The Element of Wonder [Dead]

[Oopsie Daisy]

There was a lot of bustle in Ponyville that day. And it was no wonder, as an art event was going on in and around the town hall, with many artists displaying their many forms of artwork for the public to witness. Some were hoping to make money for their businesses, whereas others were just wanting to show off their stuff. Either way, it was very exciting, and the whole of Ponyville was gathering in order to enjoy the art tour - some of the residents even showing off their own abilities.

Oopsie Daisy was quick to leave her Cloudsdale home that warm afternoon to attend the gathering, flying straight to Ponyville after finishing her cloud busting for the day. Celestia's sun was shining over the world below, leaving shimmering rays dappling forests and fields and causing rivers and lakes to glisten like diamonds. It was rather spectacular, and caused the cream-coloured mare to smile with pride. When Ponyville came into view, her smile widened even further, and she swooped downwards before landing just before the crows of eager ponies. Already she could see some of the displays - paintings, sculptures, sketches, the lot. Daisy was a huge lover of art, and had an immense amount of appreciation for those who dedicated their lives for such creative destinies. She enjoyed art herself, but only as a hobby. She preferred observing, as she had so much respect for hard-working artists. It was definitely a profession worth getting into.

She made her way through the noisy crowd, her ears pricking when she heard the dull drone of the exhibition guide speak to the eager crowd about the history of art. He was a middle-aged unicorn, wearing a top hat and fancy brown tie, his eyes closed as he spoke. Daisy pulled a face, she didn't want to listen to this boring old crone go on and on in that unbearably dull monotone of his. She was here for the art and the artists. Luckily they didn't HAVE to listen to this guy, even though she was pretty sure he'd start interviewing the artists individually in front of the crowd soon. But she'd rather talk to them herself, especially if some of the pieces didn't interest her that much. She would much sooner pursue her own interests, and trotted past a few of the displays, admiring the creativity and effort behind them, being sure to smile at the artists standing beside them.

Just then, a particular piece caught her eye. And it took something really spectacular to do that. It appeared to be a stunning landscape painting, with lovely colours and rich intricate details. She moved closer, admiring it with blue eyes full of awe. There was so much life in it, and it was clear it had been painted with a lot of care. She turned to the artist stood next to it - a rather pretty Earth mare with a coat and hair that reminded her of a sunset. Judging from her gorgeously fancy manestyle, the pegasus mare assumed she was from Canterlot. A smile pulled at her orange-dotted cheeks, and she let out a soft chuckle out of embarrassment considering the intensity she had been staring at her work of art with. "Oh, excuse me.." she said awkwardly, straightening up and clearing her throat, the silver bell on her red collar jingling with every move her neck made. "This picture is absolutely gorgeous." She said softly, admiring it once again. "How long did it take you to paint? If you don't mind me asking." She smiled warmly, hoping to not be of any intrusion. She was genuinely curious, as she loved discovering how others did and discovered things: how technology worked and how talented artists created such fabulous designs. Her appetite for curiosity would never be satisfied, she was so eager to learn about such things. From how exactly they were done, to how long it took them to finally accomplish. Her mind was forever blown by such things, so she really hoped she wasn't being any bother to this brightly coloured artist.

ooc// For ForEn and only ForEn~

[ForgottenExistance]

The sunset colored mare had been content to stare out at the crowds of ponies in Ponyville, admiring their different forms of art, and enjoying the simple scene of it. Ponyville was always her favorite town to visit, because it was almost always full of life and love. It wasn't a bustling city where you were lucky to know your neighbors, like in Canterlot. It was just a small and pleasant town, where everypony knew each other, and everypony could rely on each other. It had even been her home for a few years when she was only a foal, and even though she didn't remember everything about her time in the little country town, it had been enough to make her almost constantly smile. The fact that it had marvelous and ever-changing landscapes was only a side-note in her ledger.

