Nine Fallen Suns - Report

Eight detectives gathered at the Dragon's Eye headquarters for the second mystery of the 2014 summer. "The Nine Fallen Suns" is a story about compassion for nine missing ravens shot from the sky by Yi the Archer in Chinese mythology. Tenth Sun's strength is waning as he carries the burden of ten suns, and he needs his brothers to rekindle his sunspark stone.

I think of this case as a story about compassion--and this group of detectives really took that message to heart. The Turtle Lion named Kung Tan arrived to hugs. The detectives rusted and then burst the metal bars of an iron cage, and then felt so bad, they healed it, breaking the spell they didn't know was there and releasing Iron Ox. There aren't many iron cages left in "Nine Fallen Suns" -- the twenty-one cages that held the nine sun ravens and the twelve moon daughters all became baby oxen.

Even the campus bugs received the love as we stopped for every beautiful moth, beetle, cicada and what-in-the-world-is-that creature. The detectives greeted the campus squirrels with our traditional gesture--and one little squirrel sat down to eat a perfect little white mushroom as Sara and I said hello.

We had fun out of game with the Chaos and Order Spies searching for the Dragon's Eye detectives. The group decided to hide their identity, and became an art camp led by Mrs. Wiggins. Her art instruction must have really helped, because this week's art really flourished. The detectives learned to work with chaos and order in their paintings and the glorious results may be found on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page.

I will remember this special week as the week of hugs and bugs. The mythological world may have been headed into darkness, but our group of detectives brought a special light with them into the underworld! The sun ravens and the moon daughters are home, safe and sound, free to take their turns in the world. Tenth Sun has been healed and the sun spark stones shine with a brighter light.

Moon Lanterns

One of the loveliest and simplest of art projects is the Moon Lantern we're going to be creating for the mystery "Nine Fallen Suns." After a week of sunchasing, the Detectives will need a bit of the moon's cool and collected beauty. Twelve rabbits might seem an unlikely crew to produce such soothing, gentle moon energy, so I like to think of this project as something the moon daughters create during bunny snuggles time (which is most of the day--I should know, I have three rabbits slumbering in my home.)

I tested many different flower and lantern designs to come up with something easy and elegant. Here is the final design:

It's a traditional fanfold flower made from crepe paper, which gives it more strength and suppleness. The petals are easily arranged and fluffed. The light is a little battery-powered tea light. Safe for paper, since it's an LED bulb. I think the handle may need to be two pipe cleaners, so they hold their shape.

At night, the Moon Lanterns come into their own with a lovely warm glow.

I can't wait to see a whole group of these -- we may have to find a dark hallway somewhere on campus, so we can take some lovely photos. There are more photos of the lantern in the Nine Fallen Suns album on the Dragon's Eye Facebook page.

Session I: Secret of the Gargoyles (Ages 6 to 9)

Gargoyle Globe
from "Secret of the Gargoyles"
by R L McNulty

The summer 2014 season will begin with a four-day adventure for children ages 6 to 9 (entering first through fourth grades). "The Secret of the Gargoyles" involves a wizard and stone gargoyles that don't stay stone for very long ... and that does not bode well for the villagers who live below the castle. Can the detectives learn the secret of the gargoyles before the wizard unleashes his evil plan?  Our art projects for this week include gargoyle masks and snow globes.

Welcome back to Ike Voorhees

Detail, Ike Voorheers, 2013
Pen on paper

Ike Voorhees will be joining the Dragon's Eye Ventures staff for the remaining four sessions of the 2013 summer program! Ike is an extraordinary artist -- one of those artists whose drawings have story attached to them, so he's a wonderful addition to the Dragon's Eye team. Ike was with us last summer, and the adventures benefitted from his creative input!

Detail, Ike Voorheers, 2013
Pen on paper

If you'd like to know more about Ike, visit this post from last summer. He graduated this May from Bard College with a BA in art. Ike's focus at Bard was printmaking--and his artwork here demonstrates the kind of detailed focus that is characteristic of his work. He's one young artist with an exciting future.

Detail, Ike Voorheers, 2013
Pen on paper

The images posted here are all details of a drawing that grew out of Ike's hand during several adventures last summer. The figure is based on a famous carving on the tomb of a Mayan king named Pakal, showing the Vision Serpent Kukulkan. The Detectives visited this serpent as part of "Terra Incognita."

Welcome back, Ike! It's an extraordinary gift to the program each time you join us!

Origin Maps for Terra Incognita

Origin map by Raphael Foye

I love entering uncharted waters with the Dragon's Eye detectives. This summer, Terra Incognita: The Unknown Lands brought us into new territory with an exploration of eight world tree myths. We had one basic art project for the entire week: The origin maps that each child constructed for the final challenge of the mystery.

We started with a map of the map--a plan that laid out the design of the book. The books trace each artist's journey from birth until today, with the center block representing either their birthplace or their earliest memory of place. The different branches of the book then follow the journeys from that place, with pockets to hold special memories, people, pets and other secrets that hold special meaning.

The books were stunning--and I'm so pleased to share pictures of them on the Dragon's Eye Ventures Facebook page. I've been imagining this project for almost five years now, slowly working on the ideas behind the case and testing different ways of making the bookmaking accessible. So it was deeply satisfying to see the group's enthusiasm and commitment to the project.

Most satisfying was the final game, where the individuals each shared their book with the others. The attention the group gave to one another was wonderful to see--and the books were truly stunning as they unfolded in such interesting and varied ways.

Introducing Ike Voorhees

Ike Voorhees

Dragon's Eye Ventures begins its first session of the summer on Monday, July 9.  I am pleased to announce that Ike Voorhees will be joining the program as a volunteer for four of our adventures (Sessions I, III, IV and V).  This adds another player into the game, which always means more good fun!  It's not easy to play two characters at once--and now Ike and I can share the roles! With the detectives and two adults playing parts, we have drama once again.

Ike is a young artist whose work never ceases to astound me.  His skills and imagination are amazing, and his art comes with a deep sense of story--so he's a natural fit for the Dragon's Eye program.   He will add a great deal to the adventures, and our young artists will reap the benefit of his rich imagination working alongside their own.

Here is his bio:
 

Ike Voorhees

Ike was creating art beginning at age 3.  His earliest mentor was Susie Wren of Georgetown, ME with whom he took art lessons from age 7 through age 18.  Ike was educated at a Waldorf elementary school where the curriculum was art-based.  He pursued his art studies at Waynflete School in Portland, ME where his art instructor referred to him as the “best draftsman Waynflete School has ever seen.” Ike spent the summer of his junior year of high school learning mask-making from Rebecca McNulty in Brunswick, ME and he has interned with Harpswell artist, Kate Beck.  Ike is currently a senior at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, majoring in art with a focus on printmaking.  In addition to art, Ike has an interest in history, space, Eastern religions, and the Middle East.