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Since I posted Tulkas yesterday, here's my vision of his wife Nessa, the last Valië.

"His [Tulkas’] spouse is Nessa, the sister of Oromë, and she also is lithe and fleetfooted. Deer she loves, and they follow her train whenever she goes in the wild; but she can outrun them, swift as an arrow with the wind in her hair. In dancing she delights, and she dances in Valimar on lawns of never-fading green" (Silmarillion)

"And it is sung that in that feast of the Spring of Arda Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and she danced before the Valar upon the green grass of Almaren" (Silmarillion)

"Fair maiden Nessa wife of Tulkas bear goblets of the goodliest wine and cooling drinks among the players. But most she loved to retire unto a place of fair lawns … There danced she among her maidens… for is she not greater in the dance than Vana herself?" (Book of Lost Tales I)

So deer and dancing are what she's most associated with. Remembering that I envision Valinor as ancient Greek in nature, my mental picture of her conjures Diana/Artemis.

mythopedia.com/topics/diana

"She usually wore a chiton, a short tunic typically worn by males, because it allowed her to range freely throughout the woods... In some traditions, she was said to wear purple raiment."

Add to that, in "The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales" under Nessa it states: "In the Valar name-list she is called Helinyetille... In QL, among the very early entries, helin is the name of the violet or pansy, and helinyetille is glossed 'Eyes of Heartsease' (that being a name of the pansy)"

So I gave her a purple chiton. I even gave her violet eyes. Eyes of Heartsease, afterall.

In terms of appearance, I was going for a kind of Misty Copeland/Sylvie Guillem vibe for her body (she's super athletic and the greatest dancer afterall), and a beautiful (albeit masculine*) Mediterranean facial structure/complexion.

* mythopedia.com/topics/artemis

"in many ways more mannish than effeminate."

To complete the look, I gave her an antler headdress because of her association with deer. The yellow roses are because "Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and Vana robed [her] in her flowers, and she danced before the Valar upon the green grass of Almaren" (Morgoth's Ring), and there's a passage that states "Its [Vana's garden] innermost solitude is walled with roses, and this is the place best beloved of that fair lady of the Spring" (Book of Lost Tales I). Furthermore, Arien, "tended to the golden flowers of the gardens of Vána by watering them with the bright dews from Laurelin." (Silmarillion)

As always, thanks for watching, and I hope you appreciate the thought process!

Description
Since I posted Tulkas yesterday, here's my vision of his wife Nessa, the last Valië.

"His [Tulkas’] spouse is Nessa, the sister of Oromë, and she also is lithe and fleetfooted. Deer she loves, and they follow her train whenever she goes in the wild; but she can outrun them, swift as an arrow with the wind in her hair. In dancing she delights, and she dances in Valimar on lawns of never-fading green" (Silmarillion)

"And it is sung that in that feast of the Spring of Arda Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and she danced before the Valar upon the green grass of Almaren" (Silmarillion)

"Fair maiden Nessa wife of Tulkas bear goblets of the goodliest wine and cooling drinks among the players. But most she loved to retire unto a place of fair lawns … There danced she among her maidens… for is she not greater in the dance than Vana herself?" (Book of Lost Tales I)

So deer and dancing are what she's most associated with. Remembering that I envision Valinor as ancient Greek in nature, my mental picture of her conjures Diana/Artemis.

mythopedia.com/topics/diana

"She usually wore a chiton, a short tunic typically worn by males, because it allowed her to range freely throughout the woods... In some traditions, she was said to wear purple raiment."

Add to that, in "The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales" under Nessa it states: "In the Valar name-list she is called Helinyetille... In QL, among the very early entries, helin is the name of the violet or pansy, and helinyetille is glossed 'Eyes of Heartsease' (that being a name of the pansy)"

So I gave her a purple chiton. I even gave her violet eyes. Eyes of Heartsease, afterall.

In terms of appearance, I was going for a kind of Misty Copeland/Sylvie Guillem vibe for her body (she's super athletic and the greatest dancer afterall), and a beautiful (albeit masculine*) Mediterranean facial structure/complexion.

* mythopedia.com/topics/artemis

"in many ways more mannish than effeminate."

To complete the look, I gave her an antler headdress because of her association with deer. The yellow roses are because "Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and Vana robed [her] in her flowers, and she danced before the Valar upon the green grass of Almaren" (Morgoth's Ring), and there's a passage that states "Its [Vana's garden] innermost solitude is walled with roses, and this is the place best beloved of that fair lady of the Spring" (Book of Lost Tales I). Furthermore, Arien, "tended to the golden flowers of the gardens of Vána by watering them with the bright dews from Laurelin." (Silmarillion)

As always, thanks for watching, and I hope you appreciate the thought process!