Revisiting: Temperature Variations, Creativity, and Weather Words

This time of year, this image is wishful thinking!

I wrote this little treatise on weather words a long time back. Since everyone is currently suffering weather extremes, it seemed a good idea to 'revisit' the issue. Just for fun...

Somewhere in the infinite gyrating cornucopia of song and story, tale and account, saga and romance that is the substance of myth, it was bandied/broadcast/broached about that Dragons love heat. Hot. Burning, boiling, sizzling, searing Heat! I don't know who first claimed this to be a fact/truth/non-lie, but I can attest as to the accuracy of the belief: NOT! 

Some Dragons, to be sure, do enjoy basking in sunshine, baking in warm sand, sprawling in the ebullient effervescent whirl of a hot tub...well, OK, even I enjoy such endeavors. But true heat--the blazing, baking oppressive heat of a Texas summer--ouch! 

S'not to say that I prefer cold. Should the temperature drop below 60 my toes freeze. Literally makes my great claws tremble. I prefer temperatures in the 70's, a nice middle/ central/in-between warmth. A centric mercury measure of sun tickled molecules. Makes for happy scales, happy toes, and a happy, more creative brain. When the temperature bumps up into the 80's, the brain and body still manage to perform, but not with quite the same alacrity as it does when it's 10 degrees cooler. Into the 90's... everything smolders, and I don't mean just my gullets and internal juices. S'hard to think, create, motivate when heat depletes ye olde energy! Once the silver, scintillating mercury blob bubbles into the three digits, it's all over. Tail drags, wings droop, ears sag, everything shuts down in protest. Not a creative spark in sight!

Which is why this olde Dragon worships conditioned air. Bless the HVAC. My cave is completely habituated to appease my humongous but sensitive self. Dries sweat, lets blood flow normally, perks up the heartbeat, invigorates the brain cells and the creative spark re-energizes. Flares, sparkles, gleams. At such times one can write or paint or craft or count their treasure trove. A great chance to imagine, think, apply, react, DO! 

If you're a writer/ speaker/teller of stories, the words associated with the vagaries of weather can be a succulent wealth of, well--Words! Here's a bit of Dragon advice: use that wealth to enrich your tales with most excellent/ marvelous/wondrous and varied descriptions. 

Rain is not just rain, but a roiling storm. A wind whipped tempest. A cloud stampede. An innervating inundation. A streaming squall, a horrific, harried hurricane, a galloping gale. Light rain is a shimmering mist, a cooling sprinkle, a dusting of moisture...dreamy, sleepy, refreshing. One can reach into the cloud shower and capture droplets, fling them in a shining spray, glitter the drops on metal and wood and leaves and fur... 

Heat turns the droplets to vapor, fog, shifting haze, miasma, murk. 

Winter Ice Crystals by yeimaya

Cold turns the droplets to frost, ice, rime, flakes, silvery and white and pale and pallid, with blue shadows, deep ice glow and variegated undulations of light on frozen surfaces. 

Don't you love/adore/ admire the flights of fancy so readily available in the mere serendipitous spew of weather relative verbiage?

If hot, stay cool. If cold, hug a heater. Once comfortable, savor the flavor of the elements, suck them in, spit them out, color and texture the visual display of your thoughts/ imagination/dreams as you place them on paper, papyrus, clay tablets or whatever writing paraphernalia you choose. Enjoy the summer wherever you are, but remain creative! Write!  Or Paint! Or Sing a Song...s'all in the joy of the doing.

The Dragon has spoken...

Layering - This Time S'All About Art!

This is one of the 'endangered species' images I created as a folding card using a layering technique (available on my Etsy Site).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I've mentioned before that my current art creation method of preference/choice/fondness is my Wacom Graphics Tablet. 

S'not that I don't still love real paint (oh, the smells and richness of it, the gooey slick texture!), but the Old Dragon no longer has the room or finances for the supplies required.

Where Moons Are Born - mixed watercolors and acrylics.

