Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Gateway Journal Entry - Day 01 : It's the Little Things

A drawing of a lamp. Hardly seems like an exciting way to start off my travel journal of Gateway, but when I saw it, it seemed oddly appropriate.

I guess it's because so many things in this city are more than "just a lamp", like they often are back home. The uncommon is common here in Gateway, a city that teems with creatures and beings and people from an unknowable variety of places.

This lamp is in the lobby of the pension that I checked in to this morning after a very long and "tricky" journey here. The old lady who runs the place, her name is Szerta I think, tells me her grandfather bought it from a travelling junk salesman in the Nathru-Val. She says they used to be very trendy a couple of centuries ago…. I don't know if you can see it in my drawing, but when you turn the light on, a bit of smoke comes out of the cigar on the little face in the middle… there were, apparently, a variety of lamps like this that had little smoking faces…. I guess it's no weirder than the wall-mounted singing fish that were popular back home several years ago…

It's just one of the many bizarrely intricate and fascinating things that I seem to be finding around every corner here. I consider myself very lucky to have been given this opportunity to come to Gateway and draw what I see.

My mysterious benefactor/client has made sure I have enough time, money, supplies, and resources to really dive deep into life in Gateway, and record it for curious types back home. Although I have planned to be here for about a year, I can see how it would really take a lifetime to truly explore this unbelievably vast and intricate city, maybe two lifetimes.

So, I am going to unpack, study some street maps (no easy task, I assure you) and plan my route for tomorrow. I will try to post these as often as possible, but, as you can imagine, it's tricky getting information back and forth. Wish me luck!

8 comments:

Ted Terranova said...

Oh man, that reads so well. So glad I opened my reader just now. You making a sketch journal of a fictitious city is brilliant. It's perfect for your stuff. It'll make a great book. And again, the writing is really good. I like how it hints at a bigger world around this city that you're recording. Can't wait to see more "artifacts". And please draw Szerta soon :)

McLean Kendree said...

Urr'thang Ted said. <3

Chesapeake maids said...

I hope to visit Gateway soon. You are a very good artist. It's really awesome to include your artwork in your blog.

Ben Greene said...

Ha! Brilliant....send me a post card :D

Kelley said...

You are so my favorite.

Unknown said...

it's a real lamp??? wow! that's interesting!!!!

Amy said...

Amaizng picture! And I like your style of writing, i really do :DD Hope to see more of this, and learn of your adventures in Gateway, which if I may ask, is where?

See ya soon!
-Ames

Sean Andrew Murray said...

Ted - Thank you! I hope I can maintain a consistent voice and a good writing style... I am really just kinda winging it. Also, your wish is my command.

Thanks McLean

Chesapeake Maids - Cool, thanks... do you guys operate in the Baltimore area? Haha!

Ben - Thankee!

Kalley - Thanks!

Erik - Depends on your definition of "real" Haha.

Ames - Thanks.... you'll find out if you keep reading... ;)