A Strange Turn

Where do stories come from?

I ask myself this all the time. Or, rather, where will the stories go? And how will they end? And what will make them useful, loved or memorable? I really wish I knew. It would make life (seem) a lot easier. I am primarily an artist but I make these pictures that strongly hint at narrative potentials. The pictures come before the words right now. It's the insanity that keeps me sane …I think!

In this sketchbook* entry (finished this morning), the heron and the bear are peering over the sheer cliff to the ocean below. The small white tern is perched on a ledge far below. The situation doesn't seem too scary although there is an approaching bank of fog in the distance.

• Do the bear and heron see the tern? Are they even looking for him?
• Is tern hiding from the other two animals? Maybe he just wants some "alone time".
• Has tern made a narrow escape? Realistically, terns can fly from the Arctic to the Antarctic, surely escaping from a lumbering bear and an awkward heron wouldn't be so difficult.
• I think Mr Tern is just tired of his companions (and maybe they know it too!).

a painting in my sketchbook
mixed media 4/13/2012

detail

 In the next picture, we see that Mr. Tern is back in a rowboat. This is similar to the boat we saw him in back in February 2009 when this whole business started ("Owl & Tern"). Things are different now but he seems to want to quest on; his wings get itchy. He wants to fly and see the world. And he wants to share it with others.

Maybe. …to be continued… definitely.

Bonne journée à tous!

Mr Tern all alone in his boat
4/13/2012
mixed media

detail

* both images are a combination of media: collage, crayon, watercolor and acrylic paint, charcoal, pastel, ink and pencil and then poorly photographed with a cheap point & shoot digital camera.