Getting back on track..

I have been away from my blog for several weeks and for that I offer my apologies to anyone who is a regular reader of Nightsbreath. Please let me assure you that the other two parts of the story about Mr. Cat and young Henry will be forthcoming, as will more entries from Prof. Tot. It has been a busy time for us recently with the second Vandalia-Con having come and go, opening up doors and opportunities for the third to be even bigger and better than our previous efforts. I am very excited about that. The second reason I have been away is I have been working and creating a lot of new things, from jewelry to my Charity Critter sculptures. The third and most important reason I have been away was that I took several weeks off with family this summer, visiting with my daughters and my in laws. It’s been a great summer! 

But now it is time to get back to work both with my art and with my writing.

Today, I am sharing a little bit of both.

             One of the first Steampunk inspired sculptures I made was a clockwork style Bluebird. I made it in the middle of winter at a point when I was quite depressed because in a short span of time four of my friends had departed this world. I was gripped hard by the losses and could not seem to shake the weight it brought with the new year. One day I decided that the best way to lift the weight was to create, and since joy seemed a distant thing I decided to make my own Bluebird of Happiness, darnit! And so I did.. Many more creations followed. Birds and ‘Doodlebugs’ became something I was constantly working on. As soon as one was finished two more were in the planning.  I’ll keep going till I run out of ideas, because they make me smile.  Each one is a little bit of my own heart’s ‘happy thought.’

It is important to me though that the warmth of that happy thought not be selfishly shielded and coveted as some personal treasure clutched miserly to self. While I have kept the occasional creation, the vast majority of these sculptures are sold, with the proceeds from their sale being donated to Vandalia-Con. ( www.vandalia-con.org ) Vandalia-Con is an annual Steampunk/Science-Fiction Convention which raises funds to provide uninsured or under insured WV women with breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment services. It is something I am very proud to be a part of.

Today I am revealing two of my newest creations and I have again returned to the theme of Birds. I am calling them “Crystal Singers” because each possesses a quartz crystal with suspended hematite at their center.  These are the first two of six I have planned. Each “Crystal Singer” will be unique, with it’s own name and commentary here by Prof. Aristotle Pratt.  The first photos of these sculptures debuted earlier today in the Steampunk Photography and Artwork group on Facebook. ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/451330504946363/ ) This blog entry includes those photos, (plus several others) along with the Professor’s notes on each one.

I hope folks enjoy…

From the Diary of Professor Aristotle R. Pratt

Today I learned that Mr. Cat employs a number of clockwork avians aside from those I had previously catalogued.  These were quite curious specimens, two of which I will relate to you today.  I am calling these creations “Crystal Singers” due to their unique use of Mr. Cat’s crystalline energy source, the particulars of which elude me to this day.

The first of these unique avains Mr. Cat seems to use to his advantage without most around him being aware of its presence. I call it the “Gilded Dove.” As I understand it, the “Dove” emits a harmonic signal of some kind, which tends to produce a calming effect on those nearby, promoting peaceful and friendly interaction in cases where one might be moved to violence because of anger or fright.  I was gifted with one whose unusual energy had been completely spent, leaving it a small static conversation piece to some eyes, but I find it a wonder.

The second is Mr. Cat’s messenger, which I have named the “Blue Tipped Quillbeak.” This little beauty has apparently endured many long years of service given the condition of its wings, which are now worn and tattered with untold age.  This avian is a great

boon to Mr. Cat’s remarkable insight to events and attitudes. Not only does it serve as a messenger, it may also alight upon the telegraph wire and absorb the signals it encounters there into its crystal memory, only to be scribbled out later with its beak. Mr. Cat has mentioned however that it too would soon stand static and still, a unique curiosity for the ages.