…is the name of today’s story at Fictive Dream.
Throughout the month of February 2023 I will be showing you illustrations I did for Flash Fiction February 2023 at Fictive Dream, an online magazine devoted to the short story.
Here’s the image editor Laura Black chose for this story, The Ways of the Esquimaux, by Fiona J. Mackintosh.
And here is the artwork with the banner. Take a look at this image. And then…
Read the story at Fictive Dream.
Claudia McGill and Her Art World 
Today’s flash The Ways of the Esquimaux by Fiona J. Mackintosh is a most poignant story about the difficulties of providing care. It’s title is unusual and the chosen illustration with its ‘cold’ palette perfectly encapsulates the references to the Inuit way of death, be it a myth or not. I cannot help but see the central violet rectangle as the elderly lady’s bed, surrounded by ice drifts and bergs. Just perfect, Claudia, thank you.
You’re welcome. I think black and white in any composition is stark and emphasizes whatever colors are in the picture; in this case the greenish gray and the lavender are as you say, cold and shivery feeling. I think of winter seas as a dull green gray, too, so the color fits. And to make the cold seem colder, the little speckles of orange are important – there always needs to be a contrast to get your eye to see it, I think. I loved this story and the array of conflicting emotions it examines.
I’m glad you enjoyed the story, Claudia. A realistic snapshot of the stresses of care-giving. You give a very interesting account of how the palette works in this particular illustration, especially the effect of the orange speckles. Thank you!
I’m glad the commentary I made on the colors, etc., is of interest. To me color and shape is a vocabulary and there are nuances of meaning in how all the elements interact, and this is especially important when there are no representational images to give their meaning to the picture.
There is a stark beauty to that image that reflects the story well. The ties that bind and choke, the two sides of the idea of sacrifice. (K)
Thank you. And, Yes. I love the way you put it, in your second sentence.