But she had to admit, the insistent drone of the exhibition guide made her want to pack up and set up her art elsewhere. Art was never supposed to be explained by anyone but its creator, and it should especially not be explained by some monotone, old historian who probably knew as much about art as a farm pony knew about quantum physics. Art had special meanings for their particular artist, and it was impossible for an outsider to ever even begin to comprehend what it meant to fall in love with a piece, or to have inspiration come from nowhere, and nurse it into an incredible masterpiece. That was the bureaucracy of art though; the artist paints, and pours their very hearts into their work, only to have some old pony with a degree decide whether or not it had good "imagery", and then slap a price tag onto it. Art shouldn't be priced, because art is worth different things to different ponies. Would a farm pony who works every day of his life to feed his family want to spend a thousand bits on a piece of canvas? No, because he would be focusing on feeding his family. But that wouldn't mean that the farmer wouldn't see it as beautiful. As with everything in life, price was based on perspective, and it just so happened that if one rich pony perceived the painting as being beautiful, then the price would skyrocket. Aurora though that it was disgusting that it worked like that, and was more than happy to give her paintings out for free to those who needed a little extra beauty in their lives.

Suddenly, Aurora found her thoughts interrupted by a mare staring intently at her painting. She couldn't help but crack a smile at the Pegasus, who seemed to be genuinely enjoying the artwork. It was always nice to see other ponies who enjoyed the arts, there were so many who simply overlooked the joys of art, especially paintings. There were so many who only thought of paintings as status symbols; the more expensive paintings you could buy, the more important you are. But here was the Pegasus, simply looking happy to stare at her painting of trees and wind, of lakes and mountains. It was nice to see somepony interested in the painting for more than just the price tag. Seeing a pony genuinely interested in the art was a refreshing change. Aurora was more then happy and willing to talk to the Pegasus, and answer any questions she so happened to have about the piece. Besides, it was better then her waiting to be interviewed by that old and monotonous Unicorn.

Still smiling, the artist made a small bow, "Why thank you! And of course, I don't mind at all," she said in a happy, soft voice before walking over to the Pegasus's side, to face the painting with her. Despite the slight limp in her stride, she was still happy to show her art off to the Pegasus. Gesturing with a hoof, she spoke as she recalled the process, "This particular painting only took me twelve hours. Not all at once, of course. But most of it I painted on-scene," she said enthusiastically, admiring it herself with a bright and beaming smile. The scene was actually in a little fjord she had found herself in, a few miles outside of Trottingham. She had found the scenery very relaxing and joyous, like it had been put there specifically for her to find, and show to the rest of the world. She had spent a solid week there, going around with her sketch book and taking down different scenes that she saw. The only one that she decided to show up in a professional show was the one of the fjord, while the rest of them she had been happy to sell off to her manager. She only kept the best to be shown to the world. Aurora prided herself in showing the world the seldom-seen scenes of secluded artistic beauty, and the simple joys of seeing life in paintings.

[Oopsie Daisy]

Daisy smiled awkwardly at the Earth mare, relaxing her front right hoof as she straightened herself up: the dull voice of the exhibition guide all but inaudible now that she was focusing on this divine piece of artwork. When she saw she was smiling, she was quick to return it, glad that she was approachable. A lot of artists were often rather stuck up or full of themselves, which made her often nervous when approaching them. But it didn't stop her, as art was one of those things that filled her with wonder and curiosity. She turned around for a moment to look at the other displays, admiring them with a quick sweep of her grey-blue eyes before turning back to the yellow mare. When she bowed lightly at her words, Daisy giggled, happy that she hadn't irritated her. It was quite easy for her to do that unintentionally, so she mentally breathed a sigh of relief. This mare seemed rather lovely, and she was definitely enjoying her presence as much as she was enjoying her gorgeous artwork.

"You're more than welcome," she said, beaming at the artist's response. It was good that she didn't mind the question, and the cream pegasus was sure she got questions like that about her paintings all the time. It was just lucky she hadn't got bored or tired of answering them. Oopsie watched as she moved from beside the painting to stand next to her, taking a couple of steps out the way so she'd be standing right in front of her work, flexing her wings out as she did so. Her eyes observed the painting once again as the pony beside her did, gesturing with a hoof as she gave her answer. "Twelve hours?? Wow, you're dedicated," Daisy said with a giggle, nodding when she said it hadn't been done all at once. "Haha, I'd be very surprised if it had been all at once. That would take some serious dedication.. as well as the most ridiculous amount of patience." She giggled as she imaging painting for twelve hours straight.. there was no way she'd have that much motivation or patience. It didn't sound particularly healthy either.