I adore my Tablet and the Corel Painter Program that provides me with a wondrous selection of 'brushes' (via pixels) with which to 'paint'. I can make my images appear to be drawn/painted with chalk or colored pencils, acrylics or oils, watercolors or ink, charcoal or tints--almost any style can be created. S'wonderful! Concepts/images my active Dragon mind envisioned, but for which I had no applicable training, are available to me. But--the talent to imagine and create remains the core of the work. S'no good having the tools if one is unable to apply them! That, my human friends, is the essence of an artist.

One of my favorite tools in the Painter Program is that of layering. It allows me to generate interesting shadows and depths and duplications that I think would be difficult to achieve with a 'real' brush. It allows my creativity to expand, and my art to grow with that expansion. I wanted to share, here, an example of layering with a graphics program, and the interesting way in which this tool can be applied.

This painting is called "Frog On Vines". The original image consists simply of vines painted with watercolor brushes. I wanted colors and textures that I love, and thought it would be fun to go vertical for a change.  

Next, after I was satisfied with the vines, I added the picture of a frog.

The great thing about using a graphics program is the ability to add an image if it is something that I am personally uncomfortable drawing. Do I look like I care if I drew the frog or used an image that I altered into a 'painterly' appearance? Well, if you could see my Dragon face, pearly fangs grinning, the answer would be No! 

Next, I decided I wanted something more...unusual. Different. Fun. So I began to experiment with the layering aspects of the Program. And with the application of textures, which, of course, true greenery tends to have.

Again, a graphics program is great because one can experiment! At any point you can change colors, textures, the entire style if you choose. Painting creativity without the old boundaries! Oh, great dancing steps of Dragon joy!

 I love the repetition of the background. This gives the image a rather 'infinite' appearance, a sweet echo of green and earthy rust colors that draws the focus to the still frog at its center.

Finally, I put in shadows (merely by changing the brightness/ contrast aspect of several layers) to give the image a quality of depth. This somewhat segregates the 'endless' background from the foreground, and provides a lovely 'framing' feature.

Voila! "Frog OnVines" is done. It is specifically my concept, my creation, my Art!  Mixed media thrives on layering, so I suspect this concept is applicable to that form of art (the building of bright, textured, richly layered art journals fascinates me! You can learn a great deal about that at Violette's Creative Juice). 

I enjoyed the time it took to work with my Program, learn the applications that would help me generate the image in my head, and create the actual work. That's the difference between the day job that pays the bills and the creative job that pays the soul. One keeps me fed, the other keeps me full to the brim!

S'all for this sparkling creative moment. Go forth, my human friends, layer where it counts and fill yourselves with enjoyment 'til it overflows!

The Dragon has spoken... 

Layering: An Enriching Technique For Books, Art, or Cakes!

A thick, layered cake. Moist. Sweet. Luscious! Tongue teasing. Anticipation of a saccharine treat makes saliva flow, nostrils tremble (Hey! A Dragon's nostrils tremble, OK?).  

Were all things equal, everything would evoke such a pleasant reaction in folk and Dragons. 'Layering' tends to make things larger, thicker, textured...more (something to avoid in terms of clothing, but what does a scaly Dragon know about clothes?). In this instance, I'm focused on books/stories/manuscripts , and, of course, Art (which will be discussed in the next blog), all of which already set my saliva flowing...

Like food, creative endeavors can be more for the sake of adding layers (stratum, as geologists say), a build-up/pile-on/grandiose texturizing over the basic frame of the work. Story characters should be three-dimensional, fleshed out, as it were, to fill the pages with squirming, hands grabbing, knees poking human beings.  And all that skin should be stretched around a stack of emotions, memories, psyche/soul/essence, experience--until the skin bulges like a sack of packed potatoes.

No! This is not what I mean by 'bulging'!

This is a better example of what I refer to as a human being with 'character':

 

Time has etched life on this face...'layered' it with wrinkles and expressions. One should do the same with the characters they create in their stories. Here, one sees emotions, memories, essence. 

And here...

This beautiful photo by Vic Orenstein reflects innocence, a pensiveness that borders on sadness.

 A characters strong emotions can generate equally strong reactions in readers.

