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Blog Posts and Other Tall Tales of the Universe and Beyond
Floating Thru Space
“Floating Thru Space”. A new work of art featuring the continuing saga from the Shephards of the Cosmos, The Wisdom Seekers. At this time, I am working on a story behind this art. In the meantime, there are plenty of cool items featuring this work on my site https://david-krafcik.pixels.com/
Find My Way Home
Find My Way Home ; The Wisdom Seeker was sent to this planet to explore and determine whether it was a habitable world. His assignment by the high council was to seek out knowledge that the world’s dwellers may hold. The problem started as he arrived through the portal. He was confronted with the stark reality that there were no people. Investigating further, he realized there were no birds or animals either. From all appearances, it appears that the civilization this planet once held has long vanished. The only things remaining were a howling wind, a beach that stretched between an angry sea and tall stone cliffs, with a red, dying Sun hanging in the sky. “What kind of place is this?” he questioned himself. “Something feels wrong.” Walking along the beach, he continued his investigation of this lonely world when he spotted, in the distance, a grassy mound. “A good vantage point to search for life,” he thought. Quickly making his way toward the grassy mound, the ground suddenly began to shake violently. As it did, the cliffs spat shards of stone, falling and striking the Wisdom Seeker unconscious. When he finally awoke, lying in the wet sand, he was unaware of how much time had passed. As some of us are aware, all Wisdom Seekers know they have only a limited time in a location before the portal that brought them there snaps shut forever, and fearfully, this may be one of those times. There was one way to find out how long he had spent unconscious. Lifting his staff to the air, he summoned the portal to appear. To his dismay, the globe atop the staff did not glow. Fear began to spread within him. Again, he beckoned for the portal to appear. No portal. The only conclusion is that he had spent too much time here. The portal was gone. His way home was lost. Stranded. Remembering the grass mound he had seen before the earthquake, he hurried towards it. Still groggy from the hit on the head he took, he carefully followed a dirt path up the grassy mound. The path appears to have been worn into the hill long ago, suggesting that people were here at some point. “Maybe they still are,” the Wisdom Seeker said to himself. “If I can find them, I might be able to survive on this isolated planet.” Finally, he crested the hill. To his surprise, out into the angry sea a lighthouse made of stone had jutted out of the water. At this moment, the dying red Sun was positioned directly behind the tower. As it did, a rainbow of color extended from the lighthouse tower. He thought that if he could get his staff to produce a matching energy signature, a portal might be created. The Wisdom Seeker knew that the portal would not be stable enough for him to travel, but it would be able to open a wormhole of communication in the sky and, in doing so, send an orb through it to his home, Aven, and inform them that he was still alive but unable to return. Knowing that time was of the essence and not sure how long the rainbow energy coming from the lighthouse would last, he raised his staff to the sky. Using all the brawn he had left, he summoned his staff to release all the power that it had stored within it. Nothing was happening, and the rainbow was growing lighter by the second, therefore, losing its energy. Once again, he raised the staff and chanted words from an ancient language over and over. By now, his arm began to shake with exhaustion, and he fell to his knees. Suddenly, out of the staff orb, a bolt of multicolored light flickered. The light slowly marched its way across the sky, finally joining the other rainbow extending from the lighthouse. When they connected, a bridge formed, and the air between them began to crackle and pop. A portal then materialized in the sky. Gathering what strength he had left, the Wisdom Seeker lifted himself up and drew the communication glass orb from inside his robe. Hoping against hope that the portal would remain stable, the Seeker, with one shaky breath, whispered into the orb and hurled it into the sky and through the portal. The orb vanished inside, and the portal winked shut. Lying there on top of the gressy hill without any energy left, he thought to himself,” Did it work. Will I be saved, or will I be marooned on this forsaken rock for the rest of my eternity?”