She continued to observe the painting, once again taking in its colours, details and atmosphere. That exact area depicted by the gentle brushstrokes almost looked familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd seen it before. Or if she'd even been there. Then again, a lot of places in Equestria looked similar. She made a mental note to get out and travel more, she really needed to stop staying in her house all the time. "So where was this painted? It looks familiar," she said, genuinely curious and hoping she wasn't being annoying with all the questions.

[ForgottenExistance]

The fjord was far from anywhere, and Aurora had figured that few others would know of its existence. It wasn't really a landmark, and was in no ways a tourist attraction. It was just one of those few hidden areas that nature provided for its ponies. But nonetheless, Aurora had no problem with revealing where this particular spot was. With a little smile, she turned her head to face the Pegasus, "Well, twelve hours is about average for my artwork. I'm not content unless the painting can make others feel something, and often the more time you put into your artwork, the more feelings you can capture," the artist spoke, quite proud of the fact. She put lot of care and thought into her artwork, and was only happy with it when it could make somepony else smile. "And, if memory serves me correctly, it's a few miles to the west of Trottingham. Very little in the way of civilization on the way there, or anywhere around," she said happily, recalling the fond memory of being there. After a moment of loosing herself in recollection, she snapped back to reality and continued, "Nothing but nature for miles in every direction. Being that far from everything is so calming, I just had to capture it on canvas. It's nothing compared to the real thing, of course," she mused, turning back to the painting, her smile never leaving her lips, "But it's still something," she concluded, cutting herself off before she went on with a monologue about her art. She doubted that the Pegasus wanted to hear her ranting about it.

The artist was happy to be talking about her art to someone who cared enough to actually ask questions. Well, questions that weren't rehearsed. She'd been quizzed enough by curators and art collectors over her lifetime, so it was nice to be able to respond to living questions. More then that, however, she was quite pleased to see such a level of liveliness to the Pegasus. It wasn't every day that one got to see a pony that was so happy, and enthusiastic about something as simple as art. It was precisely those sorts of reactions that she tried to elect whenever she painted; to make others become excited and happy about the simplest of things. Some ponies just needed a little more joy in their lives, and that could often be brought by something as small as a painting of a landscape. While it wasn't a perfect copy of the landscape, it was still pretty close. A moment in time, captured and preserved on canvas. It was a piece to bring light to the places that had none, to bring joy and beauty to the ponies who saw none. And it would last a lifetime. Several, if luck were on its side. Even if some day, that particular fjord were somehow destroyed; that painting would still hold its existence in stasis.

Her smile never leaving her face, the artist turned slightly towards the Pegasus and extended a hoof, "I'm Aurora Skies, by the way. Pleased to meet you," she offered happily, taking in the details of the other as best as she could without peering at her like she were demented. A casual glance at every little feature was all it took to memorize and process. It was part of an artist's mentality; to take in every small detail of life and think of it as part of a canvas. It wasn't about taking things and pointing out flaws, because when it came to art, there was no such thing as flaws. It was about taking everything there was in life, and looking at it like a creation, and seeing the potential for a stunning masterpiece in every setting, with every pony, at any time. Some characters were lively and bright, like the Pegasus before her, while others were darker and more somber. Both sorts of ponies had artistic potential to them, and it was the most enjoyable game for an artist like Aurora to play in her mind; trying to create a perfect canvas for everything.

[Oopsie Daisy]

The fact that the other mare seemed more than happy to explain things to a questioning Oopsie Daisy was very pleasing and relieving, and she was more than happy to listen to the artist's own stories and interpretations. Artwork was the purest form of telling a story, and was one of the most genuine way to capture and keep memories. Of course that's not to say she didn't like photography.. she was a pretty big fan of that as well and enjoyed using her own camera to capture things. In the same way that she loved to draw as a hobby, but there was no way her talent even began to match the pony before her. But that was okay, she preferred working with clouds. When the earth mare turned to face her, Daisy gave her her full attention with a smile, eager to hear more. The words she spoke were beautiful, and she nodded understandingly. She couldn't focus on a piece of artwork for twelve hours herself, not unless she cared enough about it. But she just didn't have the attention span for it. That was why this pony was the talented artist here who'd made a career of it, and not her.

