In the Eye of the Beholder: Dragon Tamer by Jen Sequel
For the past two years I have been focused primarily on my writing. I really can’t complain because for decades I focused primarily on my art. Building any business is difficult and a creative one is no different. Completing commissions and pandering to art competitions has a knack for sucking the creativity straight out of you.
I needed a break.
So I took one.
Stepping away from the art world was necessary for my creativity but it certainly took a toll on my pocketbook. Then again, with the rise of Etsy and portraits being done by high school students and retirees who could cut their prices down to the cost of materials, it really became pointless in the end. That left competitions. And at $35 a pop just to enter, that also became too expensive with very little (if any) profit.
Fast forward to 2024. With my income from publishing depleting severely, I had to regroup and try a different path. One that no longer pushed one aside for the other. I needed to devise a plan that satisfied both avenues of my creativity. And that is where you come in.
This is me, stepping out of my comfort zone, and adding material on my website that goes beyond the finished product.
For today, I want to highlight one of my paintings that is beloved by many. Currently she is hanging in my living room, and I am blessed to stare at her on a daily basis. She is also my biggest pride and joy as she won me a Best in Show in an art show. If you are a sports fan, this would be my Superbowl victory, or my Stanley Cup. It is an honor bestowed on a select few and is coveted by all artists that enter a show.
This is Dragon Tamer.
Dragon Tamer was created as a growth challenge for my skills. I had been seeking out more intricate headdresses to sharpen my skills and really push realism. I had already mastered creating lifelike portraits, but I needed more. And I am not a landscape or still life painter so adding those elements really just bore me.
I was not bored in the least while painting her.
In fact, the headdress nearly broke me (as they all do) and the daisy chain literally took me hours to complete.
Many people have asked me – why the dragon?
To which I reply – why not?
For years I obtained my stock photos from a wonderful community on deviantArt where stock artists created wonderful costumes and shared their poses to be used for paintings. That is where I obtained the main photo of the woman. As I started visualizing the portrait and what I wanted to do with it (other than simply paint what was in the photograph), I was inspired to add a dragon.
The dragon you see in the image is not the original dragon. The first one was in a completely different position. Changing it in the middle of painting caused me to rebuild her hands. But it was worth it in the end as I love the little dragon that is perched on the tip of her fingers.
There are a few other modifications I made to the original image. I changed her eyes, opening and redirecting them. If you look closely, I added a bit of fire within to match those she trains. I also had to simplify the netting on her headdress. I really had bitten off more than I could chew, and I was pressed for a deadline to submit for the show. I have no regrets.
So there you have it! A little bit of background information on one of my most popular paintings!
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