DRAGONFLY

This week I found a magical spot on the shore of a little lake I live by that is filled with dragonflies in the late morning. They rarely hold still long enough to photograph, but I got lucky and was able to capture this beautiful male Widow Skimmer. It belongs to a group of larger dragonflies named King Skimmers.

My goal with each Word Fuel Art Piece is to combine nature and words in ways that fuel the readers' own creativity and inspire them to connect to themselves through connecting to nature. For this piece, the magic of Dragonflies and their color inspired me.

DRAGONFLY MEDICINE-

Part of Dragonfly's Magic is the jewel-like coloring that develops over time. They have some pigment in their skin, but most of their coloring is caused by refracting light, similar to how a rainbow is formed. This light makes them look iridescent green, red, or blue. As they age, they may pass through several color changes. The way Dragonflies develop their color reflects the idea that growth, maturity, and our own true colors come with time and that we all have the magic of nature within us.

Dragonflies are among the most ancient insects and some of the first winged insects to evolve- about 300 million years ago. They are also one of the rare insects that inhabit two realms- water and air. Their first two years are spent in the water as nymphs until they crawl to land, dry themselves off, and begin to fly. These metamorphosis models for us the importance of balancing our emotional and mental bodies and that there must be expressions of both.

WORDS COMBINED WITH NATURE-

"Color, which is like music, is a matter of vibrations, reaches what is most general and therefore most indefinable in nature: ITS INNER POWER. - Paul Gaugin

Color has always been one of my favorite things, and I've never shied away from wearing bright colors or using them in my home. Surrounding myself with color helps boost my energy and creativity. I love this quote by Paul Gauguin (7 June 1848 – 8 May 1903). Gauguin was a leading Post-Impressionist painter. His most significant innovation was his use of color, which he employed for its emotive qualities, not to mimic nature.

COLOR MAGIC-

The combination of green and blue brings a sense of calm. Green is a restful color that eliminates tension and emotional problems. It also helps create stability and assists the viewer to think clearly. Blue is the color of integrity and calmness. It enables the viewer to eliminate anxiety and nervousness. When these two are combined, their tranquil quality is truly magical.