Sisters

Detail from Dragons of the Oil Sea.

Stylistic inspirations:

• 8th century palm mosaic from Umayyad Mosque in Syria.
• 13th century paintings from Iraw
• 15th century paintings from Azerbaijan

Part 1 of How NOT to Get a Wife: Stealing Wings

A recurring theme in myths and folktales from very different cultures is the earthly or mortal man acquiring a wife of non-human origin by stealing her property, deceptively withholding information from her or otherwise limiting her options. Four stories from Vanuatu, Philippines, China and Pakistan all share these elements:

• An earthbound or mortal man.
• Celestial women or fairies who come to earth to bathe.
• The man steals the wings/clothing of one of the women, preventing her from returning to the heavens.
• Lacking other options, she stays and becomes his wife.
• The wife eventually returns to her home.
• He finds a way to follow her. (Outcomes vary)

Hissing at a Dragon

Detail from Dragons of the Oil Sea. In support of a former art school classmate Sahar Al Saud presently confined without adequate nutrition or healthcare. See Channel 4 interview with her mother: 'They are hanging to life' - Saudi king's ex-wife speaks out.

The cat is Tosca, beloved companion to Sahar and her younger sister Jawaher during their long years of confinement. Tosca passed away in 2009, leaving behind a grieving Sahar and Jawaher, who are currently surviving by distilling water and scavenging for food from the sea.

For the women's story, see socialbombing.org.

Research sources used for the dragon:

Have you ever felt frustrated with your work as a creative professional or hobbyist?

I feel like that all the time. It seems that my best efforts don't take my work to the level that I want it to be. I have no illusions about my talents (or the lack of it, rather ;-) ) So why do I keep going? Years ago, a former art university classmate gifted me with some words of encouragement and wisdom at a time when I was disappointed with the quality of my work and frustrated at my progress.

Dragons of the Oil Sea

In support of a former art school classmate presently imprisoned in deteriorating conditions. See vice.com report: Saudi Princesses Claim King Is Confining and Drugging Them.

Who is on the island? (From left to right)

• Gala the labrador - She passed away this year after she and her human companions (Jawaher and Sahar) underwent a prolonged period of food deprivation. You can see Gala's 'before starvation' and 'after starvation' photos here.
• Jawaher Al Saud- youngest sister of artist/activist Sahar Al Saud. She and Sahar are held captive in a seaside compound while their 2 sisters, Hala and Maha, are imprisoned at other locations. Go to SocialBombing.org campaign for the release of the four women.
• Sahar Al Saud - a painter and sculptor who is passionate about Saudi human rights. For months, she and Jawaher have been surviving under house arrest by distilling water and scavenging for food from the sea. Read her interview with muftah.org.
• Tosca the cat - beloved companion to Sahar and Jawaher . Tosca passed away in 2009, leaving behind Gala the Labrador, Gracia the German Shepherd and Jade, another cat. Gala has since died.

Parallel experiences in Kazakhstan and Navajo Land

While working on Ged the Goatherd, I looked at real world societies to help give form to the people of Gont in Ursula Le Guin's fantasy world of Earthsea

Did some reading on Kazakh people in Central Asia and the Dine (Navajo) people in North America and found interesting similarities in the history of these two very different regions:

Ged the Goatherd

Fanart for Ursula Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea". The protagonist Sparrowhawk (aka Ged) spent his childhood on the island of Gont.

Real world cultural inspirations I used for envisioning Gontish clothing styles: Navajo, Tibetan, Uzbek, Kazakh.

Reasons for looking to these particular cultures:

• Presence of a sheep herding/goat herding economy, which is practiced on Gont.
• Use of clothing elements mentioned in the Earthsea Cycle's description of Gontish people, such as jerkins, aprons and ruffles. (Not necessarily common or native to each of the societies mentioned, but between all of them, there is the use of such items, or something pretty close, in traditional clothing.)