2015 Phoenix Comic-Con

Phoenix Comic-Con opens Thursday, May 28 for Preview Night.  Find Drakey Art in Exhibition Hall 4 of the Phoenix Convention Center, Artist Alley Table 8121.  Look for our new banner:

My goal this summer is to get the rough draft of the first book from Age of Draga to an editor for some tweaking then off to a publisher!  The cover art is done and illustrations ready to add in as well.  While this process is happening, go back and read some excerpts on this blog plus fifteen more on my website: http://www.jaynixonart.com/category/the-age-of-draga-excerpts/.

Prologue: NEMMISDETH

Dwelling down deep in a dark dormant volcano, lays a charcoal colored dragon with a massive hulking frame. It is hard to tell where he begins and ends with arms, legs and tail strewn throughout the caverns taking up most of the space in the bottom of the volcano. His charcoal skin blending in with the smokey walls of the cavern, covered with glistening scales looking moist as steam rises from the floor and walls. He lays entranced by a vision of the great dark spirit "Sastoroth”. Hearing a deep whispering voice proclaiming that the time has come to cross the Black Sea and overtake their golden enemies to the north once and for all.

They are tired of eating each other; being forced to become cannibals because their food supplies are so low. They have out bred the fish and game supply on their continent. The Draztekkan females lay up to 8 eggs per pregnancy, four times more than the other dragon tribes of  “Strateraqa” the world on which they live. They also have a considerably shorter gestation period, which explains their slightly smaller body mass than the other dragon tribes.

The golden fire drakes to the north keep watch over the coastal edge of the continent and prevent any black dragons from entering their air space. Those that have tried to penetrate the invisible border by stealth were immediately seized upon by the larger golden dragons 
killed in midair. Meeting their death by having their throats ripped out and wings shredded by spear like talons and razor sharp teeth, making a swift plunge towards the ground Inevitable. Then ending in a bone crushing bloody crash upon the jagged rocks of the shoreline only to be carried out into the depths of the dark sea where the monstrous scavengers of the deep come to the surface and devour the lifeless bodies.

The dark spirit growled emphatically in the mind of the leader and shaman of the black dragon tribe, NEMMISDETH. As the gargantuan charcoal black dragon awoke from his trance he immediately got to his feet and leapt into the air beating his massive wings creating a huge cloud of dust and ash that came pumping out of the mouth of the volcano. He shot straight up like a bolt of pewter lightning, roaring to his minions,” it has begun, the time is now, Sastoroth has spoken”!

Writing, Writing and Writing

I just wanted to post an update and to apologize to my followers that I have not posted recently.  As the title of this blog says, I have been writing!  Along with a full school schedule, homework assignments and gearing up for a busy art show season, I am at my laptop every free minute I find to write on the "Age of Draga".  I am averaging about 1000 words each time I sit down at the computer, that is if I have have a good chunk of time to work on it.

I have made good headway into the first book of this series and am very pleased as I know you will be too.  I appreciate your patience in waiting for the completion and publication of the book.  I will keep coming back here and posting my progress.  The dragons are coming alive off the pages and it is exciting.

In between writing, I am working on a new style of watercolor illustrations to add into the book series.  The Age of Draga will feature my dragon art along with a great story!  Here is a sample of the new illustration of Prince Grenlok:

Dragon Illustrations

This is a short update to let everyone know what I am currently working on.  I have been doing a lot of painting during the summer break, before college classes start up again.  I am finishing up a new Prince Grenlock painting which will be used as part of my green dragon story.  Prince Grenlock is a key figure in the green dragon tribe with a lot of power and might!

I am also working on a new Zakuua and Gotthra for the story.  I will post them as they get finished and continue to post a little bit more of their story.  I am outlining an index page which will list each dragon with their names and pronunciation for the readers reference.  A map is in the works as well so the reader will know where each dragon tribe lives and travels.

