JUST PONDERING MY AI ART / ART PONDERINGS ARCHIVE

JUST PONDERING

Just Pondering My AI Art

TRQ MAY 2026 COMMENTARY: Just Pondering My AI Art

Let Me Start By Saying, "I'm an artist".

There are many, many categories of art, and therefore artist. Realistic, cartoon, graphic - the list goes on and on. Each is a very special talent. My wheelhouse is abstract art. I work with different media to create my artwork, but no matter what the medium it is almost always in abstract form.

I love abstract art whether it is mine or other artist. My artwork is a calming get-away when I am creating. I couldn't create in other art forms to save my life, and as much as I love abstract I often find myself needing a variety of other art form to communicate. This is often frustrating, because art is a language. It expresses feelings and conveys ideas. This means I am totally unable to express certain artistic ideas, concepts and memories that need to be conveyed in a non-abstract manor.

Then. In Walks AI.

I first tried it in black and white. I liked it a lot. Then tried color. I did not attempt a barn scene, thinking it would be to hard to describe, so I went for the memory of them, pulling in the last logs of their hard work day.

AI was available on my laptop. I refused to use it, not even asking it questions, (except through Google which was unavoidable). I had successfully resisted using AI for a long time - for all the responsible reasons. I held out until one day I had thought, it would be fun to recreate a memory from my childhood. I had been wanting to re-create that memory for ages. I must have been from about 6 years old to maybe 8 years - or so... I really can't pin point the age. I just know it was very, very young. One of those early childhood memories. During this time period we had our woods logged.

I had resisted, but now, It was knocking at my door. It was calling to me. "I can create art for you." - "Try me, any art style." - "Any time, I'm here for you." Thinking, this could be the perfect link to my past memory of the horses... I answered the door. It was great ! It gave me the visual I had longed for, the memory of the two Clydesdales of my youth!

The memory was of two Clydesdale horses that the logger used to pull the logs out of the woods. I was fascinated! I love animals. We always had dog family - but never horse family.

The logger keep them in our barn for the logging duration. I went to the barn to look at them often. I still have vague but fond memories of the horses in the barn.

Next - I wanted to relive my grandmother's kitchen (my father's mother who lived in Pennsylvania). She had a a beautiful caste iron, black, old-fashioned, combination wood cook stove with oven - with which she made the most delicious dinner roll ever! I am a bread lover - so that is saying something. I only wish I had the recipe and her expertise in making them.

It was not a perfect layout, but the stove and the diner rolls were there so it made me happy!

Just as our ancestors resisted progress and life changing events in in many facets of life: farming, food processing, transportation, communication, photography, the arts and even medicine, I had resisted AI. But once change steps in it has away of running over you if you don't conform. It persist and takes over like a flood stage river. Those that do not, or cannot, swim are taken under and swept away to parts unknown. I have reluctantly allowed myself to become one with the current. Flowing with the current makes for a much easier, more comfortable and a more scenic ride. However, I do so with great trepidation and with caution, as I watch our world being overcome with something that could very well lead to it's demise. I keep my AI dependence to a minimum; because using AI is not only diminishing our natural resource, it may be diminishing societies cognitive and critical thinking skills. However, I can't control all of societies behavior. Mankind seems to be being swept away by a new AI-World Order. Like being swept from a calm brook, into a raging river then on to the wide open and mysterious ocean or sea.

Then there is the positive side. I love to write but I am terrible at spelling, punctuation and sometimes my sentence structure needs a second opinion. I love to draw, but can't draw realism, cartoons or create commercial graphic art layouts. Everyone has something they lack and that they need... And our AI Buddies are always there to oblige. Society has unleashed this seemingly friendly monster on us. We can only take caution in it's use and hope we do not find ourselves with another Godzilla!

Jelani K. Asantewa

Just Pondering -Art

JUST PONDERING