The Knowledge of the Forest
“The Knowledge of the Forest,” a yet-to-be-written story, but it looks like I finished the art. Sometimes it is the chicken before the egg, or the cart before the horse kind of deal. Enjoy
The Moon was Her and She was the Moon
The Moon was her, and she was the Moon. Born during a full Moon, with a sky filled with many stars, she was given the name of Luna. After that day, she was also to be known as the Queen of the Night Sky, a title bestowed upon her because of her ability to not only talk with the Moon but also understand the Moon. In that way, they were one and the same. The Moon was her, and she was the Moon. Her name is Luna, Queen of the Night Sky. Some legends have it that on the nights that the Moon was to become full in the sky, Queen Luna would climb to the Mountain of the Heavens, the highest mountain peak in all the realm. There, she would wait until the Moon had risen in the eastern sky, slowly climbing to a position directly above her. When that was achieved, Luna, Queen of the Night Sky, would wave at the Moon, and the Moon would smile back at her. She would then proclaim, “I have missed you, my friend.” The Moon would always answer, “As I have you, Luna.” Then Queen Luna, dressed in a gown of midnight blue, flowing with sparkling stars, lowered herself into a crouch. Her wings, shaped like leaves, with the colors of autumn: deep red and gold. Then, with a mighty heave, leaped high into the night sky. Her wings fluttered until she touched the Moon. As they traveled across the midnight sky, the Queen of the Night Sky and the Moon would become as one, and the Moon would fill her with the knowledge of the cosmos. As the evening drew to a close and dawn came upon them, the Moon gently placed the Queen back down on top of the Mountains of the Heavens. She bowed and smiled, ‘Thank you, Moon, for the lovely evening.” The Moon winked and replied, “You are always welcome, my Queen of the Night Sky.” Queen Luna opened her arms and asked, “Until the next time.” The Moon laughed and said down to her, “It’s a date.” And with that, the Moon retreated to its resting place for the day, and Luna walked slowly from the mountain peak back to her home, where she would eagerly await the next rising of the full Moon. “A captivating fantasy story, enchanting readers with the love shared between the Queen and the Moon.”
Pencil
I finally rescued some of my long-lost pencils from the storage unit. Really, an artist without pencils (Shame on me). Happy to be back at the ranch, I took out my newly found pencils and gave them a sniff (weird, maybe, but I love the smell of a new pencil). Now, the first thing with a new pencil is to get my knife out and start to whittle away the wood to expose the graphite. When I exposed the hidden graphite, there was more hidden within the pencil than just the graphite. To my great surprise, this particular lead-marking tool contained a wood sprite. Yep, you read that right, a WOOD SPRITE!!! As this story continues, it seems that this here wood sprite had somehow become trapped inside the wood of the pencil I so happened to be whittling. How do I know this, you may ask? Ah, patience, dear readers, patience. Now, shocked as I was (wouldn’t you be?) I dropped the newly whittled pencil. As I sat there, the only thing I could think of was to ask, “Who in the world would you be?” Slowly, the wood sprite stood up and walked on over to the exposed graphite and, in a high-pitched voice, replied to my question, “Why, I be a wood sprite, my dear sir.” Then, with a deep bow, the newly found wood sprite continued,” And, you, my fine sir, have released me from that prison some call a PENCIL. I be trapped inside for all too long to tell.” “Now, how in the world did you get trapped in a pencil?” I asked in wonderment of my newfound wood sprite. ‘Well, my fine sir, it seems that the magic woods I inhabited were invaded by some mighty mean tree, cutting down folks. It so happens that the tree I have called home for many a moon was picked for these roughens to chop down. After a while, me and my tree home were brought to some faraway land where us both were made into a pencil!” “That is quite a story,” I said as I shook my head in disbelief. The wood sprite nodded its head and then replied, “It all be true, my kind sir.” Then a strange noise came from the wood sprite, and the little fellow spat on the pencil it had just been released from. Shaking its head, it then looked up at me and in a commanding, but still very tiny, voice,” Well, my dear sir, as within my oath as a tree sprite, and for rescuing me from this pencil prison, I do be obligated in granting you a favor, as it be, my dear sir.” “Oh, my dear little wood sprite, I ask for no favors from you. It was my pleasure to help you escape the pencil.” I answered. “Well, my dear sir, that is not the way it works in my world. One good favor deserves another.” I sat thinking for a moment, and then the wood sprite, in a questioning way, replied, “Well, my dear sir, what were you to be doing with the pencil?” “I have been having trouble getting into the creative mood, and I hoped that putting pencil to paper might help.” The wood Sprite scratched its head, looked up at me, and, with a laugh, said,” Well. , my dear sir, I can help with that.” Then, reaching deep within its pocket, pulled out what appeared to me to be rainbow-colored dust. The Wood Sprite raised it to his mouth and blew the rainbow colored dust on me. “Well, dear sir, there you go. I’ll be a moving on now.” And with a flash, the Wood Sprite vanished from my sight. I shook my head, and when I finally stopped coughing from the rainbow colored dust. I laid the pencil on the paper, and to my amazement, I started to draw. Boy oh boy, did I ever draw. Now, thanks to sharpening a pencil and releasing a Wood Sprite, the cap on my creativity has come off, and I am back to being “The Space Ship called David.” Now, that there be a true story, my dear sir.
