Kate Ristau's Blog, page 30
May 18, 2018
Happy to be: Drawing Dragons Day 139
There is a song that we listen to right before we get to the ocean. It’s by Garlic Storm, and it’s called, Swimmin’ in the Sea.
We took a journey today, escaped to the ocean. Right before the water’s edge, we blasted the words: Happy to be swimmin’ in the sea.
Really, it’s the first three words that matter. Happy to be. To just be. To put the phone and the brain away and dig in the sand or toss shells into the water. To gather the mermaid hair. To lay on the blanket covered in sand and convince the dog to drink water from your hands. To be.
To be whatever it is. Maybe happy. Maybe sad. Maybe hungry, headachy, or mad. To own it. It’s yours. Take it. Bring it to the ocean and sit next to it on a blanket. If it feels like love, you’re lucky. If it feels like fire, fan or douse the flames. It’s your time. Be happy to BE.
And begin a dragon when you return. Or be a dragon. Really, it’s your choice.
Working from this reference.
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 17, 2018
Twins: Dragons Day 138
He’s sound asleep after a long day. He played so much, running through the grass with my friend Tara, while I listened to high school kids pour open their hearts. They left me aching.
I opened up my notebook to draw tonight’s dragon, and I found one already there.
I also found a love that seems incapably big, that I can’t seem to fit it into my stories anymore.
It’s like the grass stains on his knees and the way he begs for cupcakes. It’s in the way he asks for one more game, and it spins with the turn of his head as he acts like he can’t hear you.
It’s always there, waiting on the next page.
So, I drew him a dragon too.
May your dreams be full of dragons.
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 16, 2018
Still Sleeping: Drawing Dragons Day 137
My reference is lying right beside me, slowly pushing me off the couch.
She’s nothing but snuggles, this one.
We got her at the Oregon Humane Society.
She came from Southern California, thin fur and ribs showing.
She cowers when you raise your hand to sneeze into your elbow. She winces when you reach down to touch her.
But she is a mama.
When she got her first squeaky toy, she grabbed it and ran to the couch, then tried to nurse it. She wined at it. She remembers. She knows.
On Mother’s Day, Bob told the story of the big Mother’s Day party in the Kingdom of the Valley.
Mrs. Crow was there, and Rosalyn was there, of course.
And so were her puppies.
I anthropomorphize her. I can’t imagine her loss. She must look around the world with such longing and confusion. She pushes her belly to the ground, trying to nurse the squeaky toy.
So we weave her into stories. We find a way to bring them back to her — her little ones. Her loves. Her body pulses with the memory of them, and we try to find them for her in our stories.
She is our mama dragon. She listens to our stories. She dreams of them.
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 15, 2018
Sleeping Kangaroo: Drawing Dragons Day 136
And now, without further ado, let me show you, my sleeping kangaroo!
As always, more dragons to come. Including a transformation of this one.
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 14, 2018
Screen time: Drawing Dragons Day 135
No pen. No paper. Just my phone, my ring finger, and my MAD SKILLZ. Look out, world.
BOO-YA!
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 13, 2018
Mother: Drawing Dragons Day 134
Even now, he sleeps.
It’s majesty and mystery and smoke and fire, being a mother. He’s bounding out the door, and back in again. Then out once more.
I can feel summer coming.
In those long lazy days I would hold him in my arms. We’d swing together, feet patting the ground, rocking back and forth. We’d hold tight. But already I can feel the tautness of his wings, the turning of the doorknob.
They always said it would be hard.
But they never told me how the weight of him against my chest would melt into the weight of the years, how my body would feel like my earliest memories of my own mother: a soft warm comfort wrapped up in need and longing. How nothing would satisfy with a love this big.
Happy Mother’s Day, for my mother, for yours, for the ones you’ve lost, the one you never had, and the one you want to be.
-Kate
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May 12, 2018
In my hand: Drawing Dragons Day 132
What’s in his hand?
A treasure?
A tool?
Victory?
Destruction?
How do we know? And what can we imagine?
Keep imagining,
Kate
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May 11, 2018
How do I get there from here: Drawing Dragons Day 131
Sometimes, I start drawing a dragon, and I’m like, sweet. This is looking super cool. I got this like syrup on pancakes. And then, quite suddenly, the syrup starts sliding down my hands and drips onto my taffeta gown slicing maple streaks through the hills of pink fabric a flowing waterfall of despair cascading over my dance card and where did I get a taffeta gown I have no idea but it is now clearly covered in syrup and buttery pancake and a mariachi band is playing in the background while renaissance dancers curtsy to me as I hold the wrong end of the fork and stare down at my syrup covered dress.
And then I erase the misaligned jaw and feel slightly less sticky about the whole situation.
Though things do smell conspicuously of pancakes.
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 10, 2018
This dragon is much better than this TV series: Drawing Dragons Day 130
Working on this dragon and watching this TV series on HBO. I guess, the thing is, this dragon is funny and weird and strangely hypnotic. I love his face wings. He makes me happy.
I’ll turn off the TV and draw him into the sky.
Keep creating,
Kate
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May 9, 2018
Hypno-Dragon Got His First Teeth: Drawing Dragons Day 129
By Bob Ristau
Hypno-Dragon has a very big day today. He hypnotized like five people. And that was even before lunch. Tacos with mild salsa lunch.
Hypno-Dragons are typically very fickle dragons. They don’t have just hypnotize anybody.
He only hypnotizes people who would make good friends. Then, he drags them to his cave where he unhypnotizes them and throws a party.
At first, everyone thinks it’s kind of weird. But then they start to dance to the music and they try some of the snacks and they realize that Hypno-Dragon is actually a pretty cool dude. 
Keep creating,
Kate
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