People can connect and empathize with these kinds of characteristics; however, unless one is writing a graphic novel, chuck full of images, they have to elicit all that they want their characters to be in the words they use. Show, don't tell, is not an empty argument. 

Choose your words/descriptions/narrative wisely, richly...

Don't, however, exaggerate!  Unless you're writing comedy, never 'Photoshop' the people you create. Too many adjectives is like troweling the frosting on the cake. 

       "Penelope was  long, greasy, pale, narrow, limpid,

            pouty,  unfriendly, uneasy, jittery, angry, tense,

            jealous,  anxious, leery, disturbed..." 

           If you used every one of these adjectives, the sentence 

           would go comatose with weight! Worse, without action, 

           the words just sit there, staring with owl-eyes.

                         

Too much makes for a heavy, overdone literary gorge! A gorging Dragon is one thing, but s'not so attractive in humans.

A few words of direct physical description are fine, but be subtle, restrained, learn to use descriptive words of action that show the characteristics. Or incorporate dialogue that expresses the characteristics. Or use another character's observations of the person being created. 

In other words, direct quotations, accounts of the person's habitual ways of doing things, and stories about events that reflect the person's character are the best ways to generate a realistic fictional character.

Layer all that information, gradually giving the character depth, essence, truth. What a yummy creation can be built!

I only provide the frosting. A little finger-licking, tasty advice. Here are some links to excellent and more comprehensive 'character building' resources:  

http://www.fictionfactor.com/characters.html
http://www.charlottedillon.com/characters.html
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/123632_tips-on-writing-a-novel-character-building 

  

Look deep within. Write deep. Then climb from the depths to the surface...write worthy, my human friends!

The Dragon has spoken...now I'm off to eat a slice of cake!

Using Pinterest As A Door To Creativity: A Few Thoughts for Writers and Artists

Some of the interesting and colorful images on Pinterest that caught my discerning Dragon eye as potential tools of creativity were 'Doors'.  Doors, in various sizes, shapes, colors, and textures. Historical Doors and Artistic Doors. Romantic Doors and, frankly, odd Doors. Their very aspects generate questions that could serve as the basis of a story idea or a painting concept. Literally makes my tendrils and ears tingle with artistic fire.

Take a look and it's easy to see what I mean. 

Oh, the Brightness! What a wonderful door to come home to!

Incredible full door carving.

Artistic. Romantic. Somewhat...Elfish.

Great colors and an interesting lintel.

S'like a sunset on water. Beautiful!

Art Gallery Door. S'Art in itself!

Old texture and great surrounding windows.

Historic...perhaps Religious?

Fantastic ironwork on this one. Flowing, and Original

These are beautiful Doors, and worth looking at simply for that reason. However, in terms of creative prospects, they are worth a second look. Each one solicits similar questions:

• Who would own such a door? What kind of people go through it every day?

•  Who designed it? Who built it? When? Where?

• What lies in the house behind it? Royalty? A religious order? Old wealth? New wealth? Pretend wealth? Lost wealth?

•  If it contains a family, what size? Many children? No children? Adults only...old, or young? Does the nature of the door suggest any characteristics of the inhabitants?

• Is it magical? Can it gain magic via some aspect of its design? Was it once magical, but has lost that quality? If so, why? 

• Is there a meaning to its design? Does the design reflect the type of activities within? Do specific colors have specific meanings? Does the type of wood or the type of ironwork (if any) have meaning? 

•  How often does it open? Are there frequent visitors? No visitors?

• Does it hide secrets? Does it keep out good, or evil?

• Whatever dwells here...is it even human? Hey--Dragons like nice dwellings, too!  

These Doors offer up a plethora of questions to be answered. There are probably many more that a writer could think of. A good writer already has the imagination; a good Door will simply provide fodder to feed it.

The same could be said of an artist's imagination. Imagine painting an image of a door. Slather it with your favorite colors and textures. Will it stand alone, or be one of many doors? Will it be the entry to a structure, or will it open into an empty field? Will there be plants around it? People or animals near by?

