The DREAM - A Dragon's Tail

  Art and text by Ian Webb   

  This is a drawing of a 4-inch-long brass Dragon.   

  Sometimes the Dragon gets a bad rap. Many cultures and beliefs hold the Dragon as a kind of benevolent figure.   

  For the 6 weeks it took me to draw it, I actually kept thinking of the scripture in Revelation that speaks of Satan, the great Dragon and original serpent, being hurled into the abyss. However, the Dragon then lets loose for a short time before being destroyed.   

  Then it clicked in my mind. Even our own imaginations, while being amazingly powerful, can be used to our own detriment. We, including myself, have to be balanced and learn when to put the "BEAST" to rest.  

  When I was young, before my diagnosis of Bipolar disorder, I literally could not put my imagination to bed. My mind would go on forever, thinking of new compositions to paint.

  Over time, I tamed it to be domesticated. It was the most difficult thing I ever did. But I was SO happy to do so. And this is my imagination, my Dragon. My gift.