Dremaria

A little more information about country of Dremaria. The task was to create a map of our country. The map was to to have 5 cities or towns on it; a mountain range, forest, water features and we were to designate where the Traveling Artist Guild headquarters is. Janee Odon comes from the forest area called Ravenswood. The Guild headquarters is situated next to Azur Lake in the town of Meadowsedge. You will learn more about these towns and others as the adventure continues. We werre given a list of places that we will visit and tasks and art projects that we will perform in each. Following are the list of places: Place of higher ground, place of great beauty; place of safety; place of joy; place of power; sacred space; traces of the deep past; place of sadness; place of solace; place of secrets; place of truth; place where the character is needed; place where the character can work, place of knowledge, place of healing, darkest place; and an honor place. Janee Odon will be very busy!!

At the Guild

Map of Dremaria: Country of Janee Odon

“How can thoughts and ideas held for years begin to change so quickly?” Janee thought. She had only been at the Guild a few days; but already her perceptions of the world were changing. She had met so many new people from far away places and they were all so different from her, but they all shared the same excitement and preparations for the journey. After having rested up from the journey to the guild, she made her map and journal.
Journal for recording the adventure

Now she was ready to do a little exploring. She remembered that off the corridor from her room was a doorway that led to a courtyard where she had seen a garden. She was missing her time outdoors in the forest and she was very curious to see what plants might be growing here. She entered the courtyard and sat down on a nearby bench. The sun felt so warm and good on her shoulders and she closed her eyes and just basked in it for a few minutes. Then she became aware that someone was quietly singing. She opened her eyes and looked across to one of the gardens and saw a woman tending to the flowers and herbs in the garden. As she continued to look, the woman glanced up and met her eyes. She smiled at Janee and beaconed her over to the garden.

“I see that you are enjoying the sun and the garden this morning”.

“I love plants and you have so many here that we don’t have in the forest.”

“I would be happy to show you around the garden and tell you all about the plants. My name is Ursula.”

Janee and Ursula spent the next few hours looking at all the herbs and flowers and talking about many things. At the end of their visit, Ursula handed Janee a small pouch. “Take this with you on your journey. Do not open it now. When the time is right, you will know to open it. Safe journey.” and with that, she turned her back and began tending the flowers once again. Janee carefully put the pouch in her pocket and returned to her room. To be continued.

Drawing of Ursula.

Preparing for the Journey

In preparation for the journey, we are to do the following things: create a trunk-which you can see above--I bought the plain heavy cardboard trunk and deorated the outside with a patchwork of scrapbooking papers and the inside has layers of beautiful, thin floral napkins. Next we were to create a paper bag book for holding treasures found along the way.
Here is my book. The outside is covered with fabric. The pages inside are covered with scrapbooking papers. Then we were to make a doll to represent us on the journey.
Meet Janee Odon Mysticeti. And here is the beginning of her story:
She was in the forest collecting and cataloging plants when she received the call to come to the Artists Guild. When the messenger appeared and summoned her on the journey, she was hesitant. she was comfortable and happy with her life in the forest. she had lived for many years with the tree people, who had put their arms around her and given her shelter when she was a small child. They had taught her the ways of all the animals and plants and she had become quite skilled in identifying the plants and the various ways they could be used for healing, for eating, for making beautiful colors and constructions and for magic. She wasn't sure if she wanted to leave the safety of the forest and make the year long comittment that the Guild required. But there was a small voice in her head or was it her heart? that kept speaking to her, urging her to go. And so little by little, and with a slowly growing excitement, she began preparing for her trip. She chose a small traveling trunk and created a book, with special pockets in it for holding treasures that she might find on her adventure. In the pouch that she carried, she put special objects that meaning for her: a pink granite heart shaped stone; a raven's feather she had found; a brilliant crystal, and a shell from the ocean where she had swam with the dolphins and the whales in the time before the tree people. Earth, Air, Fire and Water. She also included two special magical charms: a butterfly and a small bird. She was unsure about the way to the guild headquarters, because she didn't have a map, but the messenger had given her directions, so she just had to trust that she would not get lost along the way. The first thing she planned to do when she got to the Guild was to draw a map of the world outside the forest. She traveled to the guild without incident. As she neared the entryway to the Guild building, she saw other travelers arriving. She wondered who they were and where they had come from. She looked forward to meeting them and learning what lay ahead.
Stay tuned.......

Introducing the Traveling Artists Guild

In September, I learned about an adventure with the Imagi-nation and the Traveling Artists Guild. Following is an introduction to this year long project.

"The realm of Imagi-Nation is a place where all things are possible. Imagi-Nation is every-where and every-when, around us and in us, interwoven with what we call reality. People, places, and events can be brought to life in the Imagi-Nation, if only we are bold enough to explore and act on our dreams to manifest them. It is to this that artists of all persuasions — the poets, dreamers, musicians, writers, painters, and others — are called.

The Traveling Artists’ Guild is one of Imagi-Nation’s most venerable organizations but also one of the least known. On occasion, the Guild sends out emissaries who invite artists to gather in its halls. Those who respond to the call are issued with the invitation to undertake a journey of discovery into the Imagi-Nation, to bring back news, tales and art from the farthest-flung reaches of the realm. The Traveling Artists’ Guild holds its explorer artists in high esteem, as without them, extensive areas of Imagi-Nation would remain forever unknown.

In September 2010, a call went out to artists and writers, inviting those whose time to journey had arrived to take part in a one year long journey of discovery into the Imagi-Nation. This blog documents their travels, explorations, and creations."

There are 27 artists participating in this adventure. We will each be writing our own story with periodic prompts from the Guildmistress. The name of my character for this journey is Janee Odon Mysticeti and this is her story.