An artist can change the shape, the colors, the size, the materials its constructed from. The Door could be a background, or the entire canvas on which you add a whole other concept. An interesting Door can become a painting, or a part of a mixed media collage.

Doors...you can find some great ones just by playing with Google. But Pinterest will hold the really fascinating Doors, because only the fascinating Doors will be pinned by creative-minded folks.

Spread your wings and circle through the colorful Boards of the Pinterest community. You'll love the inspiration!

The Dragon has spoken...  

Why I Love Pinterest

Today I spent what some might consider an inordinate amount of time on Pinterest...setting up several new Boards and perusing through Boards of other folks to find images that grabbed my eye faster than a Dragon can down a bullock! And it was, indeed, a pleasant chow down of eye candy. A tasty visual meal of gourmet textures and colors spilled like sugar on fresh, warm cookies! Or sprinkles on a rich cake...

Time's value is set by the one who's busy using it, is it not? I consider my time well spent!

Dream garden; oh, the colors!

It was a lovely way to focus on something that gives me pleasure--looking at fun, cool, unusual, and oft times inspirational images.  My 'Colors' Board is overflowing with some truly marvelous photos and images of anything exhibiting vivid or pleasant or breath-taking colors. Crosses the entire spectrum, not only of color, but of subject matter. Anything can be visually pleasing for the sake of its hue/tone/tint/pigment/shade--s'all in the eye of the beholder! My keen Dragon eyes love visual titillation. 

What a lovely place to visit.

I could never have found all those wonderful images browsing on my own. It is a great option to be able to utilize the browsing powers of a multitude of others who have already found some of those splendid images. And it's fun to see how many of us have similar taste and opinions in regard to what we look at and what we like looking at! I enjoy, as well, being able to store the images that please me so much and being able to go back and re-enjoy them time and again. S'like having a digital gallery that I can view whenever I want.

The kind of home one stumbles on the forest, where you find safety, a good meal, a warm bed, and good company...

A beautiful hand-sewn garmet

A fun, bright Art journal. Someone's marvelous creation.

I like Pinterest because I like visual things. I like discovering photos of items I might never have otherwise discovered. I like garnering ideas about making things, cooking things, and building things. I like seeing places that would be beyond my ability to actually visit. I like seeing the physical representation of my dream house, or dream building, or dream man, or dream work of art, or even dream life-style.  I love the sharing of it all. S'nice to know there are so many others who have the same interests, and the same response to those interests. It's a lovely way to connect with the rest of the humanity (or Dragonkind, whichever your proclivity).

Indeed, s'my personal Dragon opinion that strolling through the Pinterest galleries is worth the time and effort. As satisfying as walking through a museum or art gallery without having to set foot out in the heat, or look for a parking place where there aren't any. And these digital galleries are interactive...you can pin and re-pin, share in the delight, smile at the results, sigh at the 'oh, if only I had that!' particularly wonderful object of admiration.

If you haven't checked out Pinterest, you should. If you already have Boards, enjoy them with enthusiasm. Express yourself fully with color and concept, dreams and hopes, and many 'ohhhh-that's beautiful' moments.

The Dragon has spoken... 

the artist unique... 

great ideas for discovering your Creative Signature

I was browsing for interesting 'craft' related books (as Dragons occasionally do) and discovered this excellent work by Carmen Torbus (printed by North Light Books, 2011). The title caught my discerning Dragon eye...after all, every artist (and writer) desires to be unique and fascinating in their artistic presentation. A more common/well used moniker for this specific concept is "Branding". 

The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a "name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers." The key term, I believe, is differentiate. 

You want to be different, to be recognized because of that difference.

the artist unique  approaches this idea in a manner both colorful and wonderfully applicable by concentrating on how to find the inspiration you need to create your own style, and by presenting some of the techniques utilized by real-life artists who have achieved their own creative signature/ brand. 