As you can see, I am very busy putting the Age of Draga into print along with completing paintings to make this a visual story as well.  Please keep my blog, website (www.jaynixonart.com) and give us a "like"on facebook so you can follow my progress.  Thank You!  Jay

Dratha's Visit

Prince Grolth’s Uncle Dratha came storming into the clearing where the teenagers were playing and let out a thundering roar. “Why are you here wasting time when you're supposed to be on the home island getting ready for the ceremony?  You know it is our tradition and it is disrespectful to the elders of our tribe to be late.”  “I'm sorry exhorted the young prince.  I lost track of time, it wasn't my intention to disrespect anybody.”  ” You are disrespecting me at this moment “, Bellowed Dratha. ” Now come on let's go,” giving a sharp look with squinted eyes at Prince Grenlok and Princess Grellen.

With a great leap, Dratha shot in the air and beat down with his large wings leaving a cloud of dust that enveloped all three youths.  Then coughing, Prince Grolth said, ”Sorry guys, I have to go”. Then he leaped as high as he could, flapped his wings quickly to get lift and off he went.  Grenlok yelled at him,” it's okay brother I understand”.   He lifted his paw to the sky and spread his talons, the dragon's way of saying goodbye.  Princess Grellen gave a worried stare at Grenlok and said “I wish Dratha wasn't so hard on our brother”.  Grenlok answered her saying “I don’t know what we can do about it, Dratha has always been like that and he won't change.  We just need to try and stay away from him as much as possible.”  

“Yeah, but what about our brother?” responded Grellen.  “Dratha tries to act like his father and he's not”. 

Prince Grenlok said with a solemn voice,” you know ever since his sister died he has assumed responsibility over Grolth.  You have to admit our father is too busy to spend much time with him or us for that matter.  Princess Grellen spoke saying,” well we need to keep an eye on our brother and try to protect him as much as possible.”  Grenlok with a firm voice said “Grellen simmer down don't let that temper of yours get us in trouble, he's tough and he can take care of himself.” “Whatever you say”, Grellen torted  as she spread her purple wings and sprung in the air.  She turned her head and yelled sarcastically at her brother, ”See you at home wimp”.  Grenlok yelled back, ” You’re gonna get it sister; just you wait!”

The Battle of Caatha and Gotthra

The day of conflict had arrived. This is the day that both” Caatha the Blue” and” Gotthra The Dark Heart” had trained for their entire lives. Both of them knew that this day would come and both of them knew that this battle was their destiny. The Caathan wise ones prophesied of this event for centuries. Gotthra had dreamt about this day for as long as he could remember and now it had arrived. The dark one was there to put an end to the prophecy and Caatha was there to protect it. They stared at each other with intense purpose. Cattha’s claws dug in the permafrost ready for the fight. Hot flames licked up the sides of Gotthra’s face ready to shoot forth and incinerate the blue Dragon. Their fates hung in the balance, the battle has begun. 

More to come....
See my more dragon art at www.jaynixonart.com.

Caatha in the Copper Desert

Caatha landed on the edge of the world and looked around for the copper dragons . He searched for a certain  cave on the side of a hill. Copper dragons lived in small hills and mountains. This certain cave had two gigantic Dragon skulls at the entrance, and this would be the home of Karak the King. They are a desert species of Dragon. They live in the orange sands of the Copper desert and have dwelt there for many centuries in peace, but the brass dragons and the brown dragons waged war upon them and their allies the bronze dragons forcing them to go to war to defend their homeland. The blue Dragon came to help fight in the conflict and to prophesy of the future.

Karaak was the king of the Copper tribe. Young but not foolish, strong but not Brutish and very wise. Not being on the throne for long his father died in the not-too-distant past. He was able to grab a grasp of the rule before the war with the brass dragons began to expand into the Copper desert. He had had time to grow as a general while they were fighting in the outlands past the borders of the desert into the scrub brush and black oak of the high deserts where the brown and the brass dragons dwell.

He was wise enough to forge an alliance with the red Dragon Army. It was easily be sided with the leader of the bronze dragons since they were already allies from before. They held back the brass dragons easily in the little skirmishes of the borderlands. But it wasn't until the blacks Preston North end allied with the brass and the brown dragons that things became very serious and threatening. So was good to strike an alliance with an army as great as the Reds.

The prince of the bronze dragons was called, DRAAZER and he ran the battles from the frontlines. His father, King  Dozzar was very ill and very old and stayed behind.

Dragon Art including the dragon, Caatha can be found on my website, www.jaynixonart.com.