Valley of the Storm
Valley of the Storm: In a secluded spot far from prying eyes, nestled between mountains worn down by time, lies a lake of crystal-clear water. Three distinct mounds of rock hold three stone etched steles. The place I speak of was one that held both beauty and imminent danger. This land was known as the Valley of the Storms. If you were to happen upon these islands made of rock, at first glance, they may look like they naturally emerged from the bottom of the lake. However, upon closer inspection, you would find that these stones were not from the lake but had been painstakingly boated from the mainland one by one, then carefully placed in the water until they finally broke through the surface. Once the islands were made, three stone steles inscribed with ancient script were ferried and erected. To ensure the writings remained secret, they were imbued with an enchanting magic that allowed them to be read only in the light of a lightning storm. One day, a void appeared in the air. A portal opened on the mainland. Out of this portal walked a Wisdom Seeker. He was there to gather information about the location of long-lost space travelers. To help him on this quest, he possessed a small stone slab discovered after a fierce meteor storm. The Wisdom Seeker hoped this slab was a key to deciphering the symbols written on the three slabs that stood upon the three different islands. Once the symbols were decoded, a portal could be opened to the location he sought. Now, to open a portal, one must first determine the location where the portal will be opened. Then, the galaxy that held the planet you sought, and lastly, the planet within the galaxy you wished the portal to open. Securing a boat, the Wisdom Seeker rowed to the nearest island. He debarked and stood before the first stone stela. He recited an incantation, raising his staff to the sky. Rain-swollen clouds appeared on the horizon, and thunder shook the ground, accompanied by driving rain. Electricity began to crackle around him. Then, a bolt of lightning came hurling from the sky, striking the globe at the end of the staff. With the globe now filled with the power from the lightning, he pointed it towards the stone. A bolt was released from it, striking the stone and igniting it, revealing the secrets hidden within. The first stone was adorned with a glyph of his location, the Valley of the Storms. With that knowledge, he rowed to the next island and repeated the same incantation. The second stone had the symbol of a galaxy, the Milky Way. Now, all that was left was the last and main island. Thankfully, this stone held the planet for which it had long been searched. It was a place referred to as Earth. Now armed with the knowledge of the three symbols, he could access that information into the portal and embark on his journey, and after many years of searching, finally locate the long-lost space travelers. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/valley-of-the-storms-david-krafcik.html
The Heavens Fall
The Heavens Fall; The Wisdom Seeker stood high above the desert plain. He had just arrived, having entered this world through a space portal. The Shepherds of the Cosmos had sent him to this planet to witness future events that had been prophesied to unfold. Before him, the Sun illuminated the valley of shining yellow sand and tall green mountains that stood tall on the horizon. In his hand, as he always did, he carried his staff constructed from meteor rock, topped with a globe of star glass. Within minutes of his arrival, the staff became warm in his hand, and the star glass began to give off a bluish glow. The ground where he stood started to tremble and vibrate violently, each tremor a countdown to the impending catastrophe. As quickly as the ground started to shake, it stopped moving, and all became still. And then the unthinkable occurred. The Moon, which had hung high in the heavens for all these years, had broken free from its orbit and was coming streaking downward to the planet where it crashed with a mighty thud as it smashed into the ground, erupting earth and grass, causing the ground to shake once again and throwing dust into the air. When the ground finally stopped quivering and the dust settled, the Moon sat in a vast crater in the middle of the desert. There, it was joined by stars that had fallen, littering the landscape with debris from the heavens above. The Wisdom Seeker stood in shock as he realized that what he had just witnessed was an event he had never experienced before and hoped never to experience again. The enormity of it then struck him, and now he knew why he had been requested to travel to this planet. He was there to record and behold the beginning of the death of a planet. As he started to document the dramatic cosmic event, thinking it was over, the Sun went dark. Then, like someone flipping a switch, it came back on. It became apparent to him that there was nothing else left for him to witness, knowing that the planet he stood on was near death. Tapping his staff upon the ground three times, a crackling noise filled the air, accompanied by a clap of thunder. The air in front of the Wisdom Seeker became blurry, and then, with a snap, it opened to create a portal. As he walked to the open portal, he looked around at all the destruction that lay before him and said, “May the ever-watchful eye of the Moon, Sun, and Stars protect you.” Then he stepped through the portal, and it snapped shut for the final time on this planet.
