Kate Ristau's Blog, page 34
April 8, 2018
The Missing Dragon: Drawing Dragons Day 98
I missed a day in there somehow — should be at day 98 — so my mom gets one more dragon for her birthday. I know she won’t mind. It’s the start of something wonderful. A little hard to see the edges; it’s going to need some color.
Mom does art journaling — these big, beautiful pages with splashes of color and ink. Words of wonder wrapping around the edges. Thoughts and ideas on the edge of being. They remind me of a dream.
One day, I’ll draw a dragon like that — with a whisper of a word on the bend of a wing. One that holds the weight of the day in the bowing of its head, or the glory of the wild night in the stretch of its wing.
Until then, here’s a dragon for my mom, who pushes me forward, loves me hard, and encourages me to keep drawing, keep writing, and keep creating.
Love you, Mom.
Love,
Kate
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She shines: Drawing Dragons Day 97
Here’s another dragon for mi madre. This one is elegant and graceful. This is how I remember my mother, singing in the church choir over our heads in the old church with the hard wooden pews and the kneelers that stuck against our bare knees.
The flash pushes out the picture, but sometimes that’s how her love is: shining through her, ahead of her, the first thing you see.
So bright.
The reference came from here, and the light came from her.
Keep creating,
Kate
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April 7, 2018
For Mom: Drawing Dragons Day 96
Three dragons for Mom on her birthday weekend. Today’s dragon is funny and sassy and sweet. She’s blue because that’s Mom’s favorite color. She has some weird stuff going on with her wings because I started making weird decisions.
I think that’s appropriate because Mom has supported me through all of my strange choices and weird ideas.
She’s paid for writing workshops and bought me books.
She’s also bought my books. SO MANY OF THEM.
She’s handed them out to friends and brought them to libraries. She’s told me they’re great, and she’s read them when they’re terrible. She’s my first reader, and my first friend. Love you, Mom.
Keep creating,
Kate
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April 6, 2018
PigPugDragon: Drawing Dragons Day 95
And now your yearly reminder to have a plan before you draw a dragon.
Because if you don’t, well, you’ll end up with a PigPugDragon.
Keep creating,
Kate
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April 5, 2018
Reminders: Drawing Dragons Day 94
Happy today!
This is your yearly reminder to use a pencil before you ink a dragon.
If I’ve learned one thing this year, it’s that.
Well, actually. No. I tried it without a pencil today.
And now I’ll keep creating.
-Kate
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April 4, 2018
Happy Birthday, Wonder: Drawing Dragons Day 92
Today, you hunted dragon eggs.
Today, you ate a Happy Face Pancake with Pez.
Today, you played baseball.
Today, you ran around the playground.
Today, you swung on a swing.
Today, you ate rainbow cake.
Today, you held your friend’s hand.
Today, you whispered silly words.
Today, you collapsed into bed.
Today, you turned seven.
What a day of Wonder.
I drew you this snub-faced dragon with more than a little fire. He reminds me of one of your Skylanders.
He’s fierce because I expect you to roar this year — with joy and with anger and with life and with love and with sugar. I don’t expect this year to be easy. I expect it to be exciting and full of high energy seven-year-old-ness. I expect you to grow and to change and I expect you to sit down at breakfast next year and order something completely different — Less Pez on you pancakes and more syrup or toast.
You are going to change.
The one thing I know, though, is we will change together. We’ll roar together, we’ll love together, and we’ll laugh through this year together too. Because you’re my little dragon.
Happy birthday, little Wonder.
You’re getting so big.
Keep creating,
Mom
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Eye of the Dragon: Drawing Dragons Day 91
Eye of the dragon. I think that might be a Stephen King book, or a Rocky movie. But I refuse to look it up.
You will have to live in suspense or harangue me in the Facebook comments.
I did Google this dragon eye from Monster Legends Game. Actually, I Googled “dragon” and got this eye from Monster Legends Game.
My Google search is narrowing to…basically…dragons.
This would look much cooler in color, methinks. We shall see.
Until then, keep creating,
Kate
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April 2, 2018
Wings and words: Drawing Dragons Day 90
Today, a new friend reminded me that even though we are all so different, we are very much the same. The story she told made me think of a story I wanted to tell, and we fell down into our stories, like new friends do, when they don’t yet know each others’ lives.
I wish I saw everyone like that. Like an unopened book, with their own story, and so many pages to turn.
Tonight, I drew you wings. If there is anything a story is good for — well, it’s helping us take flight.
There’s work to do here, friends. And many stories to tell.
So keep creating,
Kate
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