The Guardians of The Void

Example of combining previous projects

The Weird Tales project. This project focuses on collecting photos of street art in New Zealand. It was inspired by “Weird Tales of Wanganui” by Cracked Ink. The project includes a lot of digital art and coding.

The book was created from a collection of these images.

The Three Body Project. The image below was inspired by Cracked Ink’s characters and Lui Cixin’s “Three Body Problem”. You can see the image from the cover of the book. There was lots of coding and research into the science behind The Three Body Problem.

A main question in making the spirograph image below is about reality and how we understand it. This idea came from two math papers. One said all information in the universe is shown and kept in maths. The other mentioned that much research in quantum physics starts with math and is later tested by experiments. I may not fully grasp the ideas, but they are very interesting. While making apps for spirograph images, I decided to create images that go beyond natural limits using maths.

The Spirograph image began as a 3D printed toy I had built for my granddaughter. Next, I developed an app in Scratch to create 2D spirograph patterns. I then upgraded it using p5.js to create 3D spirographs. The last change allowed for shapes that go beyond a normal spirograph’s limits. Some digital art and AI were used to finish the image.

I’ve added a simple sample image of the two spirograph apps. The sliders adjust the patterns, colors, and speed.

Start of a 2D spirograph image. More layers are progressively added to create a more complex image.

This image above only uses simple 3D patterns, whereas the image below uses a combination of 2D and 3D patterns, graphical art and AI.

Add a few Chinese dragons to depict strength and control of the elements.

Combine the images.

Lots of Digital Art and AI are now needed to create the final image from the images above.

We now have the makings of a new storyline and project. At the centre of the universe three celestial bodies bend space and time, creating a region rich in diverse lifeforms. Mythical dragons are said to maintain balance and stability. However, change is coming, as these dragons are under attack by forces beyond imagination.

To complete the image and to tie in with the storyline, a Chaos Butterfly is added. This was created by converting computer code (Basic) to the Processing language. The code was based on the original Butterfly Effect code.

Below is a first attempt at an introduction using Microsoft Copilot:

The Guardians of the Void

At the heart of the cosmos, where gravity wove spirals of energy into existence, three celestial titans pulsed in synchrony. Their presence bent space and time, creating a cradle for countless lifeforms—some known, others beyond comprehension.

For eons, the balance had been preserved by the Celestial Dragons, beings of fire, shadow, and stardust. They were ancient, their scales shimmering with the essence of creation itself. Legends whispered that their breaths carried the harmony of existence, binding together galaxies and dimensions. They were the silent architects of order, watching over the delicate equilibrium with unwavering vigilance.

But the universe was shifting. From the deepest abyss of the unknown, forces beyond imagination began their assault. They did not come with fleets of warships or weapons forged in dying stars; they arrived as distortions—anomalies that unraveled reality itself. Great holes appeared where there should have been light, and time fractured into frozen moments and infinite loops.

The dragons fought, their roars shaking the fabric of space. They wove fire through the void, attempting to patch the tears left behind by the invaders. But these entities were unlike anything the guardians had ever faced. They did not follow the rules of existence. They were entropy incarnate, chaos given form.

As the battle raged, the balance of the universe teetered. The celestial bodies shuddered, their harmony breaking. Lifeforms that had thrived in stability now faced an uncertain fate. The dragons, once invincible, now trembled beneath the weight of an enemy beyond comprehension.

Yet, within the heart of the storm, a whisper arose—an ancient secret buried within the very fabric of creation. If the dragons could unearth the knowledge hidden within the three celestial bodies, they might yet restore the universe’s balance.

But time was against them, and the void was hungry.

Would the guardians rise once more, or would the universe itself unravel into chaos?

The cosmos held its breath.