PROUD about it 7) Hype squad! Particularly hypes feral JC even more 8) VP of SDSS fan club. Jin Ling is Prez obvs.)
Ian Stone, Doubting Thomas, oil on linen, 12x16 in, 2023
"If you know the painting by Caravaggio, Doubting Thomas, it was my direct inspiration for this piece.
A doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience. 50-60 years ago, it was not uncommon for people to think or believe that being gay was a phase or a mental illness or deviance in some shape or form. It's embarrassing that the same things are being said about trans people today."
You might think that txj is distressed because, in the midst of despair, he realised that everything he has ever cherished has been burned down to ashes by a mind that doesn’t belong to his body and he doesn’t quite understand why…
In reality he just broke his favourite mug (he and cwn had matching ones)