Oh, I love that term: creative signature! It has so much more flavor and energy than 'Brand'.  Creative flows off the tongue rich with prospects, full of potential - original, imaginative, inspired, inventive, resourceful, innovative... All aspects of artistic thought (whether arising from stylus or pen) spawn/explode/generate from the powerful activity of mental creation. A signature is a mark, a name, an autograph, a sign, a visual representation of the creative process.  Ergo, a creative signature is the creator/artist/writer's physical expression of whatever their inspiration has produced.  It is singular. Something no one else has done. 

All artists and writers learn the techniques of their craft, but in the learning do they subjugate their own originality? Ms. Torbus expressed it well: "I was great at following step-by-step instructions, but my artwork was often a replica of the project shown, a copy of another artist's work. Something was missing in my work--me!" She dedicated her book to that idea:

• I believe that signature style is developed through creative discovery and loads of artful play. I would like to dedicate this book to the seeker in you. Inside you is an artist with a style all your own. Trust that with a little encouragement and inspiration--paired with easy-to-learn techniques done your way--your creative signature will emerge.

This book introduces a variety of art techniques, some of which may not be applicable to your particular form of art. But it is the individually imaginative approaches by which each of the presented artists develops her ideas and the interesting methodologies of her application that you should peruse and consider. Some of them might just be the key to spark your personal moment(s) of creativity. 

A few interesting ideas:

• Draw with your eyes closed
• Develop an ink blot
• Draw with your non-dominant hand
• Work with a media you've never used before
• Find interesting photos in magazines or on calendars
• Use a 'master word list' of the words you love the most
• Try a technique you've never tried before 
• Grab a blank piece of paper and simply slop on the paint or the words...let it flow!

These ideas and methodologies could/should/would prove inspirational to your own creativity.  

The artwork pictured is bright and exciting and fun, the explanations worth noting.  My Dragon heart says 'Yes!' This book, the artist unique, is well worth the price to add it to your collection of artistic/craft/inspirational works. 

Check it out, my creative human pals...go forth and solidify your imagination to share with the rest of the world!

The Dragon has spoken.

 

 

The Dragon Has Two New

Romance Novels Available!

Blessing, Texas and A Development Of The Heart are contemporary romances set in small town Texas.  Blessing has a slightly 'fantastical' twist, while Development brings some interesting environmental issues to the fore.

These books were great fun to write! Both are available on Amazon as e-books and print books (Blessing; Development).  If you get a chance to visit my Amazon page, please be kind enough to leave a 'like'. Better yet... should you get a chance to read one or both books, a review would be greatly appreciated! 

The Dragon in creative mode...

'Define' Yourself - Who You Are Belongs To You!

In the course of my long Dragon years (oh, they are too many to count!) I have observed humans spend most of their days 'defined' (described... outlined...delineated...restricted!) by someone else. Or at least by the circumstances of their obligations.

Your job defines you based on what you do every day to earn a living. And, generally, what you do is determined not just by the job requirements, but by the expectations and dictations of the boss/supervisor/overseer who decides what they want you to do, or, worse, what they believe you are capable of. Or--not capable of. Someone else deciding what you are able, or not able to do, can be not only deflating, but a terrible tromp on one's self-worth! S'nuff to droop a Dragon's wings, let alone a humans dignity...

This happens, I am wont to suggest, even in the doing of hobbies and vocations. 

Do you belong to an organization--be it pertaining to art or writing or music or any kind of creative endeavor--that sets the parameters by which your art or writing or music or other creations are judged worthy? Don't get me wrong--organizations are often a fun and hugely beneficial route by which one learns from those more experienced not only in the techniques of a chosen creative industry, but often, as well, of the business methods by which one presents their creation to the world. The right organization can spark creativity, teach the ins and outs, and they are also a wonderful place for networking and building friendships. But...they can be a restrictive setting in that (not unlike political or religious organizations) they are often stone-set in specific methodologies and regulations. Like a horse wearing blinders, they move only in one direction down the track. Sometimes it leads you across the finish line a winner, sometimes it merely shuts off the rest of the track from your view. No deviations, re-routing, experiments, or side-tracks allowed or sanctioned! Belief in a singular manner of creating and selling are inflexible.

