Art to the Rescue

This week, there’ll be something a little different, because I started off the new year with a baking-related hand injury.

I’m fine, and hopefully will be able to type more easily by next week. For now, it’s difficult to type for very long, or at the speeds I’m used to processing stories.

2024 PSA: Watch those blades when you’re scoring bread dough, kids.

Art to the rescue!

Cedar prompted me with: The lean cat wore two white stockings and a pair of long white gloves.

Here are a few Midjourney-generated takes on this concept. It’s sparking an Alice-in-Wonderland feel. I don’t need more story ideas right now, thanks!

I like our first contender. He’s a workingman done well, who lost his sons in the war, who’s learned to control his emotions and found success. I see shuttered pain in his anthropomorphic eyes, and dignity, and loneliness.

Our second contender has some character. A nervous twitch of the paw in his lap, artfully captured by the painter, while he twirls his whiskers. A habit that must be learned from humans, if Writing Cat’s reaction is anything to go by. He’s got something on his mind, or perhaps secrets. What’s going on in this dapper fellow’s life that’s made him so tense?

Our final contender doesn’t mess around. He earned his success with the eyes and manner of a direct leader. He’s even wearing badges of office, but he’s not smug about it – he’s using his portrait time to contemplate great matters of state, ready to shrug off the trappings and get back to work. And these diplomatic problems, my dear friends, are more dire that we could possibly know…

This was fun, but ideally, I’ll be back to storytelling with words next week. In the meantime, check out more over at MOTE – or play along if you so desire! – and see what Leigh Kimmel did with a glowing handful of fireflies.