MAJESTY

To try and focus my research further, I decided to make a list of  likes and dislikes I have surrounding mountains. Needless to say, there where a lot more likes than dislikes. In summery of the likes a boiled it down to three words:

Majesty

Freedom

Nature

Made with the off-cut from the concertina book in the previous post. 

Here I will explore Majesty. 

majesty

ˈmadʒɪsti/

noun

1. 1. 

   impressive beauty, scale, or stateliness.

   
   

   "the majesty of Ben Nevis"

   
   

   synonyms:

   stateliness, dignity, magnificence, pomp, solemnity, grandeur, grandness, splendour, resplendence, glory, impressiveness, superbness, awesomeness, awe, loftiness, sublimity, regalness, regality, royalty, royalness, kingliness, queenliness, nobility, nobleness, augustness, exaltedness, exaltation, pride "the majesty of the procession"

2. 2. 

   royal power.

   
   

   "the majesty of the royal household"

   
   

   synonyms:

   sovereignty, authority, power, dominion, supremacy "the majesty invested in the monarch"

Here is a quick search on Pinterest for the word Majesty: 

Not that much help, but some visuals of what majesty might look like. The lion is something I hadn't thought of but it makes sense that it  features, being a symbol of majesty or being majestic. Could mountains fall into this category?

I'm going to look more closely at some of the words I recognised in the mind map from my sketchbook (featured above). 

Impressive:

impressive

ɪmˈprɛsɪv/

adjective

1. evoking admiration through size, quality, or skill; grand, imposing, or awesome.

   
   

   "an impressive view of the mountains"

   
   

   synonyms:

   magnificent, majestic, imposing, splendid, spectacular, grand, august, awe-inspiring, stirring, stunning, breathtaking; More

Admiration through size... GRAND, IMPOSING, AWESOME. 

imposing

ɪmˈpəʊzɪŋ/

adjective

1. grand and impressive in appearance.

   
   

   "an imposing 17th-century manor house"

   
   

   synonyms:

   impressive, striking, arresting, eye-catching, dramatic, spectacular, staggering, stunning, awesome, awe-inspiring, remarkable, formidable; More

I did a Pinterest search for "imposing" and it was just examples of grand houses. Not really what I have in mind when I think of Imposing. What do I think of as imposing? A large entity. Towering above. Not necessarily with much detail. A dark tall figure. A perfect example for me would be the "shadow creature" in the new (Season 2) Stranger Things.  

Stranger Things: The Shadow Creature

In turn this image reminds me of a volcano, full circle! What is so imposing about mountains? Yes they have beauty but they are also huge, dramatic and formidable. They are not to be stepped into likely, you can fall in love with them but they can be a harsh mistress. They are dangerous. One wrong step and you could call off the side, fall into a ravine, slide off slate. They hold all sorts of wild animals. They have the power to change the weather. They take your breath away, literally.

Pinterest search for "imposing illustration":

Heidi Smith 

This is one of the images I found most apt. The big black coat takes us a lot of the page, it is sort of ominous. The way the marks of the coat sit but give the illusion of the material it might be made of but also has this slightly imposing feet to it.

Kelly Reemsten

These aren't anything like what came to my mind when I thought of imposing. The colours are something that hit me first, bright and warm but when you look focus in, you realise things might not be so sunny. Although these could be regular tools for the garden etc. there is something a little menacing about them. I feel like these are inviting you to create your own story around them and to me, the tools in those hands, feel like more of a weapon. I think this might be because of these types of tool, sharp, heavy, etc. with the dresses that say to me "housewife". 

This sort of contrast and subtle comment on "imposing" is something I find engaging, perhaps more so than a more obvious way of representing it.