Wisdom Seeker
Wisdom Seeker: They did not know where he came from, but one day, a stranger appeared out of thin air, wearing a red hooded cloak tied at the waist with a golden rope. When asked about himself, the newcomer described himself as a wanderer, searching for things without knowing what they might be. He referred to himself as a Wisdom Seeker. The guest explained that he was in their little village to climb the local mountain. When the townsfolk asked him why, the Wisdom Seeker replied that he did not know; he only felt that it was important to reach the peak, as that was where the answer might lie. As the whole town gathered to see the Wisdom Seeker off early the next morning to wish him well on his adventure, the wind began to blow, and with it, there was heavy snow. The folk begged him to stay until another day. The newcomer replied that the task needed to be achieved that day and only that day. So off he went. The climb was hard going with the whipping wind and snow, but he persevered. At one point of the ascent, a thick fog formed. But unknown to the Wisdom Seeker at the time, it was clouds he was traveling through. Finally, the wanderer marched above them to reveal a clear, half-day night sky scape. A quarter Moon shone above him, accompanied by three stars. Out to the valley hung the Sun with three clouds basking in its warmth. Unable to climb higher, the Wisdom Seeker spread his hands and yelled, ” I am here seeking your wisdom.” We may never know what was told to him, for the Wisdom Seeker was never to be seen again. Now, on this same date each and every year, a new stranger appears in the same little village, looking to climb the same mountain. He, too, will never be seen again. www.angelwingartfarm.com
Horse on the Sand
A sold piece of art that I created way back when I was painting on glass. Actually a reverse glass painting. If you are interested I have some prints and other fun things for sale. Head on over to https://fineartamerica.com/featured/horses-on-the-sand-david-krafcik.html
Blow Me Down
Sometimes it takes a while to come to terms with one’s life. This series I have created is one of those instances where, after many years, I finally took such a step. In 1980, I was involved in a car crash that left me with injuries to my legs, and I had to learn to walk again with the use of crutches. During that time, I still wanted to be like everyone else. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I faced the facts and quit running from who I was. To come to terms with it, I created a series of reverse glass paintings I titled “Beautifully Broken” that featured abstract figures using crutches in an expressionistic painting scheme. As I researched the type of art I would paint, I noticed that people with disabilities have been rarely included in the field of art. Hence, I thought,” How about doing a series of disabled people by a disabled dude?” and that is how “Beautiful Broken” was started with the thought that people with disabilities can be an art and an artist can be disabled. But there is more to the story. That idea was the jumping-off point, but the gist of the matter is that color is also a significant part of the work I create. In the use of color, for these paintings, I aimed to employ contrasting hues to create a piece that vibrates with energy. Next was the use of reverse glass painting to convey my feelings, which is another story. At the time I was developing the idea, I was an etched glass artist who etched front doors and any other glass items, so the transition to using glass was only natural. I love to scratch out the paint and see what comes of it. Art is sometimes planned, but the best is often the unexpected. For me, that is what reverse glass painting gave me. So, enjoy the series, and we will let time take us where it leads us. Onward. KRAFCIK www.angelwingartfarm.com
Star Miners
Star Miners: Every twenty-eight days or so, an event occurs high in the sky. Not only is the Moon at full strength, but look closely, and you will see that the star miners are hard at work. These star miners do not work in mines but on the Moon’s surface. As one star miner holds the Moon in place, another is armed with a chisel and hammer. Sporting great physical shape and high endurance, the Star miners chop away pieces of the Moon. As they do, the tiny pieces go floating into the night sky to form more stars. The bigger chips, too heavy to defy gravity, come crashing down to Earth. Some call them shooting stars. So, if you are out walking during a full Moon, be sure to wear a hat to protect your head from falling Moon chunks that the star miners have chipped off the Moon. http://www.angelwingartfarm.com
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Angel Wing Art Farm 