Welcome to another Fantasy Art Wednesday!

I don’t know the artist, but this gorgeous fantasy place has such a dream-like quality, it lured me right in.  Green and cool, I can hear the gentle rush of the water, and smell the musk of wet earth and stone. There is something mystical about it, something sacred. Perhaps it is even protected by those floating orbs that look like wisps to me. If this was in my book world, it would be one of the ancient shrines…maybe even the very one that the legendary Varol built with his bare hands, flowing with blessed water that is said to heal wounds, cure sickness, and even restore lost sight. It is a place that once you’re there, you would never again want to leave.  But that’s only how this image speaks to me…what does it say to you?

Welcome to another Fantasy Art Wednesday!

When I lived in Germany I got to see a lot of beautiful castles–some set up like museums, some still serving as homes, yet others completely abandoned.  One of the most intriguing places I ever went wasn’t on a tourist map, but at the end of a walking trail on top of a big hill.  There remained the shell of what had once been a castle; parts of the foundation, half-walls and free standing arches.  A single staircase led down to some small, bare rooms underground.  What they had once been used for, I had no idea.

But something about that quiet, ancient place really spoke to me.  With no one else there to explore, it felt so eerily lonely, and utterly forgotten.  I wondered if the wind might carry the whispers of its past residents if I listened closely enough.  History felt more real there than it had at all the other fancy castles we’d paid to enter, with printed tourist guides in hand and slip covers wrapped over our shoes. Maybe it was the sense of mystery that drew me…the longing to know what that castle had once looked like, who had lived there, and what had ultimately brought its walls crashing down.  Had there been a battle?  Was I standing where men had died in its defense?  Had it simply been left to rot, its stones carried off to become part of other building projects elsewhere?  Or had time claimed it all?  There was no way to know, and so that place haunted my imagination like no other.  Almost 30 years later, I’m still wondering about it when so many of the whole and beautiful castles have all blurred together into faded memory.

The picture below spoke to me much like that ruined castle I stumbled upon long ago.  It looks like it might have been a glorious place once. What secrets does it have to tell?  What happened to it and those who once lived there?  Or is there still someone living silently among the crumbling arches, shifting walls, and rushing waterfalls?  Use this as a writing prompt to find out.  And as always, if you come up with something good, please share. 🙂

It has been a crazy week, and I’m a day behind, but better late than never, right?

Here’s another image I found.  A picturesque medieval village, nestled in between the forest and a mountain. Sheep are grazing outside…there aren’t any defensive walls so it must be a relatively peaceful place, or maybe just too poor or remote to need barricades.  The heavy gray clouds make everything feel damp and cold.  But aside from the shepherd, the place seems strangely quiet.  Not much bustle going on–where is everyone? A visitor approaches.  Who is he?  Just a traveler passing through?  Or is he coming here with a purpose?  Is he steadying his sword to keep it from hitting his leg as he walks, or is he getting ready to draw it? What does the sign say? Could be something boring like the village’s name. But then again, it could be something else.  Maybe a warning.  Use this image as a writing prompt and decide the fate of this village and its mysterious visitor.

If you come up with something good, feel free to share in the comments. 🙂

Though I’ve always loved writing, I also used to be an artist–even had dreams of being one professionally. In High School I spent my lunch hours in the art room, paint brush in one hand, food in the other. All very healthy, I’m sure. When it was time to go to college, I was admitted as an art major. Only I found that over time I was more interested in my pet writing projects than I was in my artwork.

One day in my printmaking class (I loved lithography) we had to display half a semester’s worth of artwork on the wall and submit to a whole class critique. Someone pointed out that all of my artwork had a strong mood to it, as if there was already a story behind it, and everyone agreed. They were right. Even my artwork really wanted to be a piece of writing. It was one of the many signs leading to my epiphany that it was time to change majors. And yes, this story has a point…I’m getting to it!

For a while now I’ve been posting images of fantasy art on my facebook page every Wednesday, just for fun. I really enjoy the artwork, which takes me back to the days when I made my own. But I also love the different moods these works evoke, stirring up my creative muse, and planting seeds for new scenes or stories yet to be written.

It occurred to me that it might be twice the fun to combine Fantasy Art Wednesday with a writing prompt. Fresh ideas, whether we follow through with them on paper, or simply let them excite our imaginations, can do wonders for our current works in progress. For those writers who aren’t working on anything in particular right now, maybe it’s time to start. Perhaps with a picture–they really can say a thousand words…or even a hundred thousand.

So let’s start with this one. (I don’t know who the artist is, but will always make a point to give credit when available.) It sets quite a mood, with the dim green light of the wood offset by the warm glow of lamps and lit windows. Paths wind on and through the branches and roots.  Are the people tiny, or is the plant life exceptionally large? Was this place built by people at all?  Do they welcome visitors? How did they get here, and what are their beliefs and culture like? You’re the writer–you decide…