Friday, September 18, 2015

Aquasphere - Another Response

Poetry abounds, and you can bound along, too, if you go and visit Michelle at Today's Little Ditty where there are a plethora of poetry links! (Isn't "plethora" a great word... love it's opposite, too - "dearth")

I am posting Aquasphere today.  It was a "runner-up" in my brain, for posting on Spark as a Response Piece for the ocean picture by Tisha Carter.  You can see that image here.

You could say this particular poem was taken by force!  I tried a different technique to create it.  One that I hadn't used before.  You may want to try it with a picture you would like to write to.

Here's what I did: 
Because the sky and sea blended so nicely in Tish's picture, making them almost one entity or fluidly joining, I wanted them to be joined in the poem somehow, too.
 

I brought Tish's image into Sherwin Williams Color SnapThere the names of Sherwin William's paint colors were assigned to different areas on the image that matched Sherwin William's paints.   I listed the paint names* associated with the image, and moved the image markers around to get more names for more hues in the picture.    

Some paint chip names referred to sky and some to sea (including one that was called “Sea Serpent”) giving me an idea for my "theme" for the poem - or a "where I am heading".
 
"Aquasphere", another paint name, seemed to fit the sky and earth realms, so I then researched to see if there were any “Sea Serpents” in the heavens.  Come to find out, there is a constellation called "Serpens", with two halves of a Serpent - the head, "Caput", and the tail, "Cauda", separated by a figure holding each half. 
I ran with it, seeing as there were no real scissors involved.

This is my own watercolor image to go with "Aquasphere".  Yesterday was my second group watercolor session with a local artist, Judith Kinsman.  Such a great group.  Wish I'd taken a picture of me... all clean brushes, clean palette, new pad of paper... not a clue what I was doing or if I should be there... but everyone was so supportive of a beginning painter.  Everyone is so helpful and KIND!  I am enjoying my time there immensely.  We worked on painting coastal rocks.  I made a pretty decent one.  Maybe you will see it someday.  That's my serious picture... this one below is a bit less formal!  I thought I was pretty clever putting those stars in (or rather leaving the paint out in starrish shaped areas)!

I am REALLY having fun with watercolors now!

Aquasphere

Somewhere in the aquasphere,
In meditative mood,
Submersed in pool of languid blue,
A lone sea serpent broods;

Breathtaking smoky daydreams
Waft in sky of powdered hues,
He renews his search for refuge
From the icy ocean brews.

Peering above into the sky
He sees the stars anew;
Should he remain Sea Serpent
Or was Sky Serpens his due?

What’s his to gain or lose in this? 
If one lives must one die?
Could he abide in realm
of sea
And take the helm
of sky?

Slowly with his dreams in tow,
Cruising the aquasphere,
Sea serpent swims by day at sea
But come night, disappears;

Leaving darkest depths of sea
For deepest skies of night,
Cauda and Caput reveal
His serpentining flight.

By Donna JT Smith, Sept. 2, 2015

*Some paint names were harmed/massacred or lost in translation for the ebb and flow, and meaning of the poem.  My sympathies to their relatives, but I make no apologies.  I would do it again.


30 comments:

  1. So impressed with your research, Donna, and the story poem. I think you are talented in this painting, and love that you are taking a class. All beautifully crafted!

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    1. It's such a relaxing class. Judith shows us a technique and then sets us free. We meet in a library conference room - can be anywhere from 8 to 15 people on any given week. All are in the "upper age bracket", so I'm with peers. Peers only in the sense that they are my age! Most are doing astounding work. They've been very KIND (as I said) and complimentary...so I ventured out for my second session!
      Thanks for your encouragement, too! If you hadn't posted your bleeding hearts, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have thought of doing this. So thank you again!

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  2. What an amazing creative adventure! Thank you so much for sharing the back story. I love what you have done. (Goosebumps still run!) Interesting, when I sought to have my parents' little retirement house painted after both of them were "gone," I paid a lot of attention to the names of the paints. (Must be a poet's occupational hazard:). Settled on a shade of yellow that had as its name the nickname my father called. Whenever I pull up to or away from the house, I think of his love. God bless you for sharing the blending of your double artistry--painter and poet. Every blessing. I look forward to enjoying more of your work!

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    1. You are so very kind! Thank you for visiting today.
      I love paint color names. Your comment reminds me of the home we are restoring/renovating (combo) that we bought 4 years ago - Gull Haven (link to it is on sidebar nav). It is yellow, too. Not a color I ever had in a home. And we have painted the inside with Beach, Ocean, Seaweed, Pistachio, Delft and Daffodil - with Day Lily for the doors. Evidently lost my link on the side! Here it is: http://gullhaven.blogspot.com/ if you want a peek!
      It is so nice to have connections to keep you reminded of the love that is still tucked away - in both hearts! I am reminded by seagulls. And there is a story there. Someday.
      I look forward to your visits and will repay them happily! I so enjoyed your post today!