She hadn't been to Trottingham in a long time, so there was no telling if she recognised the location in the picture or not. It didn't matter either way, it was still perfectly captured. "Hah, sounds lovely," she said with a grin. "Very little in the way of civilisation" didn't sound too fun though.. she was a socialite and drew energy from other ponies. A life of solitude didn't appeal to her at. While she liked being by herself to do her own thing from time to time, she didn't like being alone for very long and much preferred the company of others. As much as she loved nature, she was more of an industrial pony and preferred the city. Especially her sky home in Cloudsdale, which was without doubt the greatest cloud city in the sky. But still, it was no doubt it sounded very pretty and serene. The kind of place one would walk after a stressful day, or just when they needed to unwind and get some peace and quiet. "I don't know where it is, but from what I can tell you pretty much captured it spot on," she said in a genuine tone. There was no doubt she felt that those who deserved praise should get as much as they could, and she was always one to offer compliments when she felt they were necessary. This was definitely one of those instances.

Her ears pricked when the mare introduced herself. It was a pretty name indeed, and definitely suited her. "Oh, hi! Nice to meet you Aurora, I'm Oopsie Daisy." She grinned and shook Aurora's extended limb, feeling pleased to meet such a friendly and humble artist. Especially one who was willing to talk about her art and offer her own views and perceptions, which Daisy always loved hearing. She appreciated artists of all shapes and forms, and loved learning about how things were created and where their inspiration came from. It fascinated her, and fuelled her own inspiration. "So, do you live around here?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation going by staying casual. Small talk bored her quickly, but she figured she may as well get the mundane questions out of the way. That is, if the other mare didn't mind this random pegasus suddenly showing up and asking her questions. She became a bit embarrassed and realised the conversation was meant to be kept business-like, but it was too late to back out now. She just had to hope for the best.

[ForgottenExistance]

Quite pleased with her compliment, Aurora couldn't help but look back at her painting with a shied smile. Even though she had to admit that it was very close to what the fjord looked like, it was far from spot on. A painting could never truly capture the beauty of a location in real life, but she did her best to make it as close as she could to the real thing. So few ponies ever got the chance to see places that were as beautiful as that particular spot, and she just tried to bring a little more beauty into ponies lives by showing them places that they otherwise wouldn't be able to see. The artist gave a quick Why, thank you to the Pegasus after her comment, smiling at the painting. Simple compliments like her thinking it was spot-on were far better then compliments such as "notice how the shading benefits the underlying symbolism of mortality and..." blah, blah, blah. She preferred a personal compliment like the one the Pegasus gave so freely, something that wasn't rehearsed from a book about art.

Aurora blinked at the question curiously, then gave a light chuckle, beaming quite happily. If there was anything that got on her nerves, it was when ponies would conduct themselves like business was all that mattered. Everyone was a pony, they were all equal, and they should be addressed as such. The fact that the young Pegasus in front of her was willing to participate in small-talk was a pleasant change from the usual formality and brisk demeanor of others who admired her art. Being pompous and stuck-up had no place when discussing something as beautiful and fine as artwork, it was better to be Equine to one another, and care about the subject at hoof.

Smiling, she shook her head, "Not anymore, sadly. I used to live here when I was a filly, but that was only for a brief time. I live in Canterlot now," she said, smiling quite contently as she answered Daisy's question. Even if her time in Ponyville had been brief, she still thought of it as her home, and quite enjoyed being around the village whenever she could. It had some of the nicest ponies she had the privilege of meeting, and the scenery was just breathtakingly rustic and simple. It always inspired her, and when she couldn't find muse to paint, she would simply come back to Ponyville for a week or two. She always happened to leave with her best pieces of art whenever she painted in Ponyville, and that wasn't exaggerating.

Thinking for a moment, she quickly added on, "And what of you, Oopsie Daisy? Do you live around here, or are you only visiting for the art show?" she asked, her little smile never leaving her lips. Looking at the Pegasus, she didn't guess that she was a resident of Ponyville. There was always just a certain way that ponies from different places carried themselves. Couple that with the consideration of race, and she could usually guess quite quickly where it was that a pony came from. The artist never judged though, and only looked for similarities between what ponies from different places looked like. For example, a pony such as herself from Canterlot had a tendency to have very glamorous hair styles, with volume and simple beauty, with no extravagant spikes or flips. It was all just a matter of observation. As she observed Daisy with her mismatched orbs, she had to conclude that she came from one of the Pegasus cities. But, that of course was only her speculation. There were times when she got her guesses wrong, but she was pleasantly surprised when she was right.