Monday Morning Writing Prompt–the Artist in You

Image: Kindness of Anna Cervova

One of the things that I marvel at during this time of the year is the abundance of color that adorns nature. Summer makes me want to grab my paints and portable easel and drag myself out into nature to capture the moment. It seems I rarely do, perhaps because of inconvenience or downright laziness, but I often pull out my palette of words and pen down some colorful poetry.

For today’s prompt, I’d like to you put on the mind, if not the smock of an artist and paint a word picture, lavishing color, shape, perspective, texture, mood–whatever artistic tool speaks to you.

Please link your masterpiece in the comment section of this blog and remember, I don’t believe in deadlines for these prompts, so do it whenever you can and have fun with it. And if you are a visual artist and care to share your work, have at it!

You may have already seen this poem…I think I posted it a while back:

The State of Color 

When blue ripped a hole

in gray clouds,

the trumpet vine blared

blasts of yellow

and orange poppies

from the Orient

stretched wide

thirsty maws,

to consume rainbows

of dew.

 

Poem: Chiaroscuro

A number of my poems have been inspired by the visual arts–whether that be specific works, the life of an artist or an element or prinicple of art.

I suggest you take an hour or two, grab a notebook and visit a gallery or museum. Sit a while and see what happens. The following very short poem is based on the concept of chiaroscuro.

Chiaroscuro
[kee-ahr-uh-skyoor-oh]
The distribution of light and shade in a picture.
The use of deep variations in and subtle gradations of light and shade, especially to enhance the delineation of character and for general dramatic effect.

Chiaroscuro
Haiku

Under the shade tree
the Buddha laughs. Sunspots dance
on his fat belly.