The voting for the twin sig contest is complete, and the winning pair is
Farfalla and
nanaDmari!
Such a simple concept and yet so truly unique, "M" stands out from the rest of the pack. Not only is this the only submission in this theme to create a playing card, but I think this might be the first playing card to ever be submitted in the history of this contest! (I know that it is at least the first card I remember seeing since I took over the contest.) It looks like it could be printed and used as an actual playing card. The proportions match the standard with the suit and even the font. It reminds me of an old deck with which I used to play with my parents. The effects on the background give it a very classic feel, especially the parchment-esque background and faded edges.
The card idea works ingeniously well the theme, using two lovely female characters in what appears to be either peaceful prayer or serene slumber. Atypical of real playing card mirror characters, the two here are juxtaposed artfully in the colors of their outfits, skin, and (just slightly) hair. This breaking from card tradition causes the image to stand out and become interesting. I have a theory on the reason behind the coloring of the two girls and the name of the card. My guess is that the two artists exchanged some personal information, such as photos and names, based the two characters on themselves, and called the card "M" based on some commonality in their two names. I really, really hope that this is correct, as it would make me love this piece so much more for the real connection it would have to the artists.
That brings me to what I consider the most essential part of this image: the collaborative aspect. This is an elegant fusion of Farfalla's nuanced and often feminine style with nanaDmari's unique gift for creating quality original art for this contest. When I saw this submission, I didn't think either "Oh, this is clearly Farfalla's artwork at play" or "What an obvious nanaDmari work" but instead could pick out several instances in which I could truthfully see where each of you contributed. Furthermore, there are aspects to this piece that I cannot clearly attribute to either of you like the idea to do a playing card. Two separate forces coming together to accomplish something greater than themselves as individuals is the definition of
synergy, which is both a fundamental aspect to the special sibling dynamic of twins and also the very thing that I most hoped would be accomplished through a collaboration like this. To quote an 1980s American pop hit,
two of hearts, two hearts that beat as one!
You two are both such wonderful artists, and the proof is in the putting. To this observer, it seems like a real melding of the minds happened here, much like the fabled telepathy of twins, to create this genius work. I hope this experience has brought the two of you closer as both artists and friends, developing a beautiful bond of sisterhood that will, with luck, last long after this competition!
Congratulations, you soul sisters!
Please be sure to congratulate our two co-winners on their lovely collaboration.
We still have one more week for the soul contest. There are currently two strong contenders, and they are looking for some more challengers. Do you have the fighting spirit?
(I used that effect in the past 
it adds some weight to the sig)
)