As a Dragon, I believe in freedom of flight. Grab the currents as you will and soar as long as your wings will hold you! Organizations can only teach you just so much, and after a time the lessons are no longer able to offer new insight. When they become repetitious, s'time to venture out on your own. That is the point, my human friends, when you 'define' yourself according to your own concept of worthiness. You define, as well, whatever you have created--be it art or a book or a song or a beautifully knitted scarf!--as worthy. You define. You choose the routes of creativity and business according to what works for you, and never--the Dragon repeats--NEVER let anyone else tell you what you are--or are not--capable of. What you can't always do in your 'day job', you CAN do as your creative self!

If you move outside the parameters set by tradition and establishment, don't let anyone tell you that makes you and your creation unsuitable. Inappropriate. Improper. Unworthy!

If you enjoy and prefer the fellowship of an organization, seek and select one comprised of other creatives who have no problem 'bucking the system'. Join a group that is not only not restricted by a charter of regulations, but that encourages and is, indeed, excited by your projects. There is nothing more enriching than sharing the enthusiasm of the real you--the creative and capable you!--with others.

It's all about moving forward unfettered by others' expectations and definitions. Go forth and be creative. Define yourself, my human friends. Be worthy!

The Dragon has spoken...








     

Flying in a New Direction: the Marvel of Technology in the Artistic Hand!

The Scribe Speaks: S'not easy changing course in mid-flight. However, as time/years/Ages pass (practically Eons in my case!) one learns that each of us has some singular talent/skill/interest/avocation that brings us joy. I love words and stories, ergo I love to write. But even more, I love to create, to imagine and bring what I imagine into a shareable form of reality.

Painting is another but no less important/significant/vital love of mine that has been on the back burner far too long. Color and texture, light and dark, shape and focus and lines and solidity--these visual artifacts are as rich and moving to me as any verb or noun that ever graced a sentence.  Sadly, just as I turn my focus on revitalizing my artistic drive, circumstances and reduced finances limit my access to work  space and paint supplies with which to create art.  Technology, thank Heavens, has swooped in on sleek, leathery wings and provided some wonderful products to replace both space and supplies.  

Instead of canvas or paper, I have a graphics tablet.  I don't need a room in which to work, or even a dedicated corner, because the tablet fits on my lap or desk (next to my laptop) and can be used over and over again.  Instead of a paint brush or charcoal stick or whatever media I choose to use, I have a stylus with round-tipped nibs that are remarkably durable and long lasting.  Instead of paint I have pixels via my Corel Painter program...Voila!  Digital art, as rich and vibrant and creative as anything I've ever generated.  I can 'paint' or draw in any media I choose, on any kind of paper, and have what I paint or draw printed on canvas and/or paper and/or material, to be framed and displayed and/or sewn into something wearable or usable.  Can't do all of that with a single 'paint on canvas' image!

There are some who don't believe that 'painting' in digital form is...real.  S'not 'true' art, so they say.  I've heard the same comment/attitude/argument in regard to e-published books and using an e-reader instead of buying a printed-on-paper book.  I've given this some thought and have come to believe the attitude/argument is based on the primal fear of change. Creativity, imagination, and skill required either to write a novel or paint a picture remain firmly in the realm of the writer/artist, deriving from their brain/mind/soul, spewing from whatever well of creative waters they draw from...the manner in which they present that vision to the world is, in truth, irrelevant.  A good story is a good story...s'got nothing to do with whether it's visible on a screen or a page.  A beautiful work of art is beautiful whether it comes to life from a brush held in hand or a stylus held in hand.  

As Carl Sagan once said, "predispositions bias conclusions."  Many people are predisposed to dislike change, a rather Neanderthal position considering the speed-of-light evolution of computers and smart phones not only year to year, but month to month!  You'd think everyone would embrace change with excitement and gratitude and an adventuresome spirit!

Ah, well, let them denigrate, who will, the validity of digital words and art.  Such narrow critiques don't lessen the impact or truth of a good book or a moving painting.  In my case, technology has given me new life, new creativity, new ability!  I, for one, consider it a marvel!

The Dragon's Scribe Has Spoken...