Dear Guests, Patrons and People Who Don’t Know Anything about Art Yet Insist on Showing Up,
Thank you for joining us on this second night of Bonnywood’s Annual Cultural Arts Festival and Bacchanalia. It’s been a hoot of a day, hasn’t it? That Salvador Dali Sack Race in the Japanese Grotto this afternoon was certainly an eye-opener. Who knew that so many participants would end up passed out in the Koi Pond? Perhaps we shouldn’t have served sake at the starting line.
Enough of that. To launch us on this evening’s activities, we have another entry in our 3-Word Challenge. Please relax and enjoy the presentation, and let’s not have any of that panty-throwing we had at this morning’s Picasso Jamboree. We don’t mind the liberation, of course, but we do mind the legal fallout caused by an especially sparkly thong blinding one of the Cubist Tap Dancers.
Artiste: Claudette at “Ceenoa”
Three Words: colorful, startling, explosion
Medium: Mixed Media
And here we go…
Red – A Short Paragraph Story
She couldn’t believe how much red there was on her hands, and dripping off the thin knife still held in them. Anger now cooled, she watched as each droplet hit the floor with a small explosion of startling violence, and thought how beautiful the pattern was that it created. Shaking her head at her dreaming, she wondered what she should do now. “Have I really killed you?” she mused, “No, for where there is Death, there is Life”, and she swiped her palette knife over the canvas and a fresh colourful creation was born.
© ceenoa
This story has been percolating in my brain for a month or more. Thankfully this challenge post from Brian brought it to the boil when he sent me my 3 words yesterday: startling, colourful, explosion. As soon as I got them I knew that they fit this short paragraph story, and so, here it is.
————————————————-
This piece has been nominated in the following categories:
The Georgia O’Keeffe Award for Voluptuous Color Saturation with Possible Hints of Subtle Sensuality.
The Missy Higgins Award for lyrical precision, brevity and admirable quirkiness.
The “Hey, This Would Make a Great Cellphone Cover!” Award, sponsored by Samsung.
Gratitude Award from the founder of Bonnywood Manor.
You can review more of Claudette’s portfolio by clicking here.
If you are interested in joining the 3-Word Challenge, you can find the details here.
If you wish to sign an affidavit that no one was actually PUSHED into the Koi Pond, please drop by and have a chat with our legal team in the White Bronco Conference Room.
Final Note: The opening image is of Picasso’s “Ma Jolie”, turned on its side. Just because.
Categories: 3-Word Challenge
Bonnywood Manor 
I love this! 😀
And I love your intro, Brian. Hahaha. 🙂 I can sincerely promise that there won’t be any panty throwing from me, although I can’t guarantee that some long underwear won’t be launched. 🙂
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You are most kind Lynette. And Brian, where he comes up with these wonderous ideas I do not know, but they just blow your mind don’t they – or maybe that was the Cubist Tap Dancers?
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Lynette: I hear you. There was a time when I could frolic about in just a wisp of underwear. Now I bind my nethers in something comparable to an army-surplus tent…
Claudette: By the way, the Cubist Tap Dancers have an opening due to legal restraints imposed on a certain troupe member. Interested? 😉
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Damn – I seem to have lost my tap thongs – hey, didn’t I give them to you and you used them in an unconventional manner and them threw them away?
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Oh. Well, that MIGHT be what happened. But I’m not signing anything…
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Gorgeous and perfect. A masterpiece!
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Thanks Barb – Brian gives the best inspiration, don’t ya think (and the sake helps, really, a lot!).
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Barb: I’m assuming that you’re referring to Claudette’s lovely piece, and not to my own fumblings…
Claudette: When in doubt, serve sake…
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excellent, brain. those picasso events can get really heated
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I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve been arrested at Picasso Jamborees… 😉
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Wow Brian – you really misled me – I saw the post title and thought “oh Damn, another person got in before me”. Way to go 🙂 I love the intor, so, so, sooooo you. You shouldn’t throw the thongs though you know, they are supposed to go on your feet for protection!.
