The Inanna-verse.

  As often, it begins with this image: In this instance, I prompted Chat GPT to render this image in the style of a five-year-old's drawing: I decided to regress even further to a three-year-old's stick figure art: Then I decided to envision an elementary school student's design for a diorama: I thought that midnight blue was too monochromatic, so I reintroduced the other colors from the original artwork: Will there be more to come? - JJB

  No narration.  Let the art speak. - JJB

Note:   The samples of AI art that you see mimic various media.  From oil to acrylic to colored marker, etc..  These were created by the prompts I put in the Chat GPT4 program.  View and Enjoy! Ishtar Takes Flight - Colored Marker Ishtar Takes Flight - Bas-relief Inanna as a Cherub - Pen and Ink Grog Time! - Black and White Stencil Bingo Gazingo - Silkscreen Senator Boom Boom - Black and White Stencil Where Did You Sleep Last Night?  Oil and Sepia Roman Thermopolium - Oil Brussels Sprouts Bodybuilder - Acrylic Martian Cerebrum 01 - Acrylic More to Come... -JJB

As I complete the pilot for my TV script, which is projected for an Animated series, fellow students and alumni from my screenwriting classes have been eager to see character designs for the cast of the series. I think they have concluded that I, myself, am an artist. Technically that is true.  I went through four years of art classes at one of the most competitive high schools in the field.  I also went on to study film in college.  In graduate school, among the many things I studied was what was at the time called “electronic graphics.”  Today, it is commonly referred to as CGI. The sad fact is:  I have been out of practice with sketching, painting, illustrating, and animating for several decades - never mind years.  My artistic skills have atrophied rather than evolved. However, one could argue I have found salvation in the form of AI image generators.  It has been seen by trained artists as a threat to their profession, which is a concern I do take seriously.  Very often, fine arti

  A one panel sketch for my series Babylon Beyond!

  A conversation between Inanna and Ereshkigal would likely be a tense and confrontational one, given their history in Mesopotamian mythology. In the myth, Inanna travels to the underworld ruled by Ereshkigal and is subjected to a series of trials and torments before being rescued by Enki. If they were to have a dialogue, it might go something like this: Inanna: Ereshkigal, queen of the underworld. It has been some time since we have spoken. Ereshkigal: Inanna. What brings you to my domain? Inanna: I have come to seek knowledge and understanding. Ereshkigal: Knowledge and understanding? You, who sought to overthrow me and claim my throne? Inanna: I have learned much since our last encounter. I now seek to understand the depths of the underworld, to gain knowledge that will aid me in my rule. Ereshkigal: And what could you possibly offer me in return for this knowledge? Inanna: I offer you my respect and reverence, and a pledge to never again seek to usurp your power. Ereshkigal: Your w