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  3. I love how creative you are, Donna!! I'm glad he gets to be in both sea and sky :-)

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    1. Thanks, Tabatha. I am enjoying myself... now to actually MAKE something.

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  4. Enjoyed the interesting backstory to your wonderful poem, Donna -- and what a lovely watercolor (you've got quite the knack!). Paint colors have such evocative names which tell stories of their own. This reminds me of visiting a wine store and reading the descriptions.

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    1. Thanks, Jama. Sometimes my.... okay, most times my backstory is more interesting and entertaining than the actual product! I like seeing where I can glean inspiration. Now I'm wanting to try the paint chip idea with another picture. The "Chip It!" app is just on my top Favorite bookmark bar, and when I see a picture I can just click on it to get the color chips. It's fun to just try every once in a while. May help in translating colors involved in doing paintings, too.

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  5. I loved reading this out loud - wonderful cadence.

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    1. Oh, that's good. Sometimes the writer (me) can make the cadence work when it really doesn't!

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  6. Fun way to write. If you haven't read Amy Lowell's "Thompson's Lunch Room—Grand Central Station," you're in for a treat--a plethora of colors--all white!

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    1. That was quite an interesting piece - very! I really enjoyed reading it. How about a poem with all the shades of pink and all the things pink... Or any other color. Oh, the possibilities!
      Thanks for sharing this new-to-me poem. One more item in my file of things to try!

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  7. What a lucky serpent to live in two worlds... three if you include the 2D paint and paper realm. Sometime I'd love to have you and your muse over for tea, Donna.

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    1. Someday tea, yes! May have to find a nice bookshop/cafe in Virginia!

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  8. I love process posts! Thanks so much for sharing your approach to writing this poem. I love that he splits his time between sea and sky, and I particularly love "serpentining flight." Well done!

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    1. I like reading process posts, too. As this one came together, I just had to record how it came about - it was an intriguing process even to me!

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  9. Hi Donna,
    I love the blend of sky and water. I think you did it well in the story. I like how there's this question of possibility and then this compromise in the end. And i find, the word Aquasphere as just beautiful. The painting too is wonderful. Watercolor is a tough medium. :)

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    1. I loved that word, Aquasphere, too. Fit just right in what I wanted to do.

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  10. I love your sea serpent/sky serpent! Watercolor looks good on you. And the poem tells a wonderful story. Keep going! xo

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    1. Thanks, Irene! I'm going to have to give all of this another go. It was fun to put together.

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  11. Donna, What a wonderful story & poem. I'm always fascinated to read about how poems came into being. I love your watercolor and that "pool of languid blue."

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    1. Languid was one of the paint words. I was ecstatic to see it. I love it too!

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  12. Donna, I love the way you describe your method. It sounds like a lot of fun (sans the painting for me...). You've captured the wanderlust in Sea Serpent's eyes, and transported us to his fantasy setting with your words and names. So fun!

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    1. It is fun. The Sherwin Williams app is really easy to use, too.

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  13. This is just plain fun! How clever of you to put Sherwin Williams to work for you, and how clearly your watercolor workshop is influencing your writing. I like "Aquasphere," and learning about Caputa and Cauda, but my favorite line of the whole post is "I ran with it, seeing as there were no real scissors involved." May I snip it for use in a future poem?

    AND what a shiny little gift your "Diamonds in the Rough" poem is! I will indeed share with them, and we will indeed dig in and grow an ever-more Voluminous Vocabulary reading about ourselves! Thank you, Donna (happy to be your inspiration)!

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    1. Last night I went back and looked at the poem and thought maybe I should rewrite in more of a "kid's voice". So don't be surprised if you find another on your doorstep
      sometime! You are off to a great start. Enjoy those gems in you classroom!

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  14. So much to appreciate here beginning with your poem, Donna.
    You have visual art talent - my 1st serpent wouldn't look nearly as wonderful. Glad you dwell in that
    library-meeting art room now & then.
    I agree that color names are compelling & glad you've found a yellow to employ.
    Our house was a brown that wasn't log cabbiny or forest brown, just ugh brown. After we made it light yellow our spirits lifted. And it still is a joy to see it as I walk down our woodsy street of brown after brown home.

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    1. So glad you stopped by Jan. I've always loved yellow houses. We live in a brown log home now... Gull Haven will be our first yellow home. And it has one very yellow guest room - Daffodil - that I thought was too bright until we got the woodwork done. Now it's the perfect spot to adjust your attitude!

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