Love the Awards, Georgia O’Keeffe and Missy Higgins – you really know how to chuff a woman – and I am very, very chuffed. In fact my chuffedness is in imminent danger of an explosion of startling and colourful chuffystuff.
P.S Here is my (very shortly thought out) suggestion for your challenge title: B’s 3, or 3 from B – yeah, I know they suck, but it’s been a long day. Anyway, whatever you come up with I really think it should have your name/identity tagged in it somewhere, becuase your choice of words for each person is so thoughtful and YOU. 🙂
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I do feel a little bit guilty about “packaging” the challenge entries within my own spin, thus possibly misleading folks, but I was just trying to give the whole thing a theme. Hopefully it will all work out in the end.
The “awards” section is actually my favorite part right now, trying to customize the nominations so they feel honestly-meant and not just filler to end the post. I spent more time on that than anything else. And thank you for noticing that the words I dole out have some thought behind them and they are not just random.
Now, thanks for making suggestions about what to call this challenge. When I ran this thing before, years ago, several folks commented that including “challenge” or “competition” in the title was intimidating, and I get that. I’ve been fiddling with the phrase “Bonnywood Manor Collective”, something I used for yet another competition (there’s that word again) way before I ever moved to WordPress, but that phrase might sound a little foo-foo. I’m still fiddling…
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I LOVE your titles , and thefact that you really think about what you want to say that will intrigue folks. I think this is what makes yours a really thoughtful, meaningful challenge, you don’t just chuck out random bulk words for everyone, you’ve tailored it to your readers, dare I say it, friends. The awards are th eicing on the cake, or the cream in the middle – either way we appreciete the yummyiness of them – well I do certainly.
oh well, now it’s just begging to be called “The BM 3” 🙂
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Oh, and I just realised that my entry following on from #1 is reflected in your title – you are very clever, very clever indeed. An doubly so really, becusee Passion is no longer really my thing, but sleeping – yep, love sleeping (fish are ok, but too slimy to have in bed).
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Lovely! 🙂 And I was glad to read Claudette’s comment about being overly-anxious that her piece get in there…I thought I was alone (no pressure sweetie) 😉 . If you hadn’t noticed, this is a rousing success and kudos to you for your as always brilliance. Now I have to toddle off and find out where my muse went. Perhaps she’s one of those on the Lido deck or in the pool…..
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Yep, I understand that some folks are a little anxious about me getting around to sharing their submissions. So far, all of the pieces have been wonderful, but I’m trying to space them out a bit so it doesn’t become overwhelming. As for your muse, I do believe I did spot her on the Lido Deck. Perhaps we should head to said deck and confront her about her truculence, but not before we have a lovely meal in the open air cafe…
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I so enjoyed myself with this reading🤩
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Thank you. I’m really having a swell time curating (does that sound snooty) these things…
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Lol,may be a little but I like it😉🤩
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Wow! Oh, and I agree with Claudette, put the thongs on your feet.
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Now, now. Sometimes the liberation of undergarments can be a soul-enriching endeavor. We should respect that… 😉
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Loved it the first time I read it, love it more the second. And YES, it would make a great cellphone cover! (Claudette, you need to get on that!)
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I’m sitting here staring at my own cellphone cover morosely, thinking my life would be more satisfying if Claudette had designed it…
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well, you know, seeing as we’re bloggy friends and all 🙂 What are your colours? (Now I sound like some new-ahe hippy tryng to figure out your soul). Oh, I know, you love the inverted ones, don’tcha. Mellow, sultry, wispy, secret colours.
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Well, it is actually a thing you can do with the paint pours (I bleieve folks sell all sorts of things using their painting digitally added)- and I did actually ink one of my old phone cases a while ago … 🙂
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Ahh, Claudette, I do love good art, and your piece has all the right parts. Palette knives are fun to use, and gives your story a wonderful twist. 🙂
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