Roberta Writes – Chinese Dragon Colour Palette for d’Verse and Thursday Doors

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I’m a bit late for this challenge hosted by Kim, but this is my dragon poem for d’Verse’s Legendary Creatures prompt. You can read other poet’s contributions here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/11/19/legendary-creatures/

I have also snuck in Esther Chilton’s challenge for this week which is wishes. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2024/11/20/writing-prompts-41/

Chinese Dragon Colour Palette

Red scales for good luck

Adorn his snake like body

Mythical creature

Main guest at dragon dances

And various festivals

***

Shimmering in white

Twin offspring of sun and moon

Mythical creature

One symbolic of virtue

The other, death’s harbinger

***

Mythical creature

Magnificent in yellow

Emperor’s right hand dragon

Provider of sage wisdom

Guiding power’s central mind

***

Shining golden coat

Powerful sun deity

Mythical creature

Wishing humanity well

He brings great prosperity

***

Soothing blue and green

He aids in health and healing

Nature’s guardian

Mythical creature brings spring

Stimulating life and growth

***

Mythical creature

In a multicoloured coat

Fantasy art creation

Flies up to bring down rainstorms

But wishes he had bright wings

Picture caption: This was my first attempt at a Chinese Dragon cake. I made this for one of Michael’s birthdays. The scales are gold and I added edible gold glitter.
Picture caption: Close up of the Golden Chinese Dragon cake
Picture caption: My second attempt with a multicoloured Chinese Dragon. I made this for the children at the SA Festival of Children’s Literature in 2023.
Picture caption: Chinese Dragon peeking out of the window of his house in Sir Chocolate and the Chinese Candy Dragon story and activity book

If you are interested, this is the presentation I gave at the SA Festival of Children’s Literature in 2023. It showcased a lot of my cake and fondant artwork.

Thursday Doors

I shared a door above, just in case you missed it – smile! This post is for Dan’s Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/11/20/hurry-up-but-not-yet-1linerweds/. The door I’ve shared was inspired by Rebecca Budd’s post about Vincent van Gogh here: https://chasingart.com/2024/11/15/vincent-van-gogh-and-the-chemistry-of-colour/

In addition, I am sharing the cabinet I saw at the Van Gogh Museum. It is the one in which Vincent’s brother, Theo, stored the letters he received from Vincent over his life. It is a beautiful piece of art in itself and it has a lot of drawers.

This is a picture I took of one of the letters from Vincent to Theo:

A few previously unshared photographs of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings.

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Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

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96 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Chinese Dragon Colour Palette for d’Verse and Thursday Doors”

  2. Wow! I love this wonderful eclectic creative post, Robbie! The Chinese Dragon poem is sumptuous in description and yeah, two prompts in one! Inspired! Your video is superb and your creations are fabulous and imaginative— a great presentation of them. Thank you for sharing a bit from your Van Gogh museum trip, this is one of my favourite museums. The cabinet is precious and don’t you just want to open those drawers, searching for a missed letter?!😀

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    1. Hi Annika, I’m am delighted you enjoyed this hodge podge post. Mine are always a mix as there are so many challenges and they’re all so much fun. The van Gogh Museum was amazing and Vincent’s story quite a tragic one. I read an article that indicated his death may have been a homicide. It was linked to Rebecca’s post.

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  17. A feast for the eyes and imagination, Robbie. I loved the evocation of the various dragon traits and powers. So intriguing to think of their mythological force in Chinese culture. The dragon cakes look yummy, btw!

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  18. My husband had never seen your amazing food sculptures and he was impressed — not an easy thing with him. He asked me what you used and I said I though probably marzipan. Actually, I don’t know. IS it marzipan? I was just guessing, but you do some amazing stuff. Actually, YOU are amazing.

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  21. Vincent’s cursive is tidy and beautiful, but it also looks like it’s burdened with a heavy weight–kinda squished. I wonder what a handwriting analyst would say about it.

    I enjoyed your poem, Robbie, especially the yellow stanza. As always, your cakes are amazing!

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    1. Hi Priscilla, we had a tour of the van Gogh museum and the guide spoke about the letters. They have been analyzed by handwriting and other experts and he is believed to have suffered from biopolar disorder. A lot of creative geniuses seem to have suffered from chronic depression and other mental health disorders. A significant number have committed suicide.

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  23. I enjoyed the hommage to the dragon in Chinese culture. I also enjoyed your presentation for the SA Festival of Children’s Literature. I particularly liked how the fondant characters from the Sir Chocolate books appear in real-world settings.

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    1. Hi Liz, I am very pleased you enjoyed that presentation. I had fun making it. I always like to mix in real pictures as backgrounds. I think it makes the scene more interesting. I had a bit of fun researching the meaning of the different colours of Chinese Dragons.

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  25. Fab post, Robbie!

    That cabinet is amazing. Antique furniture is art. That craftsmanship is hard to find now.

    Love the paintings, the doors, the dragons, and mostly thepoem.

    Thank you! xx

    I did check out the video!

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    1. HI Resa, isn’t it an amazingly beautiful cabinet. I must have been very expensive even back then. There were beautiful pieces of furniture at the Rijksmuseum that I still need to share. I am really pleased you like the poem. I had to do research on Chinese Dragons in order to write it.

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      1. The cabinet is FAB!
        I look forward to whatever art you share including your wonderful writing!
        I lived in Chinatown for 15 years. Dragons are big deal in their culture.
        Be well! x

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          1. Thanks Robbie!

            Lol, when I lived in Chinatown, they had several festivals every year. ALL involved the Dragon Costume worn by many people,(it would snake about) and drums.

            The drums would beat from dawn to dusk. You know, it never bothered me. It seemed natural.
            However I was bothered by:
            There was a Chinese/Vietnamese turf type shoot out one night. At dusk, one of Norm’s pals, who was … not bright… worked as a window washer. He was washing a store window in Chinatown when the shooting began. He was killed in the crossfire.

            It was a loud night. The next day, when I went out, I discovered I was living in a crime scene zone.

            They yellow tape went around about 4-5 square blocks. The police were everywhere. It was like that for about a week – 10 days.

            Yes, I have lived an interesting life. I’m happy about that. Happier I’m still here to tell about it!

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  27. I love seeing furniture with doors, and you picked a great one, but I think I like the door at the dragon’s house the best. We need more whimsy in this world, Robbie and you and Michael do a wonderful job of creating it.

    I hope you’re having a great weekend.

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  32. If only Theo’s beautiful cabinet could speak. I had no idea Theo saved his brother’s letters and stored them. Thank you for sharing more art from the van Gogh museum, and thank you for your dragon poem and Michael’s dragon cake – wonderful!

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